For more information, please contact :Shrimp GeneticImprovement Center

Shrimp Genetic Improvement CenterNational Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC)National Science and Technology Development Agency333 Moo5, Phumrieng, Sub-district, Chaiya District, Suratthani 84110Tel: (66-7) 7435 100 Fax: (66-7) 7435 049e-mail: somjai.won@biotec.or.thwebsite: http://www.biotec.or.th/

The Shrimp Genetic Improvement Center (SGIC) was founded under a cooperation of three Thai governmental institutes: the Ministry of Science and Technology represented by the National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC) National Science and Technology Development Agency, Prince of Songkla University and Mahidol University. The center provides research and production facilities for the selective breeding program of the black tiger shrimp Penaeus monodon, and is set to become the “Nucleus Breeding Center (NBC)” of this highly economic and indigenous species of the Indo-Pacific Ocean.

Introduction

As a NBC, SGIC rears different families for P. monodon, from nauplius stage to broodstock. These families are cross-breed to provide new generations of shrimp that show improved growth rate, disease resistance, and other industrially required traits. The shrimp (F1) are specific pathogen-free (SPF), and are generated from offspring (F0) of wild (W) broodstocks, kept in a quarantine located outside SGIC. From the NBC, postlarvae (PL) of two selected families are sent to the Broodstock Multiplication Center (BMC), which is also located outside SGIC. The PLs are reared in the BMC to become broodstocks, which are cross-breed to provide nauplii and PLs for shrimp farmers.

Design and Production:

Printing SectionPrinted and Multimedia Division

National Science and Technology Development Agency

Tel: +66 2564 7000 ext: 1162

50 pairs of wildbroodstocks“Founders”

Selectivebreedingprogram

NBC BMCQuarantine

2 selectedfamilies

F2...F1F0W

Production of high number of “best” broodstocks

Practical Objectives• To stock differentP. monodon families,

startingfromatleast50wildfounders.

• To reach a state of self-sustainability.

The period of operation for SGIC isestimated at 15 years. This is divided intotwophases:

• Initial Phase: Construction of facilitiesandshrimpfamilyestablishment,2003-2008.

• Progressive Phase: Genetic selectionandbroodstockprovision,2008-2018.

General Objectives• To stock and cross-breed different families of

P. monodonandothertropicalshrimpspecies

• To provide SPF P. monodon broodstocks withfavorabletraits,suchashighgrowthrate,diseaseresistance,etc.totheshrimpindustry

• Toprovideresearchfacilities forhighereducationintropicalshrimpspecies

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National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology

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Technologies Employed

• DetectionofshrimpviralinfectionsbyDNA-basedtechnologies(conventional,nestedandreal-timePCR)

• Biosecuritysystemofshrimprearing

• Artificialinsemination

• Genomicidentificationofshrimpfamiliesusingmicrosatellitemarkingandothermethods

• ExpressedSequenceTag(EST)

• Cryopreservationofsperm,eggsandnauplii

• Traceabilitytechnology

SGICcollaborateswithseveralacademicinstitutesinThailandaswellasabroad,frombothgovernmentalandprivatesectors.Itaimstobeaplaceforfreecommunicationamong academic researchers at one end, and among shrimp farmers at the other.Attempts are carried out to bridge the gap between the two ends, to install“application insight” into academics and to guide traditional shrimp farmerstowardcleaner,moreprofitableandupdatetechnologies.

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The facilities inside SGIC can be divided into two mainareas: one is within and the other is outside the biosecurity area.The biosecurity area is a rectangular area of 130 m x 275 m,surrounded by a 1.5 m concrete wall. The purpose of the wallis to prevent potential shrimp virus carriers to enter, and to set up anarea where shrimp pathogens are strictly screened out. Those whoenter the area are required to wear special dress and spray theirhandswith70%ethanol.

Facil it ies within SGIC

Technology Transfer

Seminars for shrimp farmers and personnel involved in the industryare held regularly at SGIC and relevant farm sites. Communication betweenSGIC and end-users are essential for development of the center. SGIC aims toexceed in academic excellence and to collaborate with local farmers for a higherunderstanding in shrimp cultivation. SGIC also provides site visits and training tolocalfarmersonaregularbasis.

Services

SGIC provides many services, which include training for farmers, academicresearch, seminars and staff training. Other services such as water qualitydeterminations or shrimp disease diagnostics by histology or PCR etc. are availableatseveralotherinstitutesthatperformequallywellforfarmers.

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Office and Laboratory. The office provides internetaccess, as well as conference rooms and laboratories. Thelaboratories are for routine lab analyses (such as waterqualities,microbiology,etc.)andforresearchactivities,whicharedirectedtowardworkonmolecularbiology.

Housing Facilities. Rooms and facilities (dining hall,exercise room, utilities, entertainment and reading room) areavailableforSGICstaffandguests.

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Facil it ies Outside the Biosecurity Area

Facil it ies Inside the Biosecurity Area

Hatchery. This is the largest building withinthebiosecurityareaand is forartificial insemination,ovarian maturation, spawning and hatching of theshrimp. The facility is capable of holding up to 480animalsatonetime.

