Join the NOAA Central Library and the Technology Partnerships Office (TPO) for the NOAA Innovators Series! This series will be facilitated by Derek Parks, Technology Transfer Program Manager.
Speaker: Diane Kapareiko, USDOC/NOAA Fisheries/Milford Laboratory, Biological Laboratory Technician-Microbiology Abstract: In an effort to improve hatchery production of Eastern oyster (Crassostrea virginica) seed for aquaculture and restoration, NOAA’s Milford Laboratory has isolated and evaluated a naturally-occurring beneficial bacterial isolate, probiotic strain OY15 (Vibrio alginolyticus) from the digestive glands of adult Eastern oysters. This probiotic strain has demonstrated significant protective effects against a shellfish larval pathogen B183 (Vibrio corallyliticus) in experimental larval trials and can improve survival by 20-35%. Advancing these efforts to develop natural methods to prevent disease in commercial oyster aquaculture facilities has led NOAA’s Milford Laboratory to partner with public and private companies through Material Transfer Agreements (MTA) and Cooperative Research and Development Agreements (CRADA) to commercialize probiotic bacterial strain OY15 for use as an economic and stable feed supplement to prevent bacteriosis and improve survival of all life-stages of the Eastern oyster.
About the Speaker: In 1980, Diane Kapareiko graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from the University of Bridgeport. After participating in a cooperative internship semester at the NOAA Fisheries Milford Laboratory to complete her degree requirements, Diane was hired as a Biological Laboratory Technician in Microbiology. She has recently completed 35 years in federal service at NOAA’s Milford laboratory. Diane has been the principle investigator for researching and developing probiotics for oysters, beneficial bacterial strains which can prevent bacterial disease and improve hatchery production of Eastern oyster (Crassostrea virginica) seed for aquaculture and restoration. In 2016, Diane Kapareiko, Dorothy Jeffress and Gary Wikfors of the Aquaculture Sustainability Branch at the Milford Laboratory, were awarded the Department of Commerce Group Silver Medal for Scientific and Engineering Achievement for this probiotic research as well as negotiating a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement for commercialization.
