Nanoantibody technology to address aquaculture challenges

German biotech AquaNab is helping to solve a salmon farming challenge with a new nanoantibody technology.

With sea lice costing the aquaculture industry an estimated US$4 billion annually, the Hamburg-based company has developed AquaNabs, a nanoantibody treatment delivered through fish feed, offering a sustainable alternative to conventional chemical and mechanical delousing.

Beyond the economic toll, sea lice pose environmental and animal welfare challenges, raising concerns about chemical runoff, the health of surrounding waters, and the impact of mechanical and chemical delousing methods on fish welfare. As scrutiny from regulators, retailers and consumers intensifies, producers are seeking more effective, sustainable alternatives.

“Animal welfare and fish health remain the biggest challenges facing sustainable aquaculture, and producers need better tools to protect it,” said CEO Dr Ruth Tamara Montero, an experienced fish immunologist with a PhD from Germany’s Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut.

“Sea lice is just the start. Right now, producers are stuck choosing between costly, stressful treatments and losses from the parasite itself. We want to give them a way out of that cycle, one that protects their fish, their business, and helps secure the future of food.”

The company’s first product is being developed for Atlantic salmon, but the platform is designed to be adapted to bacterial, viral and parasitic diseases across multiple aquaculture species.

AquaNab has secured an investment from Nordic Foodtech VC.

Mika Kukkurainen, Partner at Nordic Foodtech, said, “AquaNab has the potential to transform not only how disease is managed in aquaculture, but how we think about health and resilience across food production. By turning advanced nanoantibody science into a practical, feed-based solution, the team is creating a pathway from breakthrough biotechnology to measurable outcomes in farming: lower losses, healthier animals and greater efficiency. This is the kind of technology that can reshape an industry.”

The company is now seeking additional investment to accelerate development of the product and finalise proof of concept.

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