Our aim
To investigate and build the following tools to support the development of cultivated crustacean meat.
- Data analytics: Developing computational pipelines, databases, and web-based analysis tools to increase the accessibility of crustacean RNA-seq data
- Transcriptomics: Using RNA-seq to identify and characterise genes, as well as understand biological processes unique to crustaceans
- Cell culture: Investigating and comparing cell sources, extraction and isolations techniques, media formulations and culturing parameters.
- Molecular: Investigating transient transfection techniques to promote proliferation and myogenic differentiation of crustacean stem cells.
"Our team is developing genomic resources to better understand crustacean cellular functions, including cultivated meat stem cells, which remains an unmet challenge in crustaceans. Our work in Aquaculture Biotechnology and Cultivated Crustacean Meat is vital in translating novel basic scientific results into applicable biotechnologies."
Associate Professor Tomer Ventura
Our people and projects
Transcriptomics for cultivated seafood research on crustaceans
March 2023 - March 2026
Avani Bhojwani, PhD candidate
Achieving rapid, long-term proliferation of seafood relevant cell lines in vitro is a priority for this industry. This can be done by identifying potential targets for cell line engineering or cell culture media supplementation. To assist with this, this project aims to advance the understanding of the molecular drivers of cell proliferation in crustaceans using transcriptomics, as well as develop data analysis tools to streamline such discoveries.
Investigating cellular and molecular tools towards the development of cultivated crustacean meat
March 2022-March 2025
Lisa Musgrove, PhD candidate
This project aims to investigate non-lethal sources of stem cells for cultivated crustacean meat. It will look at gene expression across crayfish claw regeneration to determine which stages harbour the most proliferative or myogenically appropriate cells. Techniques to extract and culture stem cells from fully grown and regenerating claw tissues will be investigated, with the aim of establishing proliferative cultures that can be frozen and reanimated. The potential of pluripotent stem cells in haemolymph will also be explored. There is a huge knowledge gap around crustacean cell culture so ultimately, we hope our findings will help fill that gap and add value to this emerging and exciting space.
Building web-based analytics for Crustacean transcriptomics research
Dr Cameron Hyde, Software Developer, Queensland Cyber Infrastructure Foundation
CrustyBase.org provides an online analysis platform where crustacean researchers can search for genetic sequences, while visualizing gene expression and the structure of encoded proteins. The database hosts community-curated data, with researchers uploading new datasets through the web interface. Through transcriptomic analysis, researchers can identify and characterize the genes associated with cell differentiation, crucial for tracking the transformation of stem cells into specialized cell types, such as muscle cells. This platform therefore provides a vital resource for optimizing cell culture conditions, enabling scientists to fine-tune the combination of nutrients, growth factors, and environmental parameters for efficient cell proliferation and tissue development.