Evechinus chloroticus gene expression analysis of roe. Evechinus chloroticus

This project involved the transcriptome sequencing of female Kina (Evechinus chloroticus) roe that expressed different grades of pigmentation. This included roe samples expressing a light colour (yellow/orange), a medium colour (brown), and a dark colour (dark brown). The gene expression data generated from this RNA-Seq experiment was used to analyse differences in gene expression between different coloured roe. Sea urchin roe is a highly valued food product in the international marketplace and quality factors including the colour of the roe has a great effect on the price. Identifying factors that are related to colour variation, and causes for undesirable (darker) roe colour, is of great importance to sea urchin fishing industries as higher roe quality will increase profits.