IIA Funds Further Israeli R&D Into Crustacean Gene Modification

The Israel Innovation Authority (IIA) has approved a second year of funding for a joint R&D project to develop CRISPR gene-editing technology for crustaceans that will improve key traits such as growth rate, disease resistance and environmental adaptation. 

The joint project by sustainable aquaculture company Watershed AC, computational biotech firm Evogene and Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) focuses on giant freshwater prawn, white leg shrimp and red swamp crayfish.

CRISPR is a powerful gene-editing tool that allows for the modification of DNA with unprecedented precision and ease, making it a valuable tool in various fields of research and biotechnology.

The decision by the IIA – the government agency dedicated to supporting the national tech sector – came after the collaboration partners met their targeted goals in the first year of research. 

Using Evogene’s advanced GeneRator AI tech-engine and other tools, Watershed and BGU successfully produced the first edited giant freshwater prawn with selected gene modifications by using CRISPR.  

In the second year, the collaboration’s main target is to industrially scale-up CRISPR technology for giant freshwater prawn and expand the obtained application to other two crustacean species.  

The collaborators say the global shrimp market, which was worth $40.35 billion in 2023, is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.09 percent and the global crayfish market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 31.5 percent during the next eight years, 

These growing markets increasingly emphasize the need to expand sustainable aquaculture, the team says, making the technology developed in the frame of the collaboration exceptionally relevant.