The Shrimp Genetic Improvement Center (SGIC) was founded under a cooperation of three Thai governmental institutes: The Ministry of Science and Technology (represented by the National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology or “BIOTEC”), Prince of Songkla University and Mahidol University. The center provides research and production facilities for the selective breeding program of the black tiger shrimp Penaeus monodon, and is set to become the “Nucleus Breeding Center (NBC)” of this highly economic and indigenous species of the Indo-Pacific Ocean. The center aims to stock and cross-breed different families of P. monodon and other tropical shrimp species provide Specific Pathogen Free (SPF) P. monodon broodstocks with favorable traits, such as high growth rate, disease resistance, etc. to the shrimp industry and provide research facilities for higher education in tropical shrimp species.
Facilities within SGIC
The facilities inside SGIC can be divided into two main areas: one is within and the other is outside the biosecurity area. The biosecurity area is a rectangular area of 130 m x 275 m, surrounded by a 1.5 m concrete wall. The purpose of the wall is to prevent potential shrimp virus carriers to enter, and to set up an area where shrimp pathogens are strictly screened out. Those who enter the area are required to wear special dress and spray their hands with 70% ethanol. The activities in biosecurity area consist of hatchery, nursery and broodstock growout of the shrimp, hatching of artemia cysts, and diatom and polychaete cultivation. The activities outside the biosecurity area are office and laboratory.
