Consortium Research Platform on Genomics

1. ICAR-National Bureau of Fish Genetic Resources (NBFGR), Lucknow

2. ICAR-Central Institute of Brackishwater Aquaculture (CIBA), Chennai

3(a). ICAR-Central Institute of Freshwater Aquaculture (CIFA), Bhubaneswar and

3(b). ICAR-Central Institute of Fisheries Education (CIFE), Mumbai

With world's total production of 171 million in fisheries and aquaculture (FAO 2018), of which 80 mmt is contribution from aquaculture. Ever increasing human population and increase in demand for fish and fishery products, aquaculture will play major role in ensuring supply of required high quality protein, through sustainable development of aquaculture. To achieve this, there are challenges, i.e., lack of a sufficient number of genetically improved species, lack of species-specific feeds, high mortality due to diseases and pollution of ecosystems. Development of sequencing technologies has helped to tackle these challenges. As the reference genomes are developed for numbers of important aquaculture species, candidates genes can be identified for economically important traits. Dense single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) panels would be useful for accurate genetic evaluations for traits that are difficult to measure in selection candidates, such as disease resistance and carcass quality, by integrating genome-wide SNP information or genomic selection.

Objective

1. To generate genome sequence of prioritized fish and shell fish species through genome sequencing and de novo assembly and identification of genes and markers for important production traits.
2. To generate transcriptome resources for prioritized fish and shell fish species.

Research targets/activities

1. Whole genome sequencing, de novo assembly and genome annotation of economically important aquaculture candidate species Clarias dussumieri, Chitala Chitala, Catla Catla, Lutjanus Argentimaculatus, Siganus Javus, Monodactylus Argenteus, Macrobrachium Rosenbergii, Labeo Fimbriatus and resequencing of Lates Calcarifer
2. To generate transcriptome allied genomic resources for above species.
3. Bio prospecting of genes and allied for disease resistance /susceptibility under varying temperature, salinity tolerance and growth