Institute of Aquaculture

Genetics & Reproduction

Professor Brendan McAndrew is head of the Genetics and Reproduction Research group. This is a major multidisciplinary research and teaching group that integrates genetic and endocrinology techniques towards the better understanding of the genetic management and improvement of aquatic organisms.

Professor McAndrew has extensive research experience in the problems associated with the genetic management and improvement of a wide variety of tropical and temperate fish and shellfish species and over 100 scientific publications in this area.

He has wide experience in obtaining and managing research grants from a variety of UK national (BBSRC, NERC, DFID) and international research agencies (EU, FAO, ICLARM) and commercial sources. His research group is actively engaged on various aspects of genetic research in the majority of the most important commercial fish species (carp, tilapia rainbow trout, salmon, seabass, seabream, halibut and prawns. These include the development of genetic markers for population genetics and pedigree analysis, genetic analysis of commercially important traits, and the development of selective improvement and management programmes. Recent research has focused on the development and application of genomic tools in farmed fish. He managed the DFID Fish Genetics Research Programme for DFID has served on various EU and national research appraisal committees. He is also the Research Director for the Institute.

His activities have been recognised at an international level as a past President and vice president and present secretary / treasurer of the International Association for Genetics in Aquaculture (IAGA). He has worked as an advisor and consultant for Worldfish, FAO, CDC, Danida and DFID in a wide range of developing countries on problems associated with genetic and biodiversity issues in aquatic organisms. He is technical director of Fish-Gen a biotechnology company licensed to commercialise IPR arising out of the Fish Genetics Research Programme. He has also consultant and advisor on genetic improvement and genetics to a number of major commercial fish farming companies. He has supervised over 30 PhD students and a large number of MSc students while in Stirling. He has also acted as an external examiner to many UK, European and Norwegian students. Prof McAndrew is also a visiting professor at Bodø University in Norway working on the genetic management of Arctic sea urchins and finfish.

Some Recent Publications

R. D. Houston, S. C. Bishop, A. Hamilton, D. R. Guy, A. E. Tinch, J. B. Taggart, A. Derayat, B. J. McAndrew and C. S. Haley, (2009) Detection of QTL affecting harvest traits in a commercial Atlantic salmon population. Animal Genetics doi:10.1111/j.1365-2052.2009.01883.x

D. R. Williams, W. Li, M. A. Hughes, S. F. Gonzalez, C. Vernon, M. C. Vidal, Z. Jeney, G. Jeney, P. Dixon, B. McAndrew, R. Bartfai, L. Orban, V. Trudeau, J. Rogers, L. Matthews, E. J. Fraser, A. Y. Gracey, A. R. Cossins (2008) Genomic resources and microarrays for the common carp Cyprinus carpio L. Journal of Fish Biology, 72; 2095-2117.

Herlin M, Delghandi M, Wesmajervi M, Taggart JB, McAndrew BJ, Penman DJ (2008). Analysis of the parental contribution to a group of fry from a single day of spawning from a commercial Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) breeding tank. Aquaculture 274:218-224.

Houston, R D; Gheyas, A; Hamilton, A; Guy, D R; Tinch, A E; Taggart, J B; McAndrew, B J; Haley, C S; Bishop, S C. Detection and confirmation of a major QTL affecting resistance to infectious pancreatic necrosis (IPN) in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar). Developments in Biologicals, 2008, 132:199-204

Herlin, M, Taggart J.B, McAndrew B.J, Penman DJ (2007). Parentage allocation in a complex situation: a large commercial Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) mass spawning tank. Aquaculture 272S1:S195-S203.

