** AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** THE LONG-TERM GOAL IS TO GENETICALLY IMPROVE THE OVERALL GENOTYPE/PHENOTYPE OF BOTH CHANNEL CATFISH, ICTALURUS PUNCTATUS, AND THE F1 HYBRID BETWEEN CHANNEL CATFISH FEMALES AND THE BLUE CATFISH, I. FURCATUS MALES AS THE CATFISH INDUSTRY USES BOTH. THE TRAITS ADDRESSED IN THIS PROPOSAL ARE GROWTH, FEED CONVERSION EFFICIENCY, DISEASE RESISTANCE, BODY COMPOSITION, TEXTURE, AND REPRODUCTION, WHICH BENEFIT THE HATCHERY, PRODUCER, PROCESSOR, AND CONSUMER. WE HYPOTHESIZE THAT MAXIMUM GENETIC ENHANCEMENT WILL BE OBTAINED BY COMBINING TRANSGENESIS, GENE-EDITING, AND INTERSPECIFIC HYBRIDIZATION. TOTAL REPRODUCTIVE CONTROL THROUGH REVERSIBLE GENETIC STERILIZATION WOULD OBVIATE ENVIRONMENTAL RISK AND ALLOW THE USE OF THESE VALUABLE FISH. GENE REPLACEMENT AT REPRODUCTIVE LOCI COULD INCREASE PERFORMANCE SIMULTANEOUSLY WITH STERILIZATION.