OUR LONG-TERM GOAL IS TO ACCOMPLISH REVERSIBLE GENETIC STERILITY IN FISH, SPECIFICALLY CATFISH, TO REPRODUCTIVELY CONFINE AND PREVENT THE ESTABLISHMENT OF TRANSGENIC OR DOMESTIC GENOTYPES IN THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT. THE EVENTUAL APPLICATION IS THE STACKING OF TECHNOLOGIES, TRANSGENIC FISH WITH THE TRANSGENE OF INTEREST, AS WELL AS THE STERILIZATION CONSTRUCT OR A STERILIZING MUTATION, TO ACCOMPLISH ABSOLUTE REPRODUCTIVE CONFINEMENT. SUCH A TECHNOLOGY COULD BE USED IN A VARIETY OF FISH INCLUDING ANY DOMESTIC GENOTYPE, INTERSPECIFIC HYBRID, TRANSGENIC OR EXOTIC TO MINIMIZE IMPACTS ON THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT, PROTECT GENETIC BIODIVERSITY AND ECOSYSTEMS, INCREASING ENVIRONMENTAL FRIENDLINESS OF AQUACULTURE AND TRANSGENIC FISH. OUR FOCUS IS ON ABSOLUTE BIOCONFINEMENT AND REPRODUCTIVE CONTROL OF TRANSGENIC CATFISH. THE SUCCESSFUL CULMINATION OF THE PROJECT WOULD RESULT IN A SYSTEM THAT WOULD PREVENT ANY GENE FLOW OF TRANSGENES OR DOMESTIC GENES INTO WILD POPULATIONS. THE PROJECT IS RELEVANTTO THE PROGRAM AREA 1: MANAGEMENT PRACTICES TO MINIMIZE ENVIRONMENTAL RISK OF GENETICALLY ENGINEERED ORGANISMS.