Clémence Fraslin

Robledo Group, Core Scientist

Current research

I am a quantitative geneticist working trying to understand the genetic architecture of complex traits, mainly disease resistance traits in various fish species. The aim of my work is to understand why some fish are naturally resistant to disease while others are naturally susceptible, by looking at the difference in their genome. I perform fine mapping of genomic regions to identify genes that may be linked with response to disease. I use all these information to select the best fish for production by working on the development and implementation of genomic selection in aquaculture. As the core scientist of the group I work on many different projects, providing support for members of the Robledo group and the wider Aqua community. I’m currently involved as work package leader in the EUAqua.org project, aiming enhancing the resilience, health, and environmental performance of organic farmed fish.

Favourite aquaculture species

Rainbow trout is obviously the best one.

Background

As an undergraduate, I studied agricultural sciences at AgroParisTech (Paris, France) where I hesitated between studying big animals that live on the ground and produce milk and studying smaller animals that live in water and do not produce milk; I finally decided to work in the wet world as a dry scientist. During my PhD at INRAe (Jouy-en-Josas, France) I aimed at better understanding the genetic architecture of rainbow trout response to infection by a bacterium, working closely with French trout farmers as my PhD was funded by the French Poultry and Aquaculture Breeders Technical Centre (SYSAAF).

Clemence on a boat

In my first postdoc in the same INRAe team, I investigated the genetics of spontaneous maleness in female rainbow trout, catching a glimpse at the complicated sex-determination in fish species. I then moved to the Roslin Institute to develop expertise on genomic selection for improved disease resistance in rainbow trout, working this time closely with the Finnish national breeding programme managed by Luke University. I fell in love with Scotland and I have been a postdoc at the Roslin Institute since then, working on selective breeding and quantitative genetics in various fish species including salmon, trout, fugu, tilapia, sea bass and more recently halibut.

  • [2015-2018]    PhD in Animal Genetics (Université Paris-Saclay, AgroParisTech, INRAe, SYSAAF)
  • [2018-2019]    Postdoctoral research fellow (INRAe, France) – Genetic basis of spontaneous masculinisation in female rainbow trout
  • [2019-2022]    Postdoctoral research fellow (The Roslin Institute) – Implementation of genomic selection to improve rainbow trout resistance to columnaris disease (AquaIMPACT project, EU funded)
  • [2021-2022]    Postdoctoral research fellow (The Roslin Institute) – Genetic basis of Atlantic salmon resistance to two sealice species (GenoLice project, BBSRC funded)
  • [2022-present] Core Scientist Postdoctoral Research Fellow.

Interests, hopes and dreams

I love travelling and discovering new countries (bonus points if they are sunny and if the food is good); I often make the best of international conferences to stay longer and visit. I have an attention-seeker cat who requires lots of love (and food) and is my personal assistant when working from home. My current personal project is to grow some vegetables in a small allotment near Roslin, so far I’ve mainly managed to feed the local slugs but I’ll get there one day! 

 

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