Streamlined Technology Allows Science Center to Accelerate Fish Fat Studies
Scientists at the Alaska Fisheries Science Center (AFSC) are substantially increasing their research into the amount of energy-rich fat in fish, thanks to a new streamlined method that allows them to more than quadruple the number of fish sampled each day.
Study results, announced Sept. 24, looked at all five species of Pacific salmon, Pacific herring, cod, pollock and capelin. The results produced data that matched what traditional methods produced, validating the sulfo-phospho-vanilllin (SPV) assay method and certified a novel way to measure lipids in Alaska marine fish.
The SPV assay has for some time been studied as a rapid alternative to traditional methods for lipid analysis. Lipids, or fat, have long been regarded by scientists as the most important energy reserve for anim...