US aquaculture’s first forays into gene-edited catfish have produced fish that appear to be more resistance to disease – but the tech could face a long road before achieving regulatory approval.
Millions of fish are farmed in the US every year, but many of them die from infections. In theory, genetically engineering fish with genes that protect them from disease could reduce waste and help limit the environmental impact of aquaculture. A team of scientists have attempted to do just that – by inserting an alligator gene into the genomes of catfish.
Americans go through a lot of catfish. In 2021, catfish farms in the US produced 307 million pounds (139 million kilogram) of the fish. “On a per-pound basis, anywhere from 60 to 70 percent of US aquaculture is … catfish production,” says Rex Dunham, who works on the genetic improvement of catfish at Auburn University in Alabama…
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