The goal of the Research Hub for Advanced Prawn Breeding is to develop and transfer to the farmed black tiger prawn industry the capacity to benefit from advanced genomic-informed breeding programs. The Hub is: developing comprehensive genomic resources for the black tiger prawn including a draft genome; acquiring necessary quantitative genetic information for traits; developing industrial-scale disease testing and phenotypic data collection processes; and developing genetic algorithms to allow a multi-trait genomic selection approach to be practiced in breeding programs. The Australian Research Council Industrial Transformation Research Hub for Advanced Prawn Breeding is a consortium involving researchers and industry from James Cook University, CSIRO, Australian Genome Research Facility, University of Sydney, Vlaams Instituut voor Biotechnologie and Seafarms Group.

Website

https://research.jcu.edu.au/itrh-apb

Organisation type

• Australian Research Centre Industrial Transformation Research Hubs - Headquarters

Number of research staff

20-100 research staff

Address

Sir George Fisher Building 32, James Cook University, Townsville QLD 4811

Strengths and capabilities

• Genomics
• Aquaculture
• Developing disease resistance in prawns
• Penaeus monodon (Giant tiger prawn)
• Phenotypic data collection
• Multi|trait genomic selection
• Industrial Transformation Research

Facilities and major equipment

• CSIRO Bribie Island Research Facility
• Molecular Ecology and Evolutionary Laboratory (MEEL), JCU
• Three prawn farms (160ha total) operated by Seafarms Group
• Australian Genome Research Facility Ltd
• Marine and Aquaculture Research Facilities Unit, JCU

Lead researcher

• Professor Dean Jerry—Professor Jerry advises on selective breeding programs for pearl oysters, marine prawn (shrimp), barramundi and redclaw crayfish
• Associate Professor Kyall Zenger—A/Prof Zenger has extensive experience in animal production and quantitative/evolutionary genetics in aquatic and terrestrial animals

Achievements of the centre

• First Australian Research Council’s (ARC) Industrial Transformation Research Program (ITRP) for James Cook University.

Key science sectors

More information about the sectors this centre is involved in:

• Advanced manufacturing
• Food and agriculture
• Tropical