Discovery Trail

End of Loch

As we're near the Loch, let's highlight some of the research that Heriot-Watt does about fish!  

As part of the University's food science research, our researchers investigate aquaculture - which is breeding, raising, and harvesting fish, shellfish, and aquatic plants. Basically, it's farming in water!  Our researchers are developing vaccines for fish, to protect fish who live in fish farms from disease and illness.   

Food science research also includes the chemical and molecular properties that make up food; our researchers investigate whether certain food additives are bad for us, how cooking food changes the proteins inside them, and how some fruits might help protect us against a variety of illnesses such as heart disease, cancer, and Alzheimer's.  

Our researchers also explore the safety of nanomaterials across various food substances (these are tiny particles that are added to our food for various reasons). Many different types of engineered nanomaterials are being used by the food industry for a variety of purposes. For example, they can be used as pigments to alter the colour of food, or to add vitamins in a form that is more easily absorbed into the body. Some nanomaterials can be used within food contact products (e.g. food packaging, and chopping boards) to prolong the shelf life of food, due to their antimicrobial properties. Our researchers are helping make sure these are safe for humans and the environment.  

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To see a bit more about our research with fish, take a sneak peek inside some of our facilities with Senior Aquarium Technician Emma Samson.  Emma works with aquarium systems and anything that might call an aquarium, or the sea, home! Alongside fellow technicians, Emma works to keep the aquarium systems up and running and helps with research involving both marine and freshwater environments.