A. A. Gheyas, J.A. Woolliams, J.B. Taggart, M.A. Sattar, T.K. Das, B.J. McAndrew, D.J. Penman. Heritability estimation of silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix) harvest traits using microsatellite based parentage assignment. Aquaculture. (In press)

Guy, D R; Bishop, S C; Brotherstone, S; Hamilton, A; Roberts, R J; McAndrew, B J; Woolliams, J. A. (2006) Analysis of the incidence of infectious pancreatic necrosis mortality in pedigreed Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L., populations. Journal of Fish Diseases, 29(11):637-47

Whitaker, H A; McAndrew, B J; Taggart, J B (2006) Construction and characterization of a BAC library for the European sea bass Dicentrarchus labrax. Animal Genetics, 37(5):526

A. A. Gheyas, M. Cairney, A.E. Gilmour, M.A. Sattar, T.K. Das, B.J. McAndrew, D.J. Penman, and J.B. Taggart . (2006)Characterisation of microsatellite loci in silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix), and cross amplification in other cyprinid species. Molecular Ecology Notes.6:656-659.

R.C. Brown, Woolliams J. and B.J. McAndrew (2005) Factors influencing effective population size in commercial populations of gilthead seabream, Sparus aurata. Aquaculture 247, 219-226.

M.Y. Mia, J. B. Taggart, A. E. Gilmour, T. K. Das, A.H.M Kohinoor, M. Aminur Rahman, M. Abdus Sattar, M. Gulam Hussain, D. J. Penman and B. J. McAndrew (2005) Detection of hybridization between Chinese carp species (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix and Aristichthys nobilis) in hatchery broodstock in Bangladesh, using DNA microsatellite loci. Aquaculture 247, 267-274.

Campos-Mendoza, B. J. McAndrew, K. Coward and N. Bromage. Reproductive response of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) to photoperiodic manipulation; effects on spawning periodicity, fecundity and egg size, Aquaculture, 231, 299-314 (2004)

Tariq Ezaz, M., Harvey, S.C., Boonphakdee, C., Teale, A.J. McAndrew, B.J. and Penman, D.J. (2004) Sex-linked AFLP markers in the Nile tilapia Oreochromis niloticus L. Marine Biotechnology. 6:435-445

Karayücel, I., Tariq Ezaz, M., Karayücel, S., McAndrew, B.J., Penman, D.J. (2004) Evidence for two unlinked “sex reversal” loci in the Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus, and for linkage of one of these to the autosomal red body colour gene. Aquaculture 234, 51-63

Tariq Ezaz, M.,Sayeed S., McAndrew, B.J. and Penman, D.J. (2004) Use of microsatellite loci and AFLP markers to verify gynogenesis and clonal lines in the Nile tilapia Oreochromis niloticus L. Aquaculture Research 35 (15) 1472-1481.

M. Tariq Ezaz, M.T., Myers, J., Powell S.J., McAndrew, B. J. and Penman, D. J. (2004) Sex-ratios in the progeny from androgenetic and gynogenetic YY male Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus L.). Aquaculture 232, 205-214.

Ezaz, M.T., McAndrew, B.J. and Penman, D.J. (2004) Spontaneous diploidization of the maternal chromosome set in Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus L.) eggs. Aquaculture Research 35, 271-277..

A. Campos-Mendoza, N, Bromage and B.J. McAndrew. (2004) The effect of photoperiod on the reproductive performance of the Nile Tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus. Fish Physiology and Biochemistry (in press).

Campos-Mendoza, B. J. McAndrew, K. Coward and N. Bromage. (2004) Reproductive response of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) to photoperiodic manipulation; effects on spawning periodicity, fecundity and egg size, Aquaculture, 231, 299-314

Tariq Ezaz, M., Harvey, S.C., Boonphakdee, C., Teale, A.J. McAndrew, B.J. and Penman, D.J. (2004) Sex-linked AFLP markers in the Nile tilapia Oreochromis niloticus L. Marine Biotechnology. 6 (5):435-445.

Karayücel, I., Tariq Ezaz, M., Karayücel, S., McAndrew, B.J., Penman, D.J. (2004) Evidence for two unlinked “sex reversal” loci in the Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus, and for linkage of one of these to the autosomal red body colour gene. Aquaculture 234, 51-63.

