SBIR Phase I: Improving Pearl Quality and Yield Using Biotechnology: Plugs, Patches, Therapeutants and Delivery Systems

SBIR第一阶段项目将生物医学原理和实践应用于利润丰厚但知之甚少的珍珠养殖过程。尽管世界珍珠产业的价值（每年约30亿美元），但它仍然基于世纪之交的技术。珍珠开发集团通过汇集珍珠播种技术人员、农民、生物学家、企业家和生物医学科学家的独特联盟来解决这一巨大的机会。他们的共同努力集中在使用严格的科学方法和最先进的生物技术来提高珍珠产量。PDG的初步试验揭示了珍珠播种作业的两个特别有希望的领域。首先，通过使用抗生素或密封剂来改善无菌性，以降低术后感染的风险;其次，细胞核上的细胞粘附蛋白涂层可以改善珍珠囊的形成。两者都可以产生更多的珍珠，质量更好。这些改进可能会产生复合效应，因为更好的产量会导致更多的牡蛎随后被重新养殖。密封剂也可以允许技术人员插入更大的核，导致连续珍珠价值的几何增加。这些创新将在我们的农场进行大规模测试，并通过比较种子后的排斥率和珍珠囊生长和珍珠形成的早期测定进行评估。如果成功，这些技术可以通过成熟的养殖场供应商销售到全球其他珍珠养殖场，并为我们的子公司和合作伙伴养殖场带来更高的盈利能力。珍珠播种操作的轻微改进可以显着提高养殖场的盈利能力。 对于我们的马朱罗农场模式，比如说，35%的生产改进，以最小的增加成本增加了110万美元的收入。 这些产品的价格差额可能是每次种子业务10美元。仅大溪地珍珠业就可实现每年超过4200万美元的增值。

This SBIR Phase I project applies biomedical principles and practices to the lucrative, but poorly understood process of pearl culture. Despite the value of the world pearl industry (around US$3 billion per annum), it is still based on turn-of-the-century technology. The Pearl Development Group addresses this immense opportunity by bringing together a unique consortium of pearl seeding technicians, farmers, biologists,entrepreneurs and biomedical scientists. Their collective efforts are focussed on using rigorous scientific methods with state-of-the-art biotechnology to improve pearl production. Preliminary trials by PDG reveal two areas of particular promise with the pearl seeding operation. Firstly, improved sterility from use of antibiotics or sealants to reduce the risk of post-operative infection; and secondly, cellular adhesion protein coatings on the nucleus to improve pearl sac formation. Both could result in more pearls, of better quality. These improvements could have a compounding effect, as better yields result in more oysters being subsequently reseeded. Sealants may also allow technicians to insert larger nuclei, resulting in geometrical increases in value of successive pearls. These innovations will be tested on a large scale on our farm, and evaluated by comparing post-seed rejection rates and early assays of pearl sac growth and pearl formation. If successful, these technologies could be marketable to other pearl farms worldwide, through established farm suppliers, as well as leading to increased profitability for our subsidiary and partner farms. Slight improvements in the pearl seeding operation can dramatically improve farm profitability. For our Majuro farm model, production improvements of, say, 35% yield revenue increases of $1.1 million for minimal added costs. The price margin on these products might then be $10 per seeding operation. Extrapolated to the Tahitian pearl industry alone, this is a value-added of over $42 million p.a.