![]() Dunham wondered whether animals who have the gene artificially inserted into their genomes might be more resistant to diseases.Īlligators produce the protein cathelicidin, a compound with antimicrobial properties The protein is antimicrobial, says Dunham-it’s thought to help protect alligators from developing infections in the wounds they sustain during their aggressive fights with each other. The alligator gene, which Dunham’s research turned up as a potential answer, codes for a protein called cathelicidin. From the time farmed fish are newly hatched to the time they are harvested, around 40 percent of the animals worldwide die from various diseases, says Dunham. ![]() “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.īut catfish farming is also a great breeding ground for infections. In 2021, catfish farms in the US produced 307 million pounds (139 million kilogram) of the fish. A team of scientists have attempted to do just that – by inserting an alligator gene into the genomes of catfish.Īmericans go through a lot of catfish. In theory, genetically engineering fish with genes that protect them from disease could reduce waste and help limit the environmental impact of aquaculture. Millions of fish are farmed in the US every year, but many of them die from infections.
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