SBIR Phase I: Increased Profitability and Pearl Quality Using Recombinant DNA Technology

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This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will identify commercially-important genes in Pinctada margaritifera as targets for future manipulation in order to improve the efficiency and profitability of black pearl farming. This work will also attempt to produce transgenic pearl oysters that carry the Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP) transgene under a constitutive eukaryotic promoter. Transgenic animals expressing the reporter gene will be followed to monitor expression patterns of the transgene in a controlled quarantine nursery system. Concurrent experiments will isolate genes involved in growth regulation and nacre formation in this species. Candidate growth hormone and nacre protein genes will be sequenced, compared to known genes of similar function in other molluscs and verified as homologous The commercial application of this project will be at the high end of the black pearl market that is estimated to be of the order of $ 150 million in the Pacific alone. This project is expected to result in the production of faster growing oysters that yield bigger and higher quality pearls than those currently available.