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Division:
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REUT
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Status:
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Federal, NOAA Fisheries
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Job Title:
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Microbiologist
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Phone:
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206-860-3279 or 425)347-6935, ext. 236
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Email:
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send e-mail
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Programs:
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NWFSC Publications
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Background
Linda Rhodes has worked in the areas of aquatic toxicology, molecular immunology, and microbial pathogenesis. She has a Ph.D. in molecular and cellular biology (Department of Biological Structure, University of Washington, 1993), and her dissertation work focused on transcriptional regulation of immunoglobulin expression. As a member of the Environmental Conservation Division, she worked a histopathologist and zoologist in studies examining the relationship between anthropogenic contaminants in marine sediments and diseases of benthic fishes such as English sole (Parophrys vetulus). Her postdoctoral research at the University of Maine at Orono studied the molecular effects and disposition of the contaminant dioxin (TCDD) in soft-shell clam (Mya arenaria) and oncogene alterations in a model fish for fresh-water toxicology, medaka (Oryzias latipes). As a National Research Council associate with the Resource Enhancement and Utilization Technologies Division, she began her current line of research in the microbial pathogenesis of Renibacterium salmoninarum, the Gram-positive bacterium that causes bacterial kidney disease in salmonid fishes.
Current Research
Bacterial kidney disease (BKD) is a chronic and debilitating disease of salmonids, and it is a serious concern in salmon cultivation, particularly ESA captive broodstock rearing efforts. My research uses molecular genetics as a basis for studying this disease, and encompasses 3 projects. First, basic research into the molecular genetics of Renibacterium salmoninarum, the causative agent of BKD, is directed toward identifying and characterizing genes that encode factors important to pathogenesis. My work has resulted in the development of methods for genetic manipulation of R. salmoninarum and the identification of a potential mobile DNA element in the R. salmoninarum genome. A second project studying genetic diversity among R. salmoninarum isolates from the Pacific Northwest is part of a longer term effort to characterize disease transmission between wild and cultured fish populations, using discoveries from basic research efforts. A third project evaluates potential prophylaxes and therapeutics for BKD, such as whole cell vaccines and genetic adjuvants, and is carried out in collaboration with other members of the Fish Health/Microbiology team.
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