Rutgers Oysters

Rutgers' oyster breeding program was established by Dr. Haskin in 1960 and has been under the direction of Ximing Guo since 1998. Dr. Guo's research focuses on genetics, genomics and biology of marine mollusks. Research from Guo Lab included the development of tetraploid and triploid oysters, the sequencing genomes of oysters and other marine bivalves, genetics of sex determination, molecular regulation of oyster growth and immunity, and the development of resources for genome-based breeding.

To sustain the oyster industry and support aquaculture development worldwide, Dr. Guo's research is helping to increase oyster population and minimize the effect of over-fishing, pollution, and new diseases. Rutgers shellfish research mainly takes place in centers within the Haskin Shellfish Research Laboratory, part of the New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station (NJAES), Department of Marine and Coastal Sciences, and School of Environmental and Biological Sciences (SEBS.