The aquaculture project aims to make oysters safer to eat by developing a rapid diagnostic test for harmful bacteria known as Vibrio parahaemolyticus and by using probiotics isolated at OSU to reduce levels of the bacteria in oysters without altering their texture and consistency. V. parahaemolyticus is a human pathogen reported by the CDC to cause 45,000 illnesses each year in the United States (https://www.cdc.gov/vibrio/faq.html). mAbDx and OSU will partner to develop an easy to use dipstick test to quickly screen adult oysters for the bacteria. The new test will use antibodies specific for V. parahaemolyticus to detect the bacteria in a dipstick format similar to commonly used at-home pregnancy test kits, meaning that no special training or equipment will be needed to perform the test. Oregon Sea Grant will administer the two-year project, which is funded at $150,000.

For more details, see: http://seagrant.oregonstate.edu/feature/osu-gets-2-noaa-aquaculture-grants-help-oyster-industry-and-marine-fish-hatcheries