HC Deb 09 April 2001 vol 366 cc422-3W
Mr. Alan Simpson

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list the research programmes into fish genetics that his Department has been involved with in the last 10 years. [157274]

Mr. Alan Johnson

The Department is supporting the FISHSENSE project in the LINK Cell Engineering programme. The aim of this project is to develop a bioassay for environmental toxicity testing using cell lines from the bluegill sunfish which have been successfully transfected with the luciferase gene from the firefly. These transfected cells are used to assay for the presence of various toxicants by measuring the light produced by the luminescent luciferase protein.

In addition, I understand that the Research Councils, supported by this Department, have been and are funding a number of relevant projects.