One of the problems of marketing fresh-whole shrimp is the development of dark spots on the shrimp’s body caused by melanin, the same pigment in hair. The process is called melanization. The reason for our interest in studying this process is to eventually find ways to avoid and decrease melanization and thus extennd shelf life of this important sea product ...

Through this project we hope to obtain better knowledge on the phenomena that occur during the shedding cycle in shrimp. It is thus important to know the participants in this cycle, such as chitin synthase and chitinase enzymes, as well as the genes that modify them. This knowledge will allow us to understand and eventually modify them for human benefit...