Finfish Aquaculture and Streptococcus iniae

Aquaculture of fish is an important and cost-effective industry for increasing the world's food supply.  Intensive aquaculture of several fish species has been threatened by infectious diseases, in particular a fatal meningoencephalitis produced by the ß-hemolytic Streptococcus iniae.  We are collaborating with the scientists at San Diego-based Kent SeaTech Corporation, the world's largest producer of hybrid striped bass (HSB) and a leader in aquaculture research and innovation.  Our project seeks to elucidate the virulence mechanisms of S. iniae using molecular genetic techniques of random and targeted mutagenesis together with large-scale, high-throughput in vivo screening assays for virulence potential in HSB and other species.  Our goal is the rational development of effect vaccines and novel therapeutic strategies to protect aquacultured fish against this potentially devastating pathogen.  Additional collaborative projects with KentSeaTech include (a) exploring the potential for bacteriophages to be used in the prevention and treatment of infectious disease in intensive aquaculture operations and (b) the discovery and characterization of novel fish antimicrobial peptides (e.g. moronecidin, bass hepcidin) and elucidating their role in fish innate immune defense.  We will both be partners in annotation of the Streptococcus iniae genome project to be performed at the Baylor College of Mecidine Genome Sequencing Center.

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