Project Number: 6420-32000-019-06
Project Type: Specific Cooperative Agreement

Start Date: May 20, 2005
End Date: Mar 31, 2010

Objective:
The objectives of this project are to work with the Department of Fisheries and Allied Aquacultures of Auburn University to conduct research to characterize bacterial genomic sequences from fish pathogens for prediction of genes that may encode vaccine candidates. Further, the work includes epidemiological and diagnostic research. The work includes epidemiological research related to major fish health problems of catfish for vaccine development. Further, the work is to identify genes responsible for virulence of the protozoa Ich.

Approach:
Work closely with Department of Fisheries and Allied Aquacultures of Auburn University to conduct the pathogen genomic research, collecting, analyzing and reporting on data. By applying appropriate tools of bacterial protozoan genomic technologies to the sequences of candidate pathogens, it is possible to identify putative virulence factors for diagnostic and vaccine candidates. The major pathogenic bacteria to be sequenced include Edwardsiella ictaluri and Flavobacterium columnare and Ich. The utilization of genomic sequence in combination with the application of bioinformatics through genomics and proteomics can expedite the epidemiological diagnostic and vaccine discovery process by rapidly providing sets of potential candidates for further testing. Epidemiological and pathological research will also be conducted by application of diagnostic tests and field evaluation of fish pathogen problems.