Implementation of genomic information to improve resistance in Marine Shrimp

Offentlig prosjektsammendrag

In aquaculture molecular information is routinely implemented in leading breeding programs for Atlantic salmon, facilitating marker assisted selection for disease resistance and other traits for which selection traditionally has been based on phenotypic sib information only. Genomic information is currently scarcely utilized in shrimp. In collaboration sister company Benchmark Genetics Colombia, Benchmark Genetics Norway is uniquely positioned to be a first mover in efficient implementation of genomic information for increased selection accuracy and gains in Pacific White shrimp, Litopenaeus vannamei. This species dominates the global prooduction of farmed shrimp. Key target trait for the work is resistance to White spot syndrome virus (WSSV), a pathogen causing estimated annual losses in shrimp production worldwide in the range of 1 billion USD. The aim of the project is to search QTL/informative SNP markers for resistance to WSSV and practical implementation of marker assisted and genomic selection in in a large scale breeding program for the species. The work will be based on challenge test survival data from WSSV challenge tests and SNP genotyping of tissue samples from surviving and non-surviving fish.