Fish Welfare Specialist & Research Scientist
Dr. Makoto Inami is a highly qualified and competent researcher with a Ph.D. in Biology, specializing in fish immunology, cell biology, and aquaculture. She serves as a fish welfare and biosafety advisor for land-based aquaculture facilities and is an innovative R&D specialist focused on emerging diseases in aquaculture.
With over 15 years of experience in fish health research and welfare, Dr. Inami has established herself as a leading expert in developing infection models for diseases such as Cardiomyopathy Syndrome (CMS), Heart and Skeletal Muscle Inflammation (HSMB), and Salmon Rickettsial Syndrome (SRS). Her work spans across international projects in Japan, Brunei, and Norway.
Dr. Inami's expertise encompasses fish welfare and biosafety in land-based RAS facilities, project management, guidance and teaching in fish health, model and method development for infection studies, and leadership and training of technical and professional personnel.
Currently serving as Fish Welfare Specialist at Pure Salmon Technology in Sandefjord, she provides internal and external consultation on salmon biology, fish health and welfare, fish diseases, biosafety, and water quality, particularly related to RAS operations.
Work Experience
Fish Welfare Specialist
Pure Salmon Technology, Sandefjord
- Discipline lead (Fagansvarlig) for fish welfare in international projects – Japan and Brunei
- Internal and external consultation on salmon biology, fish health and welfare, fish diseases, biosafety and water quality, particularly related to RAS operations
- Secure and approve planning and design of land-based RAS facilities (tanks, pumps and fish transport) according to fish welfare, biosafety and hygiene standards
- Training and courses in aquaculture certification (IK-Aquaculture) for both internal and external
Study director
VESO Aqualab, Namsos
- Planning and execution of research projects according to applications to authorities, protocols, relevant SOPs and quality systems, including GMP and GLP standards
- R&D work for development of infection models, focusing on Cardiomyopathy Syndrome (CMS), Heart and Skeletal Muscle Inflammation (HSMB), Salmon Rickettsial Syndrome (SRS)
- Optimization of cultivation methods for Piscirickettsia salmonis, Flavobacterium spp and Pasteurella spp
- Validation of new equipment and procedures for laboratory experiments. Establishment and modification of SOPs
- Presentation of results at national and international conferences and meetings
- Professional and technical guidance to employees and industrial master's/doctoral students
Principal Study Director
VESO Aqualab, Namsos
- Central communication with customers regarding research plans, contracts and budgets
- Led a team of eight study directors
- Organized research activities between the research management team and dry/wet laboratories
Skills & Specializations
Fish Welfare & Biosafety
- Biosafety and animal welfare reviews for land-based fish farming
- Fish welfare assessment in RAS facilities
- Biosafety standards and protocols
- Water quality management
Laboratory Techniques
- Cultivation of viruses and bacteria, in vivo/in vitro
- Pathology/Histology: Pathological diagnosis in fish, preparation of histological samples, various staining methods, immunohistochemistry, electron microscopy, cryostat
- Molecular Biology/Cell Biology: RNA extraction, cDNA synthesis, RealTime-qPCR, DNA sequencing, cloning, microsatellite analysis, cell culture, recombinant protein expression, monoclonal/polyclonal antibody production, ELISA, Western blotting, in situ hybridization
Research & Development
- Infection model development for fish diseases
- Project management and leadership
- Guidance and teaching in fish health
- Training of technical and professional personnel
Technical Skills
- Programming language: R
- Quality systems: GMP and GLP standards
- Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)
- Laboratory equipment validation
Education & Certifications
Ph.D. in Biology
UiT Norway's Arctic University, Tromsø, Norway
Thesis: "The immune system of Atlantic cod – with emphasis on intestinal immunology."
- Conducted fish health courses for master's students at Nord University
- Guest researcher at Cell Biology and Immunology group, Wageningen University, Netherlands
Master of Science, Aquatic Biosciences
Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology, Tokyo, Japan
Master's Thesis: "Development of Microsatellite Linkage Map of Red Sea Bream (Pagrus major) and QTL analysis on Resistance to Red Sea Bream Iridovirus (RSIV)."
- Teaching assistant for fish pathology courses (bachelor level)
Selected Courses & Certifications
- Driving license (JP, NO class B)
- Laboratory Animal Science for Researchers FELASA Cat. C (2011, UiT)
- EcoOnline user course (2025, Pure Salmon Technology)
- Scientific Writing and Presenting (2009, WUR)
- Fall protection course for users (2024, NO)
- Scaffolding course for users (2024, NO)
Connect With Me
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