CAT partners with UMBC to advance sterility solutions in aquaculture – The Fish Site

Strategic Partnership for Sustainable Aquaculture Advancement

Collaboration to Commercialize Sterility Technology

A strategic collaboration has been established between the Center for Aquaculture Technologies (CAT) and the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) to advance the development and commercialization of sterility technology for the aquaculture industry. This partnership enhances CAT’s intellectual property portfolio and supports its objective of delivering responsible genome-editing solutions to promote sustainable aquaculture practices.

Aligning Aquaculture Innovation with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

The development of sterile fish directly addresses several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals by promoting environmental protection, production efficiency, and food security.

SDG 2: Zero Hunger

The technology contributes to global food security by creating more efficient and productive aquaculture systems.

• Improved Performance: Sterile fish exhibit enhanced growth rates and superior feed conversion efficiency by avoiding early sexual maturation.
• Reduced Waste: Increased efficiency minimizes waste and lowers overall production costs, making aquaculture a more viable food source for a growing global population.

SDG 14: Life Below Water

Inducing sterility in farmed fish is a critical tool for protecting marine biodiversity and ecosystem health.

• Environmental Protection: Sterility prevents escaped farmed fish from interbreeding with and altering the genetic integrity of wild populations.
• Biodiversity Safeguards: This approach protects the distinctive traits of native species, supporting balanced aquatic ecosystems and addressing key regulatory concerns.

SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production

The initiative promotes sustainable production patterns and improved animal welfare within the aquaculture industry.

• Enhanced Animal Welfare: Sterility reduces the stress, aggression, and mortality rates associated with sexual maturation in fish.
• Sustainable Systems: The technology underpins the development of healthier, more robust, and efficient production systems aligned with principles of environmental and economic responsibility.

Technological Framework and Implementation

Morpholino Sterility Induction

The core technology, Morpholino sterility induction, offers a non-heritable method for producing sterile fish. The process involves silencing genes essential for germ cell development in fish embryos through a simple bath immersion. This method allows fish to grow normally but without the ability to reproduce, thereby avoiding the negative impacts of sexual maturation on growth and flesh quality. It preserves high-performance genetics while addressing animal welfare concerns associated with other methods like triploidy.

Strategic Application and Commercial Goals

The collaboration aims to refine and apply this technology across the finfish industry, with an initial focus on achieving 100% sterility in Atlantic salmon.

1. Accelerated Development: A sponsored research agreement is in place to improve sterility success rates and prepare the technology for industry-wide adoption.
2. Flexible Alternative: The Morpholino technology serves as a rapid and flexible alternative to genome editing, providing a timely solution for species with long breeding cycles, such as salmonids.
3. Broad Accessibility: The technology will be made available as a reliable tool for sterility induction in aquaculture operations where genome editing is not currently in use, addressing a critical industry need.

Analysis of SDGs in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

The article on the collaboration between the Center for Aquaculture Technologies (CAT) and the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) for developing sterility technology in aquaculture addresses several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The primary connections are:

• SDG 2: Zero Hunger: The article directly addresses the challenge of feeding a “growing global population” by promoting “sustainable aquaculture solutions” and “more efficient production systems.” The technology aims to improve fish growth and feed efficiency, contributing to food security.
• SDG 14: Life Below Water: A key benefit highlighted is environmental protection. The sterility technology “safeguards the distinctive traits of wild populations, protecting biodiversity and supporting balanced ecosystems” by preventing escaped farmed fish from interbreeding with wild stocks.
• SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production: The initiative focuses on creating “responsible genome-editing solutions” that lead to “more efficient production systems.” By improving feed conversion and growth rates, the technology helps in “minimizing waste,” which aligns with sustainable production patterns.
• SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure: The article is centered on a “strategic collaboration” to advance “pioneering sterility technology” like genome editing and Morpholinos. This partnership exemplifies the effort to enhance scientific research and bring innovative technological solutions to the aquaculture industry.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

Based on the article’s discussion of sustainable aquaculture and technological innovation, the following specific SDG targets can be identified:

1. Target 2.4 (under SDG 2): By 2030, ensure sustainable food production systems and implement resilient agricultural practices that increase productivity and production… and help maintain ecosystems. The article’s focus on “sustainable aquaculture solutions” that improve growth rates and protect wild ecosystems directly supports this target.
2. Target 14.2 (under SDG 14): By 2020, sustainably manage and protect marine and coastal ecosystems to avoid significant adverse impacts… The technology’s primary environmental benefit is to prevent genetic contamination of wild fish populations by escaped farmed fish, thereby protecting marine biodiversity and ecosystems.
3. Target 14.a (under SDG 14): Increase scientific knowledge, develop research capacity and transfer marine technology… The collaboration between CAT and UMBC to develop and commercialize sterility technology is a clear example of developing research capacity and transferring marine technology to the aquaculture industry.
4. Target 12.2 (under SDG 12): By 2030, achieve the sustainable management and efficient use of natural resources. The technology’s ability to enhance “feed conversion efficiency” represents a more efficient use of natural resources (feed) in food production.
5. Target 9.5 (under SDG 9): Enhance scientific research, upgrade the technological capabilities of industrial sectors… encouraging innovation. The partnership aims to advance and apply cutting-edge technologies (genome editing, Morpholinos) to solve critical issues in the aquaculture industry, directly aligning with the goal of fostering innovation.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

The article mentions or implies several indicators that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets:

• Sterility Success Rate: The article explicitly mentions a goal to “achieve 100 percent sterility.” This is a direct, measurable indicator of the technology’s effectiveness in protecting wild populations (Target 14.2) and ensuring the success of the innovation (Target 9.5).
• Improved Growth Rates and Feed Conversion Efficiency: The text states that sterile fish have “enhancing growth rates and feed conversion efficiency.” These are quantifiable metrics that can measure progress towards more productive and sustainable food production systems (Target 2.4) and efficient resource use (Target 12.2).
• Lower Mortality Rates: A stated benefit is that sterile fish experience “improved health and lower mortality rates.” This is a measurable indicator of improved animal welfare and production efficiency.
• Reduction in Waste: The article notes that improved performance leads to “minimizing waste.” While not quantified, this implies that waste reduction can be tracked as an indicator of more responsible production (Target 12.2).
• Commercial Adoption of Technology: The stated goal to “bring this technology to the aquaculture industry” implies that the rate of adoption by fish farms would be a key indicator of the successful transfer of marine technology (Target 14.a) and industrial innovation (Target 9.5).

4. SDGs, Targets, and Indicators Table

Source: thefishsite.com