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Shrimps are good catch for sex probe
Gender bending shrimps could help researchers find sex genes.
A scientist at the University of Portsmouth has won a 500,000 grant to research the mysterious ability of some shrimp to change sex.
Dr Alex Ford, from the University's Institute of Marine Sciences, will lead the three-year study which will find out which genes are involved in sex determination by comparing the DNA of male, female and androgynous shrimps.
He said: 'Shrimps might sound insignificant but they actually have a huge affect on bigger organisms in the ecosystem.
'Scientists know a great deal about oestrogenic substances in the water causing sex-changing fish and reproductively challenged alligators, but very little research has been conducted lower down the food chain. This is completely new territory for scientists.'
The grant has been awarded by the Natural Environment Research Council and the study will be conducted in partnership with Cardiff University.
Dr Ford first found that shrimps were developing both male and female characteristics when he was doing research off the east coast of Scotland more than five years ago.
He said: 'The high rate of mutation was quite worrying – the gender of shrimps was obviously being affected by either pollution or parasites.
'With this funding we aim to investigate what factors cause a crustacean to change sex by examining what genes are being switched on or off.'
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Friday 10 February 2012
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