BUDGET EXPENDITURE: $620,000

PRINCIPLE INVESTIGATOR: Dr Michael Dove

ORGANISATION: NSW Department of Primary Industries

PROJECT CODE: 2021-122

PROJECT STATUS: Current

 

WHY WAS THE RESEARCH UNDERTAKEN?

​Genomics is routinely used across many livestock and plant breeding industries. It is now practical to apply 
genomic selection to aquaculture breeding programs due to significant cost reductions in the last decade. Its 
use in aquaculture breeding programs is increasing and genomics has already been applied to oyster 
breeding by USC (Vu et al. 2021a; Vu et al. 2021b).

Genomics has the potential to increase genetic progress and selection accuracy for the Sydney R oyster breeding program. The research undertaken through this project will increase genetic progress for the productivity traits of QX disease resistance and growth as well as the product quality trait of meat condition. Increased QX survival and 
growth are particularly important traits for the SRO industry at this current time due to Port Stephens, the 
second largest SRO producing estuary in NSW, reeling from the impact of QX disease outbreaks. Meat 
condition is a sacrificial measure and genomics may enable within family selection to increase genetic 
progress for this trait. Climate change resilience is a new trait being investigated for incorporation into the 
breeding program for industry to respond to this threat. Genomics may also provide the pathway to increase 
selection accuracy for resilience. 

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This project explores alternative methods to what is presently used for SRO breeding, to assess feasibility 
of genomic selection and what might be required today to move towards genomic selection in the future. The 
ultimate success and transfer of outcomes from this project to end user beneficiaries will be through 
incorporation of these new technologies into the SRO breeding program.

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OBJECTIVES

1. ​Collect tissue samples using non-lethal methods and tagging to identify oysters. 

2. Sequence the whole genomes of selected individuals at high read depth, which will serve as the 
   genotype resource for the project. 

3. Re-sequence full genomes of remaining individuals at very low coverage (Skim Whole genome re-sequencing)

4. Identify the associations between genotypes and phenotypes and compile a list of genetic markers and the genes associated with QX survival, whole weight and meat condition to then use modelling (for genomic predictions) to give individuals breeding values

5. Use individuals with the best breeding values across all traits for breeding.

6. Develop low-cost SNP chips as a detection kit to be used for a large number of samples in the future.

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PROJECT RESOURCES GENERATED:

• Link to project page on the FRDC website.

• No resources currently available.