9561368 Weeks-Perkins This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project is designed to determine if a specific Demeter Peptidyl MIM can be used to control Perkinsus marinus in Eastern Oysters, crassostrea virginica. This pathogen is the primary cause of oyster mortalities along the mid-Atlantic coast of the United States. From Massachusetts to Florida the average harvest is about 10% of what it was prior to the 1960's. As a result the Gulf of Mexico has become the main source for oysters in the Eastern United States. However, in those waters there has been an ongoing problem with the bacterium Vibrio fulnificus, which is carried by oysters. Immunocompromised consumers have become ill from eating raw oysters and each year there are some deaths. For this reason many oyster processors in the mid-Atlantic region now refuse to buy from the Gulf and are forced to buy Pacific oysters (C. gigas) from the West Coast for the "raw bar" trade. It has been demonstrated that certain proprietary compounds and technologies are effective in vitro against an array of procaryotic and eucaryotic microbial pathogens at levels which are non-toxic to healthy cells. The Principal Investigator has demonstrated this effectiveness against Perkinsus marinus in vitro without killing C. virginica hemocytes. The objective of Phase I is to establish which Demeter Peptidyl MIMs (Membrane Interactive Molecules) are most effective against Perkinsus marinus in live oysters. In an oyster culture facility specifically set up for this purpose, oysters will be exposed both to the pathogens and three prescreened Peptidyl MlMs at different intervals and doses to find out how effective is the killing of the pathogen, how long the organism remains unaffected by the pathogen when exposed to the Peptidyl MIMs , and how toxic the Peptidyl MIMs are to the oysters. When P. marinus can be controlled, locally grown Eastern oysters may again dominate this multi-million dollar market. A joint venture with other organiz ations will be attempted for commercialization purposes. Income will be in the form of profit sharing. Further, any topical anti-protozoal technologies developed as a result of this project may be spun off for other aquacultural applications internationally.
