A groundbreaking DNA-based innovation promises to revolutionize caviar production. AZTI, a marine and food research institute in Spain, has secured a patent for a real-time PCR method.
This method allows for early sex identification in sturgeon, determining their sex between 12 and 24 months. Traditionally, sex identification relied on ultrasound, a more invasive technique viable only at later stages.
The new method requires only a small tissue or blood sample to detect a sex-specific genetic marker. Developed with Caviar Riofrío, the technology enables producers to focus resources on rearing females, reducing costs and improving efficiency.
Miguel Ángel Pardo, an AZTI researcher, emphasized the industry's need for an efficient method for early sex determination. The method has been validated on 296 samples from various sturgeon species.