HA (Haniswita) Fino

My PhD project aims to assess the effects of early-life dietary intervention on the gut health of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) at later life stages. Specifically, the study evaluates the effects of yeast ß-glucan supplementation, used as a prebiotic and immunomodulatory compound, on gut microbiota composition and overall health status.

The research begins by identifying the optimal dosage and solubility of ß-glucans, followed by an assessment of the effects of different supplementation periods. With the established dosage, solubiliy, and period, we include probiotics (e.g. Bacillus spp.) to determine whether the combination further enhances the benefits of ß-glucan supplementation.

Throughout this project study, long-read sequencing using Oxford Nanopore Technology (ONT) is employed to investigate how early dietary supplementation shapes the gut microbiota. In addition, RT-qPCR and transcriptomic analyses are used to assess relative gene expression (mostly on health-related genes), while histological analyses are conducted to evaluate morphological changes in gut tissues. Streptococcus bacterial challenge tests are also included to assess whether early dietary supplementation during larval stage confers protection at juvenile stage.

Overall, the findings from this research are expected to improve our understanding of how early-life dietary supplementation influences fish health at later life stages.

This PhD project is supervised by Fotini Kokou and Geert F Wiegertjes