Award details

Genomic approaches to identification and preservation of wild tilapia genetic resources for aquaculture

Reference	BBS/E/T/000GP053
Principal Investigator / Supervisor	Professor Federica Di Palma
Co-Investigators / Co-Supervisors
Institution	Earlham Institute
Department	Earlham Institute Department
Funding type	Research
Value (£)	31,788
Status	Completed
Type	Institute Project
Start date	01/04/2015
End date	31/03/2017
Duration	23 months

Abstract

The project will survey the wild genetic resources for one of the world’s most significant aquaculture resources: tilapia cichlid fish of the genus Oreochromis. Research will be undertaken in Tanzania, a hotspot of diversity, where native species are being heavily impacted by widespread introduction of exotic Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus), and other introduced species such as spotted tilapia (O. leucostictus). The project will: (i) assess the extent and predictability of hybridization following introduction; (ii) investigate the nature of genomic introgression and whether particular genomic regions are more likely to introgress between species; (iii) estimate the relative growth and ecological niche of native and exotic genotypes (related to phenotype); (iv) develop a diagnostic test of the extent of introgression; and (v) enhance genomic resources for global strain improvement through bioinformatics, tissue banking and identification of stocks for conservation. The experimental approach consists of high-coverage full genome sequencing of three species (O. leucostictus, O. urolepis, O. karongae), low-coverage genome resequencing of 200 individuals across the geographic range of these three species (including pure and hybrid populations), and low coverage sequencing of a further 50 individuals of native species (O. chungruruensis, O. esculentus, O. jipe, O. rukwaensis, O. shiranus). Genomic data will be analysed to characterise genomic regions in hybrid populations, estimating (i) the admixture fraction for each individual at putative hybridization sites, (ii) the extent of heterospecific gene transfer into apparently pure populations, and (iii) the age for any major historical introgression events. Genomic data will be analysed alongside morphology and growth performance traits to correlate ecophenotypic traits with genotype, and to assess whether there is evidence for individual SNPs being physically associated with beneficial genome variants.

Summary

unavailable

Committee	Not funded via Committee
Research Topics	Animal Health
Research Priority	X – Research Priority information not available
Research Initiative	X - not in an Initiative
Funding Scheme	X – not Funded via a specific Funding Scheme

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