Name: Hilla Turbowicz
Date: 01/23/2026
Time (EST/EDT): 10:30 am
Location: MPR room (2038), Institute of Marine and Environmental Technology
(IMET)
Remote Access: email: mees@umd.edu

Committee Chair: Dr. Yonathan Zohar
Committee Members: Dr. Nilli Zmora Dr. Ten-Tsao Wong

Title: PLASMID-BASED MULTI-HORMONAL INDUCTION OF PRECOCIOUS PUBERTY IN LATE
MATURING AQUACULTURE FISH

Abstract: Reliable reproductive control in aquaculture remains a major
barrier to the domestication of late-maturing species. This thesis evaluates a
multi-hormonal treatment strategy combining plasmid- and implant-based delivery
of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF1), and
17β-estradiol (E2) to induce sustained hormone exposure and trigger precocious
puberty in the late-maturing model species Seriola rivoliana. In vivo
application of this strategy demonstrated accelerated ovarian development and
earlier initiation of vitellogenesis in immature females, with variable
individual responses. To address delivery-associated variability, a
complementary primary piscine muscle cell culture platform was developed to
evaluate and optimize plasmid transfection conditions in vitro. These studies
establish a coherent pipeline for advancing plasmid-based endocrine
manipulation tools to advance puberty in aquaculture. This approach offers a
scalable, low-stress alternative to repeated recombinant hormone injections and
represents a promising strategy for improving reproductive control and
supporting the domestication of late-maturing fish species.