Nursery.Thisbuilding is forgrowingnaupliusto postlarval (PL) stages. A small fraction ofnauplii from each cross are reared to become PLaimingatbecomingbroodstocks.

Diatom Building. Thisbuilding is for culturingdiatoms for shrimp larvae. The main speciescultured are Chaetoceros spp. Research onalternative species, such as Thalassiosira spp., arealsocarriedouthere.

Artemia Building.Thisbuildingisforhatchingofartemiacysts.Theactivityiscarriedoutinasystemthat aims at reducing bacterial contamination (suchasfromVibriospp.).

Polychaete Building.Polychaetesorseawormsare one of the main natural live-feed for shrimpbroodstocks. An indoor facility has been set up forthe culture of Perinereis nuntia and other tropicalpolychaete species, with a closed cycle fromfertilization through to nectochaete, atoke andepitoke (broodstock) stages, with SPF conditionand optimum nutritional components suitable forshrimp broodstocks. Selective breeding programsand physiological studies of these polychaetes arealsocarriedout.

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TheSGICorganizationisheadedbya director and comprises a sitemanager,aneducationandpublicrelationsteam,anaccountingandpersonnelteam,anin-houseresearchteamincludinglaboratorypersonnel,and an engineering team. The dormitoryfacilitycanaccommodateupto50peopleatanyonetime,andnon-residentpersonnel,including collaborative researchers, canvarybetween10-20individualsatanytime.

Broodstock Growout

Initial Phase. AnindoorfacilityhasbeensetupforrearingPL15toabouta 1 g sized shrimp, and then the shrimp is injected with a visible implantedelastomertoidentifyshrimpfamiliesbyaphysicalmethod.Atthesametime,theshrimpareanalyzedfortheirmicrosatellitemarkers.

Main Phase. Shrimp of different families that have been physicallytagged are then reared together in the same growout pond, whichis under a transparent roof and completely lined with a polythene sheet. Theperiod of growout to become broodstocks is 1.0-1.5 years, during whichtimetheshrimparetransferredonceortwiceintonewlypreparedponds.

Research Staffs

Seawater is pumped from theshore 400maway into the sedimentationseawater pond, where the surface clearwater is passed into the clear seawaterpond(CSP).WaterfromtheCSPisfilteredthroughanupflowsandfilterandpressuresandfilter(50mm),stockedandconditioned(e.g.,pH,salinity,alkalinity,etc.)in40x100ton-capacityconcretetanks.

For salinity adjustment, a naturalfreshwater pond and clear freshwaterpond have been set up at the end ofthe biosecurity area where the wateris filtered through an upflow sand filterand pressure sand filter before beingmixed with seawater. The conditionedwater is ozonized before being suppliedtobuildingsandponds in thebiosecurityarea. Depending on its necessity, thewater in the biosecure buildings andponds is passed through either one or all

of the following treatments beforereachingrearingtanks:

• Ultraviolet(UV)light

• Foamfractionation

• Biofiltration

Water isalsoeitherreplaced0-30% daily, or flow-through whichis judged by cost-effectiveness foreachutility.

The discharged water isdrained through an undergroundtunnel to a site 500 m away fromthe biosecurity area. The drainedwater is biologically treated bypassing through fish, bivalve andseaweed ponds, before flowingout into natural waterways. Thebiological demand of the treatedwaterislessthan20ppm.

Water System

The Shrimp Genetic Improvement Center (SGIC) was founded under a cooperation of three Thai governmental institutes: the Ministry of Science and Technology represented by the National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC) National Science and Technology Development Agency, Prince of Songkla University and Mahidol University. The center provides research and production facilities for the selective breeding program of the black tiger shrimp Penaeus monodon, and is set to become the “Nucleus Breeding Center (NBC)” of this highly economic and indigenous species of the Indo-Pacific Ocean.

Introduction

As a NBC, SGIC rears different families for P. monodon, from nauplius stage to broodstock. These families are cross-breed to provide new generations of shrimp that show improved growth rate, disease resistance, and other industrially required traits. The shrimp (F1) are specific pathogen-free (SPF), and are generated from offspring (F0) of wild (W) broodstocks, kept in a quarantine located outside SGIC. From the NBC, postlarvae (PL) of two selected families are sent to the Broodstock Multiplication Center (BMC), which is also located outside SGIC. The PLs are reared in the BMC to become broodstocks, which are cross-breed to provide nauplii and PLs for shrimp farmers.

Design and Production:

Printing SectionPrinted and Multimedia Division

National Science and Technology Development Agency

Tel: +66 2564 7000 ext: 1162

50 pairs of wildbroodstocks“Founders”

Selectivebreedingprogram

NBC BMCQuarantine

2 selectedfamilies

F2...F1F0W

Production of high number of “best” broodstocks

For more information, please contact :Shrimp GeneticImprovement Center

Shrimp Genetic Improvement CenterNational Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC)National Science and Technology Development Agency333 Moo5, Phumrieng, Sub-district, Chaiya District, Suratthani 84110Tel: (66-7) 7435 100 Fax: (66-7) 7435 049e-mail: somjai.won@biotec.or.thwebsite: http://www.biotec.or.th/