Ana Manuela de Azevedo: «The collaboration between research and industry boosts the growth of the aquaculture sector, promoting animal health and welfare»

Fish may be the key to finding a cure for many conditions humans suffer, from rare diseases to cancer. Genetic manipulation makes it possible to express in these animals processes related to specific pathologies, observing their progression and analyzing the effectiveness of different therapies.

Ana Manuela de Azevedo, graduate and PhD in Veterinary Medicine from the University of Santiago de Compostela, combines teaching with research in the Veterinary Pathology Pathology Group of Campus Terra, where she studies fish diseases—work with a triple benefit.

Her work aims to improve the health and welfare of these animals. It can also have very valuable applications for aquaculture companies, with which he has collaborated in the past, especially when it comes to increasing productivity and food safety. Finally, her research also includes the study of pathologies in fish models of human diseases, such as zebrafish.

Ana Manuela de Azevedo devotes her spare time to reading, music, and traditional Galician dance. A passion that led her to participate in two choral groups in Lugo. She is also a member of the association of pre-and postdoctoral students, AgroMar, which also promotes the scientific dissemination of Campus Terra research, an entity that also promotes animal welfare, sustainable production and the One Health approach, which is committed to jointly addressing human, animal and environmental health.

This approach has benefits that are highlighted in this interview.

-You became a doctor cum laude at the University of Santiago de Compostela with a doctoral thesis focused on the skeletal anomalies of the Senegalese sole. Did you find any solution to help counteract the high rate of anomalies in this species?

-My doctoral work mainly consisted of characterizing skeletal malformations at different stages of this species' culture. In deep-sea fishing, very little was known about this problem and how it affected sole aquaculture. Therefore, studies were needed to analyze these anomalies, the skeletal structures, the number of fish affected, etc.

These studies contributed to a deeper understanding of the anomaly profiles for the different developmental stages of sole, a very promising flatfish species for Galician aquaculture. This work lays the groundwork for future comparative studies to analyze the effect of other factors involved in developing these malformations so that this problem can be prevented or mitigated.

-Another of the protagonists of your work is the zebrafish. Why is this species so attractive for research?

-My work on zebrafish derives from collaborations with research groups that work more directly with this species, such as the Acuigen group at USC. Zebrafish is a freshwater fish, which has many advantages for research.

On a practical level, it is a small species with few maintenance requirements, making it easy to reproduce and cultivate in laboratory aquariums. In addition, due to this reproductive ease and a short generation interval, many individuals can obtain their results quickly, speeding up their analysis.

On the other hand, this species maintains a certain degree of transparency of its tissues from the egg stage to juveniles, facilitating the observation of their organs, including their development in the live animal. The skeleton of the animals can be seen employing dyes. In addition, thanks to this same transparency, observing specific marked cells and their location in the living animal is possible, making it possible to monitor their condition.

Currently, with the knowledge of its genome and the development of new imaging techniques and genetic manipulation, it is possible to have mutant lines that mimic many diseases in both humans and animals in this fish. This allows its in-depth study, which could perhaps contribute to the prevention, treatment, or improvement of the living conditions of people or animals affected.

-In addition, the zebrafish shares about 70% of its genome with that of humans. Could the ichthyopathological studies of these fish be applied to improve the management of certain diseases in people? What conditions could benefit the most?

-Due to the advantages mentioned above, the use of zebrafish as a model for diseases in humans and animals is increasing exponentially. Other USC research groups work more directly with this model since these fish can be genetically manipulated to express or inhibit certain processes associated with a given disease and thus study the related molecular mechanisms or the effect of certain therapies.

In the case of diseases with a high genetic component, we can even try to mimic this genetic variation in zebrafish and study their behaviour in the affected fish. This is the case of an ultra-rare disease caused by a congenital disability of glycolysis on which my colleague Nerea Gandoy is working with the genetics group of the USC, Acuigen.

-You did your PhD studies in close collaboration with a company in the aquaculture sector. How can your work improve the management and survival of fish stocks for these companies?

-The aquaculture sector is vital for Galicia. The growth of companies in the industry goes hand in hand with the commitment to research and innovation to increase the productivity and sustainability of this farming.

On the other hand, research also needs the sector's support and collaboration to understand and respond to problems in a more applied way. Our work optimized radiodiagnosis for Senegalese sole and established scales for assessing malformations at different stages of their development. These results constitute the first steps of a comprehensive process that aims to reduce the frequency of these vertebral anomalies in this species and improve the product's quality.

In short, collaboration between veterinarians, researchers, technicians, and producers is essential to promoting the sector's growth, food safety, and animal welfare.

-At the University of Ghent, you participated in Professor Witten's working group and are a BiomedAqu network member. You also collaborated on other projects with international groups. Why is it important for research to weave collaborative networks between different countries?

-In my opinion, scientific research is an activity carried out as a team, in collaboration, since one needs to gain all the knowledge on a subject. The multidisciplinary nature of research allows us to advance and enrich fundamental knowledge, promoting its application in different and new fields of science.

In addition, sharing experiences, techniques, and knowledge among researchers as social beings allows us to establish closer relationships and grow scientifically and personally.

-In 2011, you joined the Veterinary Anatomic Pathology Laboratory (GAPAVET) at Campus Terra, where you are still working. What work do you remember most proudly, and what is your current role?

-Since joining the research group in Veterinary Pathological Anatomy, I have worked as a researcher (pre- and postdoctoral) in different fields of ichthyopathology. I am lucky to enjoy what I do, and I work enthusiastically to better understand some of the pathological processes inherent to fish diseases and thus contribute to the knowledge of animal health.

I also like to participate in more applied research to solve real problems that affect fish and to give answers to companies, even though a definitive solution has often not been found.

-Why is a group like GAPAVET important within Campus Terra?

-This research group fits perfectly into Campus Terra's scientific priorities, especially in the areas of Sustainable Animal Production and Health and Safe and Healthy Food. This group's research is linked to improving the health and welfare of fish, including aquaculture, and promoting food safety within the scope of OneHealth.

-What technologies do you work with on a daily basis, and what innovations do you think will define the future of your field of study?

-I work with microscopes and stereomicroscopes routinely, although I use many imaging techniques and radiography in collaboration with the radiology team at the Rof Codina University Veterinary Hospital. I believe that the new advances in Artificial Intelligence and their application to the diagnosis and recognition of pathologies can also be an important tool in the aquaculture sector.

-How did your interest in histopathology and cytopathology arise?

-I always had fish at home, and I was interested in their health and welfare. During my career and my master's degree, I had the opportunity to have more contact with the pathologies that can affect them, and I followed that line.

-Finally, what advice would you give to students who wish to develop their professional careers in this discipline? What competencies should they acquire?

-I would advise people who want to start their professional careers in the field of ichthyopathology to look for groups of experts to learn from and share experiences. I think it is important to know how to work in a team and to have an open mind and enthusiasm for continuing training throughout their professional lives.