GFL Labrats
Established in 2009 by Dr. Mudjekeewis D. Santos, the Genetic Fingerprinting Laboratory (GFL) under the Department of Agriculture – National Fisheries Research and Development Institute (DA-NFRDI) started housing the genetic researches of the institute. With a research assistant and three on-the-job-training Biology students, the laboratory as headed by Dr. Santos, has since then grew to a good number of research assistants and laboratory technicians in its four years of existence. With an aim of providing genetic data to better understand and improve the Philippine fishery and aquaculture setting, GFL focuses on generating baseline DNA databases which contain profiles of the commercially important as well as endemic and CITES-listed aquatic organisms found in the country.
The GFL has contributed in resolving the cryptic pigek, Mesopristes cancellatus, which has been previously known to be endemic only in Rio Grande de Mindanao and neighbor rivers in Cotabato but was found out to be inhabiting in Abra River in Luzon. It has also contributed in finding prospective genetic markers including five DNA microsatellites as a result from its previous gene expression profiling project on putative WSSV-‘resistant’ Penaeus monodon. Currently, the laboratory is host to a total of five collaborative programs which include population studies on yellowfin and bigeye tuna species, status assessment of bangus fry and DNA barcoding of CITES-listed species, endemic species like ludong and commercial species like tilapia; and a number of postgraduate studies on tuna, sardines, ludong, puffers and siganids. The NSF-PEER Project on population connectivity (FishConnect), in collaboration with the De La Salle University, University of the Philippines – Marine Science Institute, Silliman University, and University of the Philippines in Mindanao, is the latest addition to its current projects.
With the increasing need in establishing the country’s fishery and aquaculture technology to global competitiveness as well as to bridge in the sustainability and conservation of its aquatic resources, the GFL strives in utilizing novel techniques to continually serve as one of the country’s research arm in fishery genetic research.
The GFL has contributed in resolving the cryptic pigek, Mesopristes cancellatus, which has been previously known to be endemic only in Rio Grande de Mindanao and neighbor rivers in Cotabato but was found out to be inhabiting in Abra River in Luzon. It has also contributed in finding prospective genetic markers including five DNA microsatellites as a result from its previous gene expression profiling project on putative WSSV-‘resistant’ Penaeus monodon. Currently, the laboratory is host to a total of five collaborative programs which include population studies on yellowfin and bigeye tuna species, status assessment of bangus fry and DNA barcoding of CITES-listed species, endemic species like ludong and commercial species like tilapia; and a number of postgraduate studies on tuna, sardines, ludong, puffers and siganids. The NSF-PEER Project on population connectivity (FishConnect), in collaboration with the De La Salle University, University of the Philippines – Marine Science Institute, Silliman University, and University of the Philippines in Mindanao, is the latest addition to its current projects.
With the increasing need in establishing the country’s fishery and aquaculture technology to global competitiveness as well as to bridge in the sustainability and conservation of its aquatic resources, the GFL strives in utilizing novel techniques to continually serve as one of the country’s research arm in fishery genetic research.