They will genetically modify the silverside to make it bigger for its breeding

2023-08-17 15:28:34

researchers J.uan Ignacio Fernandino and Andrés Alonso of the Technological Institute of Chascomús (INTECH – Conicet La Plata – UNSAM) received a subsidy from the PICT Start Up of the Ministry of Science and Technology to move forward with the project titled “Growth improvement in silverside using genomic editing and monitoring“, in this work they try to genetically modify the silverside to improve its conditions for aquaculture production. Inquiring about the PICT Start Upwe learned that they are projects granted by the ANPCyT and the FONCYT, and seek to transform knowledge into technological skills applicable to the market.

Ethe project summary selected indicates that genomic editing and monitoring are the most innovative tools for improve aquaculture production in the medium term. In the current context, the country has high-quality human resources and the particular characteristics of native species, such as silverside, to generate production in the temperate region of the country. In addition to genome editing, a crucial aspect of good aquaculture management is genomic monitoring of parental lines of fish, in order to optimize crossbreeding, gene flow, and the structure of reproductive flocks. It has been observed that interbreeding between animals with little genetic distance, that is, with inbreeding, causes numerous growth and immunological problems. So far in the country, only crosses have been made selecting desirable phenotypes, without complementation with genomic studies, meaning that, for now, the gene pool of the stocks used is not known with certainty. This is why the project has three main objectives, which are genome editing, which, in this sense, there are already numerous examples of gene-edited fish that are already on the world market, such as tilapia, sole, Atlantic salmon, carp, red bream and puffer fish. The second objective is genomic monitoring, and finally, genomic sexing, using the PCR technique.

As they point out, by editing the myostatin gene, the growth regulator, will result in bigger fish. So far, this has been achieved in channel catfish and common carp. Now it is the turn to genetically modify the silverside.

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