The Science Behind Genetically Engineered Salmon

By John McQuaid, "How to Make a Salmon," March/April 2011

How AquAdvantage transgenic salmon is made.

More Information on Sustainable Fish
Fish and Shellfish: 6 to Eat, 6 to Avoid
How to Make Sustainable Seafood Choices at the Fish Market
If You Love This Fish, Help Save It!
The Wild Salmon Debate
Trend Watch: Community Supported Fisheries

Healthy Fish Recipes and Seafood Recipes
5-Ingredient Fish Recipes & 5-Ingredient Seafood Recipes
Easy Salmon Recipes
Grilled Fish Recipes & Grilled Seafood Recipes
Quick Fish Recipes
Delicious Canned Wild Salmon Recipes

To make the AquAdvantage transgenic salmon, scientists select two sequences of DNA—one from a Pacific chinook salmon, the other from an eel-like fish called the ocean pout, which has antifreeze proteins in its blood that help it live in near-freezing waters. The genes are chemically knit together and injected into fertilized Atlantic salmon eggs, some of which incorporate them into their genetic makeup. But that’s only the beginning: in additional steps, eggs from those transgenic fish are isolated and biochemically “tricked” into developing without fertilization, a procedure known as “gynogenesis.” The resulting all-female fish—still carrying the new genes—are then treated with a hormone that turns them into males, and their sperm is used to fertilize ordinary salmon eggs. It’s these offspring that are intended for the dinner plate.

Next: More on GE Salmon »