A cost effective approach to disease prevention in farming of aquatic and terrestrial animals is the administration of substances that enhance the immune system. This work carries on from my PhD thesis and in collaboration with Biorigin and Leiber GmbH as well as the group of Professor Dieter Steinhagen at the Veterinary University in Hanover, Germany I investigate the effects of beta-glucan on fish immunity, microbiota and apoptosis in juvenile carp and larval turbot. I am especially interested if maternal immunostimulation can be used to increase immunocompetence in offspring.

I have also been involved in various studies of fish pathogens, both viral and bacterial, investigating the effect of the pathogens on fish physiology and immunology.

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These are some of the relevant publications from my work in this area:

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Miest, J. J., Arndt, C., Adamek, M., Steinhagen, D. and Reusch, T. B. H. (2016) Dietary β-glucan (MacroGard®) enhances survival of first feeding turbot (Scophthalmus maximus) larvae by altering immunity, metabolism and microbiota Fish & Shellfish Immunology, 48 . pp. 94-104. DOI 10.1016/j.fsi.2015.11.013.

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Miest, J. J. and Hoole, D. (2015) Time and concentration dependency of MacroGard® induced apoptosis Fish & Shellfish Immunology, 42 (2). pp. 363-366. DOI 10.1016/j.fsi.2014.11.009.

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Pionnier, N., Falco, A., Miest, J. J., Shrive, A. K. and Hoole, D. (2014) Feeding common carp Cyprinus carpio with β-glucan supplemented diet stimulates C-reactive protein and complement immune acute phase responses following PAMPs injection Fish & Shellfish Immunology, 39 (2). pp. 285-295. DOI 10.1016/j.fsi.2014.05.008.

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Falco, A., Miest, J. J., Pionnier, N., Pietretti, D., Forlenza, M., Wiegertjes, G. F. and Hoole, D. (2014) β-Glucan supplemented diets increase poly(I:C)-induced gene expression of Mx, possibly via Tlr3-mediated recognition mechanism in common carp (Cyprinus carpio) Fish & Shellfish Immunology, 36 (2). pp. 494-502. DOI 10.1016/j.fsi.2013.12.005.

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Pionnier, N., Falco, A., Miest, J. J., Frost, P., Irnazarow, I., Shrive, A. and Hoole, D. (2013) Dietary β-glucan stimulate complement and C-reactive protein acute phase responses in common carp (Cyprinus carpio) during an Aeromonas salmonicida infection Fish & Shellfish Immunology, 34 (3). pp. 819-831. DOI 10.1016/j.fsi.2012.12.017.

 

Falco, A., Frost, P., Miest, J. J., Pionnier, N., Irnazarow, I. and Hoole, D. (2012) Reduced inflammatory response to Aeromonas salmonicida infection in common carp (Cyprinus carpio L.) fed with β-glucan supplements Fish & Shellfish Immunology, 32 (6). pp. 1051-1057. DOI 10.1016/j.fsi.2012.02.028.

 

Miest, J. J., Falco, A., Pionnier, N. P. M., Frost, P., Irnazarow, I., Williams, G. T. and Hoole, D. (2012) The influence of dietary β-glucan, PAMP exposure and Aeromonas salmonicida on apoptosis modulation in common carp (Cyprinus carpio) Fish & Shellfish Immunology, 33 (4). pp. 846-856. DOI 10.1016/j.fsi.2012.07.014.