Gold Coast Tiger Prawns
enhances productivity with Genics breeding program technologies
“The Penaeus monodon ShrimpID panels now available at Genics have been fundamental to the success of our company’s selective breeding programs since 2010”
– Alistair Dick, General Manager, Gold Coast Tiger Prawns
Gold Coast Tiger Prawns (GCTP) became a Genics customer in 2010 and now implements Genics’ full suite of shrimp farm productivity services.
The Genics team has been integral to GCTP’s resounding success over the past decade, delivering innovative technology and consultation services, including genetic analysis, AI-powered digital phenotyping, and advanced pathogen testing.
Video: Gold Coast Tiger Prawns’ Hatchery Manager, Bambang Julianto and Genics CEO, Dr. Melony Sellars talk about their work together elevating GCTP’s productivity
Gold Coast Tiger Prawns & Genics case study:
a synergistic relationship
Gold Coast Tiger Prawns is one of the earliest adopters of Genics ground-breaking ShrimpMultiPath pathogen testing technology.
Talking about the enduring partnership with GCTP, Genics CEO Dr. Melony Sellars said:
“Gold Coast Tiger Prawns has worked very closely with myself and research partners for many years, which is very exciting for us to still be on a long journey with them, with their breeding programs and improved production performance on their farm.”
The entire Genics team was involved from the earliest days of the GCTP engagement, contributing strategic advice, scientific expertise, and laboratory analysis.
“It’s been a great journey together, and Gold Coast Tiger Prawns allows us to demonstrate and continually improve our customer focus, services, and products,” Dr. Sellars said.
Strategic breeding for genetic improvement
One of the key benefits of GCTP’s partnership with Genics is the scientific optimization of its shrimp breeding programs, delivering higher quality, more fertile, and disease-resistant animals.
“The Penaeus monodon ShrimpID panels now available at Genics have been fundamental to the success of our company’s selective breeding programs since 2010,” said Alistair Dick, Gold Coast Tiger Prawns’ General Manager.
“(Genics) has enabled us to maximize our genetic diversity year after year and facilitate smart breeding choices that have delivered selected lines with trebled production performance in ponds compared side by side with unselected lines,” he added.
Genics CEO Dr. Melony Sellars:
“Gold Coast Tiger Prawns needed someone to help with managing the structure of their selective breeding programs and also their health management systems for their farm. To realize their continual improvement in production and, importantly, to deliver on their core focus of very high quality, large shrimp for the market.”
Genics supplies a comprehensive suite of shrimp management services to Gold Coast Tiger Prawns.
“They access our core consultancy services,” said Dr. Sellars, “and they utilize our Shrimp MultiPath testing platforms in addition to our genetic breeding programs combined with our digital AI phenotyping ShrimpTracker, which is specifically designed for high-end breeding programs to achieve improved gains year on year.”
Early warning pathogen testing protects against disease outbreaks
Shrimp disease outbreaks like the commercially damaging WSSV pandemic in 2016 can be mitigated by vigilant laboratory testing.
Genics provides industry-leading disease early-warning testing to GCTP with its ShrimpMultiPath2.0 service.
Shrimp MultiPath2.0 detects 18 shrimp pathogens with a single test, making it the most versatile test available to producers. Shrimp MultiPath2.0’s limit of detection (LOD) exceeds international standards, even with very low levels of pathogens, and machine learning continually refines Genics’ detection accuracy and fidelity.
Talking about the efficacy of Shrimp MultiPath2.0, Gold Coast Tiger Prawns’ Hatchery Manager, Bambang Julianto, said:
“With the previous systems available on the market, it’s usually only one or two kinds of virus they can check. For example, if you need to check fourteen (pathogens), you have to send fourteen samples. That’s why MultiPath has been helpful, and it’s very efficient, of course. In one go, you can detect so many (pathogens).”
Bambang Julianto also values Genics’ contribution to the GCTP breeding program strategy.
“(Genics) gives us broader information about what we should do with the prawns we have,” Bambang said. “We can check whether they are free of disease or not, helping us to make decisions and predict what our season looks like. We didn’t do that in the past because usually, in the past we’re just based on the visual appearance for the performance of prawns. But now, with Genics, they can help us get better gene selection to improve our domestication program.”
A win-win partnership
Genics has delivered tangible productivity benefits to GCTP through lower disease rates and enhanced breeding program productivity. The long relationship with Gold Coast Tiger Prawns has also been a growth driver for Genics, as Genics consistently seeks feedback and enhances the services for GCTP.
“We talk on the phone often,” said Dr. Sellars. “(Genics’) team is often on the farm, talking with everyone from the people at the pond edge to those in the front office. Gold Coast Tiger Prawns is developing selected lines that perform well under their commercial operating conditions, with a core focus on growing large, high-quality animals that are able to withstand challenging environmental conditions.”
Genics is proud to be part of Gold Coast Tiger Prawns’ ongoing success as their shrimp health and breeding technology partner. Genics has helped GCTP capitalize on the benefits of cutting-edge aquaculture technology and has been a loyal ally as they go from strength to strength.
Genics services for Gold Coast Tiger Prawns
Shrimp MultiPath2.0™
Pathogen testing that detects the presence of 18 shrimp diseases with a single laboratory test.
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ShrimpID
Highly accurate genetic analysis for shrimp breeding programs, with detailed relatedness estimates and markers within genes that regulate productivity and disease resistance.
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ShrimpTracker™
Digital phenotyping for optimal shrimp health and productivity: ShrimpTracker automatically captures detailed phenotypic data in an unprecedented number of categories.
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Genics360 Consulting
Business optimization through commercial validation, health & breeding program consultancy, and expert scientific analysis of production processes.
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Gold Coast Tiger Prawns case study download:
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