麻豆app

In a major breakthrough in shellfish management and disease prevention, researchers at the 麻豆app have discovered a new method to detect a bacterium that has contaminated New England oyster beds and sickened consumers who ate the contaminated shellfish. The new patent-pending detection method 鈥� which is available for immediate use to identify contaminated shellfish 鈥� is a significant advance in efforts to identify shellfish harboring disease-carrying strains of听Vibrio parahaemolyticus.

鈥淪ince 2012, the Northeast has been experiencing an ongoing outbreak caused by a non-native strain of听V. parahaemolyticus听that is endemic to the Pacific Northwest. A significant challenge for managing shellfish harvesting to prevent infections is that we were previously unable to tell the difference between this strain and harmless residents. The new detection platform will provide rapid, and more importantly, specific quantification of the invasive strain, we hope allowing more effective management of harvesting that will protect this important regional industry,鈥� said听, associate professor of molecular, cellular, and biomedical sciences.

The new detection method was developed by Whistler;听, research associate professor of natural resources and the environment; and听Dr. Vaughn Cooper, associate professor of molecular, cellular, and biomedical sciences. It was developed using genome sequencing and analysis. The research is presented in the forthcoming issue of the听Journal of Clinical Microbiology听in the article听

V. parahaemolyticus听is听the most common bacterial infection acquired from seafood in the world. There are an estimated 35,000 cases each year in the United States. In recent years, there has been an increase in the incidence of shellfish contamination, which has caused costly recalls of shellfish and shellfish bed closures in Connecticut and Massachusetts. Some strains of the microbe cause disease and others do not.

Whistler said the new detection method is available for immediate use, and can benefit researchers and managers, food inspectors, wholesalers, and retailers. It could form the basis for a diagnostic test for widespread use in both environmental detection and clinical diagnosis. In addition to enabling the research community, the听听office will be seeking a partner to license the patent-pending innovation for commercial applications.

鈥淣ew ideas that create jobs and healthy communities are among the many advancements that have made the United States the leading economic power in the world. Much of this innovation takes place at top research universities like UNH. This patent and the research that led to it underscores the need for continued federal investments in scientific research that will allow the United States to remain an innovation leader,鈥� said Dr. Jan Nisbet, senior vice provost for research at UNH.

The new detection method identifies the Atlantic ST36 strain of the bacterium. UNH researchers used genotyping and whole genome DNA sequencing at the UNH Hubbard Center for Genome Studies on 94 clinical isolates collected from 2010 to 2013 in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Maine. They determined that it is this particular strain of the bacterium that has been responsible for the bulk of the听Vibrio听outbreaks in the Northeast in recent years. Researchers were able to identify specific genes found only in the invasive strain.

Details on the regional pathogens used to develop the new detection method are presented in the April issue of听Frontiers in Microbiology听in the article听

The research has been funded for multiple years by the听, which receives support from the听. Scientists also received support from听, which is funded by听, the听,听,听, and听).

鈥淭his important breakthrough is an example of the critical need to support a strong research portfolio that spans the range from solving immediate issues to developing fundamental knowledge about the agricultural, food, and environmental systems that are central to the experiment station鈥檚 mission.听At some point, the information we derive from what is commonly termed basic research becomes critical to solving new problems as they arise,鈥� said Dr. Jon Wraith, dean of the UNH College of Life Sciences and Agriculture and director of the NH Agricultural Experiment Station.

The presence of pathogenic听V. parahaemolyticus听is rare in the Northeast as cooler water temperatures protect against bacterial growth. However, with the regions鈥� rise in ocean temperatures and unusually heavy, intermittent rainstorms, conditions have changed over time, generating a host of problems that impact people鈥檚 health and the economy.

In the 1980s, UNH scientists were the first to detect听Vibrio vulnificus听鈥� a potentially more serious species of听Vibrio听鈥� north of Long Island Sound. Since then听Vibrios听have been studied throughout the shellfish and waters of the Great Bay Estuary.

Founded in 1887, the听听at the听is UNH鈥檚 original research center and an elemental component of New Hampshire's land-grant university heritage and mission. We steward federal and state funding, including support from the听, to provide unbiased and objective research concerning diverse aspects of sustainable agriculture and foods, aquaculture, forest management, and related wildlife, natural resources and rural community topics. We maintain the听听and听听agronomy and horticultural farms, the听, the听, and the听. Additional properties also provide forage, forests and woodlands in direct support to research, teaching, and outreach.