DV-08-004 Identifying biomarkers for detecting disease in Eastern Oysters

Paul Rawson
University of Maine School of Marine Sciences
5706 Aubert Hall
Orono, ME 04469
207.581.4326
prawson@maine.edu

Disease organisms like MSX, Dermo, and Roseovarius can impede the production and marketing of cultured eastern oysters, yet testing for the presence of these harmful organisms is often expensive and extensive. The availability of more "portable" methods would make disease detection easier for individual growers in the field, and would allow for the study of environmental factors that may influence disease outbreaks. Rawson and chemist Touradj Solouki have proposed a method to identify biomarkers (e.g., physiological changes, chemical signatures) associated with infectious Roseovarius bacteria. Sensors could then be designed to detect the disease at oyster growing sites, preventing economic losses caused by contaminated shellfish.

1-year project, 2008
Total: $5,000