Shrimp on a Treadmill: Discovery of Novel Bacteriocins

Presenter: Eli Rabson

Group Members: Mathena Nguyen, Caleb Benjamin Gray

Faculty Sponsor: Margaret Riley

School: UMass Amherst

Research Area: Biology

Session: Poster Session 5, 3:15 PM - 4:00 PM, 163, C26

ABSTRACT

Shrimp is the most commonly consumed seafood item in the United States, with the global market projected to grow 6.72% annually over the next five years. To feed this demand, the United States has turned to shrimp monocultures, which are highly susceptible to diseases that are resistant to traditional antibiotics. In light of this problem, we aimed to discover a new disease prevention method for shrimp monocultures by isolating bacteriocins. Bacteriocins are antimicrobial peptides produced by bacteria as a competitive mechanism to inhibit the growth of closely related bacterial strains. We attempted to isolate bacteriocins from sixty-one strains of Vibrio, including species V. parahaemolyticus, V. cholerae, V. alginolyticus, V. vulnificus, V. splendidus, V. crassostreae, and V. tasmaniensis. To do so, each Vibrio strain was first cultured with mitomycin-c to induce the production of bacteriocins and then spotted on a naive bacterial lawn such that the sensitivity and inhibitory profiles of each strain was screened. The plates were incubated for twenty-four hours, and we visually identified any zones of inhibition caused by bacteriocins. Ultimately, we identified five candidate strains based on their ability to inhibit the growth of a wide spectrum of Vibrio. The weakest candidate bacteriocin inhibited 16.4% of tested strains, while the most effective candidate bacteriocin inhibited 42.6% percent of tested strains. Next steps include validating the candidates by producing lysates and quantifying the minimum inhibitory concentration of each bacteriocin. If successful, these candidate strains show promise for use as a narrow spectrum antibiotic in monoculture shrimp farms, helping to prevent disease and the creation of antibiotic resistant bacteria.

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