SBIR Phase II: Applying Transgenic Technology to Improve the Pearl Production Process

这个小型企业创新研究（SBIR）第二阶段项目将开发技术，生产更快生长的牡蛎，生产比目前更大，更高质量的珍珠。 之前的第一阶段工作已经显示出有史以来第一个可验证的转基因珍珠牡蛎的生产，以及第一个珍珠层基因从珠母贝中成功分离。在这个第二阶段项目中的拟议工作将通过从珠母贝中分离其他潜在的重要基因，改进已证实的转染方法，并评估转基因表型中的珍珠层质量和沉积率来证明商业可行性。转基因牡蛎仅作为外套膜组织供体的生物安全陆地生长将提高应用效率并克服环境问题。该项目的商业应用将是在黑珍珠市场，估计在全球范围内的订单为50亿美元。 一个美国这一利润丰厚的行业的主导扩张可以为夏威夷和美国带来经济利益。美国政府将努力扩大太平洋附属岛屿，增加这些偏远岛屿的投资、就业机会和自给自足，并减轻美国政府的经济负担。

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project will develop the technology to produce faster growing oysters that yield bigger and higher quality pearls than those currently available. Prior Phase I work has already shown the production of the first-ever verifiable transgenic pearl oysters, and the successful isolation of the first nacre gene from Pinctada margaritifera. The proposed work in this Phase II project will demonstrate commercial viability by isolating other potentially-important genes from Pinctada, refining proven transfection methods, and evaluating nacre quality and deposition rates in transgenic phenotypes. Biosecure land-based grow-out of transgenic oysters, as mantle-tissue donors only, will increase application efficiency and overcome environmental concerns. The commercial application of this project will be in the black pearl market that is estimatedto be of the order of $ 5 billion worldwide. A U.S.-led expansion of this lucrative industry could provide economic benefits to Hawaii and to U.S.-affiliated Pacific Islands, increasing investment, employment opportunities and self-sufficiency in these remote islands, and reducing the economic burden on the U.S. Government.