Atlantic salmon roe - CSIRO is involved in a joint breeding program which will improve the quality of Atlantic salmon being produced in Tasmania.

Supporting postgraduate and postdoctoral development

An article about the work of two doctoral students and their development at CSIRO.

• 19 October 2007 | Updated 14 October 2011

• Training 
• Working with small ribonucleic acid
• Working with omega-3 and salmon

Training

CSIRO develops and trains graduates for the future benefit of CSIRO and more broadly, the National Innovation System.

Two examples of this training program are Mr Rob Allen, working with small ribonucleic acid (RNA) molecules and Mr Matthew Miller, working with omega-3 and salmon.

Working with small ribonucleic acid

The recent discovery of small ribonucleic acid (RNA) molecules has revolutionised our understanding of how genetic information is expressed, highlighted by the 2006 Nobel Prize to the scientists who demonstrated their function.

Small RNA have roles in many aspects of plant development, from stem cells to leaf shape.

PhD student Mr Rob Allen, along with colleagues at the Australian National University (ANU) in Canberra and CSIRO, has identified the gene targets of members of a class of small RNAs called microRNAs. 

He has demonstrated that these microRNAs silence specific genes and this work may lead to biotechnology applications as well as a better understanding of gene regulation.

Mr Allen says the collaboration between the ANU and CSIRO has been invaluable in helping guide his research, ‘It’s been incredibly helpful to have input into my work from such a broad cross-section of scientific experts – and their technical knowledge’.

Working with omega-3 and salmon

PhD student Mr Matthew Miller, along with colleagues at the University of Tasmania in Hobart and the CSIRO Food Futures Flagship, is researching novel renewable sources of oil with high levels of omega-3 that can be used as a source of food for the salmon aquaculture industry.

This will provide a high omega-3 salmon product and help to maintain the growth in the industry.

Mr Miller's project is investigating possible sources of omega-3 oil from Patterson’s curse, a noxious introduced weed, to oil from marine single cell micro-organisms or genetically modified seed oil crops.

Global sources of fish oil are under increasing pressure due to over-fishing and other environmental changes.

The aquaculture industry relies on fish oil to supply the essential omega-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids, which are beneficial for human health including the reduction of cardiovascular disease.

The decreasing supply of fish oil is therefore of international significance. 

Mr Miller says ‘the collaboration has been invaluable in helping guide his research, has enabled the use of first-class laboratories and analytical facilities, and allowed access to the overall scientific and technical knowledge of key CSIRO researchers.'

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