R.C. Brown, M. Tsalavouta, V. Terzoglou, A. Magoulas and B.J. McAndrew (2004)Additional microsatellites for Sparus aurata and cross-species amplification within the Sparidae family Molecular Ecology Notes.

Campos-Ramos, R., Harvey, S.C., McAndrew, B.J., and Penman, D.J. (2003) An investigation of sex determination in the Mozambique tilapia, Oreochromis mossambicus using synaptonemal complex, FISH, sex-reversal and gynogenesis. Aquaculture 221, 125– 140.

Karayucel I, Penman D, Karayucel S, McAndrew B. (2003) Thermal and hormonal feminization of all male YY Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus. L. Israeli Journal of Aquaculture-Bamidgeh 55 (2): 114-122,.

Coward, K., Campos-Ramos, A., Larman, M., Hibbitt, O., McAndrew, B.J., Bromage, N.R. and Parrington, J. (2003) Teleost fish spermatozoa contain a cytosolic protein factor that induces calcium release oscillations when injected into mouse oocytes. Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications 305, 299-304.

Kwon, J-Y, McAndrew, B.J. and Penman, D.J. (2002) Treatment with an aromatase inhibitor suppresses high-temperature feminization of genetic male (YY) Nile tilapia Oreochromis niloticus. Journal of Fish Biology 60, 625-636.

Harvey, S.C., Powell, S.J., Kennedy, D.D., McAndrew, B.J. and Penman, D.J. (2002) Karyotype analysis of Oreochromis mortimeri (Trewavas)and Sarotherodon melanotheron (Rüppell). Aquaculture Research 33, 339-342.

Hilsdorf, A.W.S., Penman, D.J. Farias, E.C., and McAndrew, B.J. (2002) Melanophore appearance in wild and red tilapia embryos. Pigment Cell Res.15, 57-61.

Ciftci, Y. Castilho, R. and McAndrew, B.J. (2002) More polymorphic microsatellite markers in the European seabass (Dicentrarchus labrax L.) Molecular Ecology Notes 2. 575-576.

Karayucel S, Karayucel I, Penman D, McAndrew, B. (2002) Production of androgenetic Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus L.: Optimization of heat shock duration and application time to induce diploidy Israeli Journal of Aquaculture-Bamidgeh 54 (4): 145-156 .

Kwon, J-Y, McAndrew, B.J. and Penman, D.J. (2001) Cloning of brain aromatase gene and expression of brain and ovarian aromatase genes during sexual differentiation in genetic male and female Nile tilapia Oreochromis niloticus. Molecular Reproduction and Development 59. 359-370.

Nagl, S. Tichy, H., Mayer, W. E., Samonte, I.E., McAndrew, B.J. and Klein J. (2001) Classification and phylogenetic relationships of African Tilapiine fishes inferred from mitochondrial DNA sequences. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 20(30) 361-374.

Campos-Ramos, R., Harvey, S.C., Masabanda, J., Carrasco, L.A.P.,Griffin, D.K., McAndrew, B.J., Bromage, N.R. and Penman, D.J. (2001)Identification of putative sex chromosomes in the blue tilapia, Oreochromis aureus, through synaptonemal complex and FISH analysis. Genetica 111(1-3): 143-153.

Sarder, M.R.I. Thompson, K.D. Penman, D.J. and McAndrew, B. J (2001) Immune responses of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus L.) clones: 1. Non-specific responses. Developmental and Comparative Immunology 25, 37-46.

Kwon, J-Y., Haghpanah, V., Kogson-Hurtado, L. M., McAndrew, B.J. and Penman. D. J. (2000) Masculinisation of genetic female Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) by dietary administration of an aromatase inhibitor during sexual differentiation. Journal of Experimental Zoology. 28, 46-53.