Monday, January 30, 2017

Penny-Pinching Prawns


Scientists from James Cook University have been using the latest genetic techniques in order to isolate and manipulate prawn genes as to breed them to be cheaper and easier to farm, to grow faster, and resist diseases. The appropriately-named program "Unleashing the Tiger" works to unveil the genetic secrets of the black tiger prawn (Penaeus monodon) in order to produce one of the first genetically-manipulated aquaculture species as the most efficient and sustainable prawn on the market without losing any of the prawn's favorable traits.
This is an interesting article to me since seafood is one of my main "food groups" and the way economics interconnects with the genetics of a crustacean is intriguing. When someone mentions genetically modified organisms, most people immediately think of plants. Not many people know that animals undergo similar instances, and the genetic manipulation needed in order to make these black tiger prawns grow faster and resistant to diseases is simply fascinating.

The article this post refers to can be found here.
The link to the James Cook University black tiger prawn research hub can be found here.

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