Ingrid Bakke

Ingrid Bakke is a Professor in the Department of Biotechnology and Food Science at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), specializing in environmental biotechnology with a focus on fish-microbe interactions and microbial management in Recirculating Aquaculture Systems (RAS).

Her research centers on optimizing aquaculture sustainability through applied environmental microbiology, biological water treatment, and understanding microbial dynamics in RAS. She investigates how system parameters like particle load, water treatment, and microbial communities impact fish health, welfare, and production efficiency, with particular attention to Atlantic salmon life stages.

Analysis of her 2022-2025 publications reveals consistent focus on microbial community dynamics in aquaculture systems. Key themes include phage therapy as an antibiotic alternative, gut/skin microbiome development in fish, and engineering solutions for RAS optimization. Her work bridges fundamental microbial ecology with practical aquaculture applications.

Professor Bakke secures and manages major research grants addressing sustainable aquaculture:

• IPAMA: International partnership for advancing microbiome-informed aquaculture (NFR, 2022-2027)
• RASbiome: Microbial management in RAS for sustainable aquaculture production (Bluebio Cofund; 2021-2024)
• RASOPTA: Safeguarding fish production in water recirculation systems (H2020-MSCA-ITN; 2021-2024)
• Janthinobacterium: Sustainable prevention of Saprolegniosis in salmon (RFF Trøndelag; 2021-2022)
• MicroMucus: Microbial contributions to salmon skin barrier (NFR-FriPro; 2017-2021)

Based at NTNU's Department of Biotechnology and Food Science, she collaborates with interdisciplinary teams across academia and industry, leading international projects that translate microbial research into practical aquaculture solutions while mentoring students through courses like TBT4130 Environmental Biotechnology.