AquaBounty Technologies and Intrexon Corp. are a step closer to commercial production of gene-edited tilapia.
AquaBounty, a majority-owned subsidiary of Intrexon based in Maynard, Massachusetts, U.S.A., and Intrexon, aVirginia-based synthetic biology company that holds a 48 percent interest in AquaBounty, said that their jointly-developed gene-edited line of tilapia is exempt from genetically modified organism (GMO) regulation in Argentina.
The line, FLT 01, “is believed to be one of the first gene-edited food animals to receive a regulatory exemption due to its designation as a non-GMO,” the two suppliers said in a joint statement.
Unlike AquaBounty’s genetically-modified AquAdvantage farmed salmon, the engineered tilapia were developed using gene-editing techniques and do not contain any foreign DNA or a new combination of genetic material that would warrant their regulation as genetically modified in Argentina, according to the companies.
However, “as the companies look to move this product toward commercialization, standard food and environmental safety considerations will still apply to this product prior to introduction,” Intrexon and AquaBounty said.
The gene-edited tilapia “demonstrates a significant improvement in fillet yield of 70 percent, a growth rate improvement of 16 percent, and a feed conversion rate improvement of 14 percent, offering promise to producers to shorten the time to harvest,” the suppliers said. “This line of tilapia enables more sustainable production through improvements in fillet yield, growth, and feed conversion efficiency, enabling the tilapia to grow to market weight in less time, while also consuming less feed than conventional varieties.”
Argentina’s National Advisory Commission on Agricultural Biotechnology (CONABIA) handed down the regulatory exemption.
"We are focused on developing animal biotechnology for aquaculture and livestock through our subsidiaries to support sustainable food production in the U.S. and abroad," Intrexon Chief Operating Officer Thomas Bostick said. "We are pleased with Argentina's leadership in establishing a transparent and predictable process for the advancement of products developed with gene editing techniques and see this as a critical development for companies seeking to bring highly innovative solutions to the global market using powerful and highly precise genetic tools.”
Tilapia is the fourth-most consumed seafood in the United States after shrimp, salmon, and canned tuna, and is forecasted to be one of the highest-growth production segments in aquaculture, according to the companies.
