Professor GAO Zexia, vice dean of the School of Fisheries at Huazhong Agricultural University, visited IHB on March 24, 2023. (Credit: IHB)

Professor GAO Zexia, vice dean of the School of Fisheries at Huazhong Agricultural University, gave a lecture titled "Developmental Mechanisms and Breeding Practices of Intermuscular Bones in Fish" at the Institute of Hydrobiology (IHB) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences on March 24, 2023.

During her lecture, Professor Gao discussed the importance of breeding fish with reduced intermuscular bones, a genetic trait that affects the consumption and processing of freshwater fish products in China.  

She explained her research on the developmental biology, evolution, and biotechnology of intermuscular bones, and highlighted the discovery of the key gene, runx2b, which regulates the growth of intermuscular bones.  

She also discussed the successful breeding of intermuscular bone-free Wuchang fish and silver carp, as well as the creation of first-generation (F0) spineless fish that turn out to grow well with normal form and structure and the same habits as those of ordinary fish. 

Professor Gao is a highly regarded researcher in fish genetics and breeding, and has published over 60 SCI papers in top journals such as National Science Review, Nature Communications, and Aquaculture.  

She has also received numerous awards for her work, including the first prize of the Agricultural Science and Technology Award and the first prize of the Hubei Province Science and Technology Progress Award.