Feasibility of an Innate Immunity-Based Test to Monitor the Health of Channel Catfish

NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY: Disease is the major cause of economic losses in channel catfish aquaculture. Many if not most disease epidemics are precipitated by stress. Having a means to rapidly and accurately detect the level of stress in catfish populations would be a highly valuable tool since it would warn the farmer when management changes need to be implemented before a catastrophic disease loss occurred. Histone-like-protein-1 (HLP-1) is a potent antibiotic immune protein that is naturally produced in the tissues of channel catfish. Thus, it probably plays a critical role in protecting channel catfish against disease. There is evidence that stress causes a dramatic decrease in HLP-1 levels in catfish. Proving the feasibility of the HLP-1 ELISA (Phase I) is intended to result in a low cost, on-site and rapid prototype immunoassay test for detecting and monitoring stress in channel catfish (Phase II). Norcarex plans to commercialize this test through a larger strategic partner or possibly by itself. Such a test could save tens of millions of dollars each year by preventing disease losses. The application of this revolutionary technology is expected to extend to all aquacultured food fish, as well as health monitoring in pet fish, laboratory animals and wild fish populations (ecosystem monitoring).