Rate My Professor David Francis

Francis's research specializations include aquaculture nutrition, sustainable aquafeed development, lipid and protein metabolism in fish, nutritional biomarkers, and full-cycle aquaculture for species such as Atlantic salmon, abalone, barramundi, and corals. He investigates novel ingredients like seaweeds, agricultural by-products, and methanotrophic single-cell proteins to minimize environmental impact, enhance growth performance, and improve seafood quality and traceability. With 158 publications and over 4,800 citations, key works include 'Fatty acid metabolism (desaturation, elongation and β-oxidation) in rainbow trout fed fish oil- or linseed oil-based diets' (2009, British Journal of Nutrition), 'Genes for de novo biosynthesis of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids are widespread in animals' (2018, Science Advances), 'Fish oil replacement with different vegetable oils in Murray cod' (2011, Aquaculture), and 'Towards achieving circularity and sustainability in feeds for farmed blue foods' (2023, Reviews in Aquaculture). He has received the 2012 Australian Academy of Science Travel Fellowship and the 2012 Australasian Aquaculture Award, and secured grants such as ARC Discovery funding. Francis supervises PhD students and contributes to teaching in aquaculture nutrition.