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，以生产生长更快的牡蛎，生产出比现有珍珠更大、更高质量的珍珠。之前的第一阶段工作已经显示了有史以来第一个可验证的转基因珍珠牡蛎的生产，并成功地从珠母贝中分离出了第一个珍珠层基因。这个第二阶段项目的拟议工作将通过从珠母贝中分离其他潜在重要的基因，改进经过验证的转基因方法，并评估转基因表型中的珍珠质质量和沉积率，来证明商业可行性。生物安全将转基因牡蛎仅作为外套膜组织捐赠者在陆地上培育出来，将提高应用效率并克服环境问题。该项目的商业应用将在全球估计价值50亿美元的黑珍珠市场上进行。美国主导的这一利润丰厚的行业的扩张可能会为夏威夷和美国附属的太平洋岛屿带来经济利益，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.