EPIFISH is organised in to five interconnected work packages (WPs), which address the following research question: What is the contribution of epigenetic mechanisms (DNA methylation and miRNAs) to the observed growth improvement during fish domestication?
WP1: Domestication of Wild Nile Tilapia
Objective: To develop a small scale selection programme for Nile tilapia based on growth performance.
WP2: Global Changes In mRNA and miRNA Gene Networks During Domestication
Objective: To determine the influence of domestication and selection on the fast muscle mRNA and miRNA transcriptomes.
WP3: Epigenomic Effects of Selection During Domestication
Objective: To determine the influence of domestication on the muscle methylome.
WP4: Functional Characterization of Key miRNAs and Epigenome Editing
Objective: To determine the biological function of novel miRNAs, isomiRs and epialleles differentially expressed with domestication.
WP5: Validation of Epimarkers in Tilapia and European Sea Bass
Objective: To evaluate the potential of isomiRs and epialleles as growth markers in future selective breeding programmes.
