This collaborative research aims to study genetic diversity and captive breeding characteristics of two Carangid fish species (Gnathanodon speciosus and Caranx ignobilis), and to establish a new method for effective and sustainable utilization of their genetic resources.

Specifically, the Thailand team will explore the captive breeding characteristics of the fishes and coordinate the whole project. The Japan team will investigate genetic markers of samples provided by the researchers of participating countries, and analyze genetic diversity and population structure by using the genetic markers. The other participating teams will collect samples and study captive breeding characteristics.

The targeted two Carangid fish species are widely distributed in India-Pacific Ocean and important as food resources for the South-East Asian countries. Through the collaborative research among the participating countries, we aim to understand genetic impact on genetic differences in different regions or trait differences.

This collaborative research aims to establish a new avian genetic resource conservation technology from iPSCs of endangered avian species.

Specifically, the Japan team will produce iPSCs from　endangered Aves Galliformes (green peafowls and purebred red jungle fowls) and verify the pluripotency. The Russia team will perform omics-based analysis on pluripotent early embryos of related species, and identify efficient reprogramming factors to produce the Aves Galliformes iPSCs. The Thailand team will obtain the somatic cell tissue of the targeted Aves Galliformes through the Zoological Park Organization in Thailand, and separate adult primary fibroblast cells to produce iPSCs for creating a cell bank.

Through the collaborative and complementary research among the three countries, we expect to showcase a new genetic resource conservation technology to complement current technology based on avian primordial germ cells, and to expand the application of the genetic resource conservation operations to endangered avian species.