Bangladesh scientists decode hilsa fish genome, here's all you need to know
Tuesday, September 11, 2018 IST
A group of researchers in Bangladesh are claiming to have mapped the genome sequence of the popular hilsa fish. The research was carried out by two teams separately but the results were announced at the same time, as per a BDnews report.
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The researchers believe that the genome sequence will give out a holistic understanding of hilsa's biology. It will be helpful in increasing its production and will ensure the conservation of the breed.
FYI: What is a genome?
A complete set of genes present in an organism is known as a genome. The genome sequence is the order of the DNA neucleotides that build one's DNA. A genome can determine an organism's characteristics.
Hilsa production:
About 75 per cent of the world's hilsa fish comes from Bangladesh. The country's total fish production, however, is much more than that. Hilsa just accounts for 10 per cent of the total.
Bangladesh produces close to 3,87,000 tonnes of hilsa fish per year. The total revenue generated from the fish adds up to Tk 158.7 billion. Hilsa production composes nearly 1 per cent of Bangladesh's GDP.
The geographical indication product of Bangladesh, hilsa:
Hilsa was internationally recognised as a geographical indication (GI) product of Bangladesh last year.
What does the research say?
The research was carried out by the Department of Fisheries Biology and Genetics at Bangladesh Agricultural University (BAU). Led by Samsul Alam, the team at BAU was one of the teams to research about hilsa genome.
The group collected the DNA samples from adult hilsa present in the Bay of Bengal and Meghna River. The group was able to map the genome in two years.
Alam, as per a PTI report, said that the hilsa genome has 7.68 million nucleotides, nearly a quarter of the number found in humans. The complete sequence will help answer numerous questions about the species.
"Hilsa breeds twice a year. We can now investigate whether different types of hilsa breed in different times, whether the stock of hilsa in the Padma and Meghna are different, whether that hilsa spawn that are born in certain rivers return to them for breeding after they have grown in the sea we can find an answer to all these questions through the genome."
The second team to research about hilsa was from Dhaka University Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. The project was led by Haseena Khan and was initiated by Bangladesh-based biotechnologist Mong Sano Marma.
The genome research was conducted in the US, Australia and at Dhaka University after Marma's proposal. Their discoveries have yet to be sent to any international forum, Khan told PTI.
The samples of DNA and RNA were collected from various locations (rivers, estuaries and the sea). The research was carried out in Dhaka, Australia and the US.
The Dhaka research team is working on decoding the RNA of the hilsa while the DNA assembly work was done in Australia.
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