8) China researchers pledge genetic breakthroughs will help China reach broodstock self-sufficiency, combat disease
One of China’s leading science academies has suggested its breakthrough work in 2018 on the sequencing of the vannemei shrimp gene can aid China in reducing its dependence on imported brood stock, while also fighting against diseases facing local shrimp-growers. White spot disease has caused havoc for producers in China and progress on genetics solutions would be welcome.
Researchers Xiang Jian Hai and Li Fu Hua at the China Academy of Science’s Ocean Research Institute have spent 10 years mapping the gene sequence of the vannemei, a species of which China account for 25 percent of global output. Their research was published in the Chinese edition of ‘Nature’ magazine. The country has struggled to manage disease and quality issues, while increased local consumption has made the country more reliant on imports to satisfy growing demand.
Genetic sequencing has become a priority for China’s huge state-directed efforts in science, which have also seen the country recent land a craft on the dark side of the moon. The China Academy of Sciences is part of a government designated cluster of elite institutions that receive government funding to work on national priority research. It will be interesting to see how research progresses in 2019.
