Download An algae oral vaccine for prawns to prevent deadly white spot

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An algae oral vaccine for prawns to prevent
deadly white spot syndrome virus
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Penaeid prawns or penaeid shrimps refer to the species of prawns of the most economic importance, such as the whiteleg shrimp,
Atlantic white shrimp, Indian prawn, and tiger prawn.
Commercial farming of penaeid prawns has increasingly become a significant source of edible prawns, particularly for preventing
wild populations from overfishing. However, in the crowded condition of aquaculture, sea animals are susceptible to various
infections.
In prawns, white spot syndrome virus (WSSV) is a highly lethal and contagious pathogenic virus, and has caused several
The immunization in shrimps and
production of bioactive agents and
vaccines against WSSV have
been protected via the filing of
Malaysia patents.
outbreaks with significant losses in most Asian countries since the disease was first reported in 1992. For instance, it has virtually
led to a collapse of the shrimp farming industry in China in 1993, followed by outbreaks in Japan, Korea, Thailand, India and
Malaysia. Since 1995, the disease has spread to USA, Central and South America, and Philippines. Currently, it is known to be
present in all prawn farming markets except Australia (Wikipedia).
WSSV is highly virulent resulting in a mortality rate of nearly 100% within days in commercial shrimp farms. It causes white spots
of 0.5 to 2.0 mm in diameter on the shell of the carapace, appendages and cuticle of infected shrimps, and is transmitted directly
The
present
innovation
has
developed a new algae oral vaccine
via oral ingestion or from infected mother prawns. Unfortunately, there are currently no available treatments for WSSV besides
disinfectants, which are widely used in prawn farms.
The inventors are seeking for
interested parties to license the
technology, which is commercial
ready.
against white spot syndrome virus,
which can cause a mortality rate of
100% within days in commercial
shrimp farms. The technology is
potentially very easy and cheap to
implement, and offers a significant
commercial value to the aquaculture
industry.
The recombinant DNA technology incorporates several DNA sequences of
WSSV into the algae genome; expression of the viral protein produces
antigens that trigger an immune response in prawns against WSSV.
The new algae oral vaccine against WSSV offers the following benefits:
•
High potential: algae are commonly used as feed in aquaculture
•
Feasible: algae have been proven as biofactory platforms for other
bioactive compounds
•
Cost effective: algae or microalgae can be easily grown in
photobioreactors with high yields
•
Easy to scale up: photobioreactors can be used as large scale
facilities, or the technology can be used as a direct addition to feed
extrusion processes
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The global shrimp farming industry is estimated at over US10 billion, as a result of over 1 million tons of production worldwide
since 2000. Due to the high mortality rate caused by the WSSV infection, WSSV is believed to lead to a significant loss of
US1 billion every year.
In Malaysia, 85% of prawn farms in Sarawak had been closed due to prawn diseases and low profitability. This technology
would be of great interest locally as well as internationally, as it offers a feasible and easy to administer solution to prevent
this deadly disease and dramatically improve the commercial farming of edible prawns.
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