DoST funding efforts to curb disease in farmed shrimp

THE Department of Science and Technology (DoST) said it is funding a project that addresses viral disease in farmed shrimp using RNA interference-based technology.

Researchers from the University of Santo Tomas are developing antiviral protection for giant tiger prawn (Penaeus monodon) by targeting genes that may play a role in the infectivity or pathogenicity of White Spot Syndrome Virus, according to the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development (PCAARRD), an arm of the DoST.

PCAARRD said the project, in its first year, has identified three viral genes that show promise as “therapeutic targets for laboratory testing.”

“The project seeks to mark a major step forward in protecting the livelihood of shrimp farmers and securing the future of the country’s shrimp aquaculture industry.”

Aquaculture accounted for 57% total fisheries production in the first quarter of 2025. — Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza