Prof. Amir Sagi from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev has received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the ACEEU Asia-Pacific Triple E Awards in Malaysia, recognizing his contributions to aquaculture biotechnology over the past two decades. His collaborative research with U.S. scientists, funded by BARD, has been instrumental in advancing the aquaculture industry, particularly through the development of a monosex culture for the giant freshwater prawn, Macrobrachium rosenbergii.
Prof. Sagi’s groundbreaking discovery of the Insulin-like Androgenic Gland (IAG) hormone in decapod crustaceans has transformed our understanding of sexual plasticity in prawns. This innovation enables the manipulation of prawn sex without genetic modification, greatly benefiting fish farmers and enhancing production efficiency.
Key Advancements in Aquaculture
One of the most notable advancements is the establishment of all-male and all-female culture systems. All-male cultures can increase production efficiency by 25% to 40% compared to mixed cultures, capitalizing on the size advantage of males, which can reach 100 grams and more, thus catering the premium market. However, the growth of larger dominant males often inhibits smaller ones thus the stocking density of all-males cultures is limited. This led to the development of an alternative, all-female cultures. These systems allow for higher stocking densities—12 females per square meter compared to 4 males—with a shorter growout cycle and a medium sized uniform product.
The two biotechnologies are non-GMO, demonstrating the first application of temporal RNA interference (RNAi) and parental cell transplantation in the entire field of aquaculture. These bio- innovative approaches have resulted in high-efficiency monosex cultures, significantly boosting global prawn yields. Israeli companies like Tiran Group and Enzootic are now at the forefront of all-male and all-female prawn seed technologies, respectively.
Bridging Academia and Industry
The aquaculture industry and academia operate in distinctly different environments, characterized by varying work climates, levels of scientific research, and goals. Despite these differences, a robust platform for dialogue exists between these entities, providing significant advantages in terms of research continuity, human resource development, and mutual knowledge sharing.
Traditionally, university research infrastructure tends to focus narrowly on a specific field, often resulting in a “transfer and forget” approach to commercialization. By contrast, Prof. Sagi’s lab has fostered a model of continuous dialogue between academia and agro-biotechnological industries. This collaborative approach has cultivated long-term relationships with the farming sector and biotechnological hubs in Southeast Asia, creating opportunities for students to engage in high-standard research while addressing real-world challenges faced by farmers.
The Sagi laboratory has established long-term programs with both private and public sector entities, including Research Institute for Aquaculture No. 1 and 2 (RIA1&2), Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA) in India, the Department of Fisheries in Thailand, and various universities in Taiwan and China. These collaborations have enhanced the openness to sustained dialogue between academia and the agricultural sector, not only at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev but also across the involved universities and government agencies in Southeast Asia.
Market Demand and Global Impact
Both monosex culture approaches are non-breeding, thus preventing aquaculture escapees from forming invasive populations and could be safely used as biocontrol agents contributing to environmental sustainability. The WZ sex heritability of prawns follows the WZ sex chromosomes combination for females and ZZ for males. Production of ZZ females (“neo-females”) and WW females (“super females”) in Israel, based on the novel biotechnologies, has generated strong market demand across Southeast Asia, including countries like Vietnam, China, Thailand, Malaysia, Cambodia, and Indonesia. Consequently, both all-male and all-female breeding stocks have become essential components of modern prawn aquaculture management.
Prof. Sagi’s project was highlighted in the BARD 40-year research impact review in 2019, illustrating that his contributions extend beyond aquaculture efficiency. His collaborations with international organizations and research institutes have been vital for the widespread adoption of these innovative biotechnologies, reshaping the global prawn aquaculture industry.
Prof. Sagi’s research continues to set new standards in sustainable practices and efficiency, providing substantial benefits to growers and ecosystems alike. We extend our congratulations to Prof. Sagi on this well-deserved honor and anticipate the future advancements in aquaculture that will stem from his work.
