Spain, fis.com, 01 June 2010
A team of scientists at the University of Granada (UGR) are working on the development of a biosensor that allows for the long-term control of the virulence of some marine bacteria and halophiles responsible for the appearance of pathogenic diseases in farmed fish and molluscs.
The experts are members of the UGR research group of Microbial Exopolisacarides and work under the coordination of microbiologist Emilia Quesada Arroquia and the Inmaculada Llamas Company, professor of said case studies.
The research project is funded by the Council of Economy, Innovation, and Science of Andalusia through a EUR 395,336 grant.
"The biosensor is based on the system denominated quorum sensing, that allows the bacteria to communicate through molecular signals. The particularity of this intercellular bacterial communication system is its production when ‘there is quorum,’ that is, it requires the production of a great number of these molecules for the correct operation of this system,” indicates the UGR press release.
The scientists used the strain Halomonas anticariensis to build the biosensor. One of the main characteristics of the bacterium is that it grows in highly varied saline concentrations, from a low concentration of sodium chloride (table salt) to extreme salinities.
“In particular, we want to verify if the pathogenic mechanisms of the bacteria that affect fish and molluscs in hatcheries are activated by means of this system,” explained Quesada Arroquia when referring to the biosensor.
Once they have demonstrated this, the experts will tackle the development of new antimicrobial compounds that interfere with the quorum sensing of the bacteria, in a bid to battle the infections that hatchery fish and molluscs suffer from.
The aquaculture species become ill due to the inefficiency of some vaccines and restricted antibiotics use. Microbiology researchers of the University of Seville indicated their interest in using this biosensor in tests with halophile strains that produce enzymes of biotechnological interest, lipases and proteases.
Source: fis.com
