BARD 40 Year Review

Case Study 9: Monosex Prawns: Exploiting Androgenic Gland Function for Sex Reversal

Principal Investigators: IS: Amir Sagi (Ben Gurion University of the Negev); AUS: Abigail Elizur (Queensland, Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries); US: JimShao Jun Du (University of Maryland)

Goal: To develop a monosex culture for crustacean aquaculture, specifically for the commercially important giant freshwater prawn, Macrobrachium rosenbergii, and to improve production efficiencies. 

Activities: cDNA libraries of the insulin-like AG gene (IAG), responsible for male sexual differentiation, were compiled. The first application of RNAi (gene silencing) in the field of aquaculture was applied to induce functional sex reversal.

Outcomes: The induction of sexual reversal was translated into agro-biotechnologies for monosex culture of prawns supporting higher yields around the world with two Israeli companies providing the seed for all-male culture (Tiran Group) and all-female technologies (the startup company Enzootic). 

Economic Benefit: Net Present Value of BARD’s investment is $38 million, thereof $4 million already attained. The Internal Rate of Return is 21%. Benefit-Cost Ratio is 51, thereof 6 already attained.

Capacity Building: 7 postgraduates were involved in Israel in the research supported by the 2 BARD awards between 2006 and 2015. Currently, 3 of them have academic positions in Israel and 1 in Australia, 2 are in algae and pharmaceutical industries, and another 1 is a patent attorney.

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Case Study 10: Tilapia Lake Virus: A Threat to the Global Tilapia Industry

Principal Investigators: US: W. Ian Lipkin (Columbia University); IS: Eran Bacharach (Tel Aviv University)

Goal: To identify the causal agent of a disease-causing mortality to Tilapia fish in Israel that was not identified as any known parasites, bacteria, viral pathogens or toxins.

Activities: Isolation and identification of a novel viral agent, Tilapia Lake Virus (TiLV), as the disease agent. Genomic sequencing of TiLV and development of a diagnostic assay for TiLV detection.

Outcomes: TiLV has since been identified around the globe. As food security of millions of people depends on Tilapia farming in developing countries, the World Organization for Animal Health (OiE) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) have initiated dissemination of information, promoted diagnostics and are assessing procedures for disease containment. The intellectual property (IP) has been licensed to one of the large international companies for their development of an inactivated virus against TiLV.

Economic Benefit: Net Present Value of BARD’s investment is $46 million, thereof $1 million already attained. The Internal Rate of Return is 83%. Benefit-Cost Ratio is 91, thereof 3 already attained.

Capacity Building: 1 postdoctoral researcher, 2 graduate students, and 1 pre-graduate trainee were involved in the research supported by the 2 BARD awards between 2013 and  2019. Currently, 1 is in academia, 1 has progressed to a post-doctorate fellowship and 2 are conducting graduate studies.

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