Graduate Research School Available Projects Role of toxin genes in juvenile pearl oyster mortality syndrome
Role of toxin genes in juvenile pearl oyster mortality syndrome
- Future Students
- JCU Global Experience
- International Students
- Open Day
- How to apply
- Pathways to university
- Virtual Open Day
- Living on Campus
- Courses
- Publications
- Scholarships
- Parents and Partners
- JCU Heroes Programs
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander in Marine Science
- Elite Athletes
- Defence
- Current Students
- New students
- JCU Orientation
- LearnJCU
- Placements
- CEE
- Unicare Centre and Unicampus Kids
- Graduation
- Off-Campus Students
- JCU Job Ready
- Safety and Wellbeing
- JCU Prizes
- Professional Experience Placement
- Employability Edge
- Art of Academic Writing
- Art of Academic Editing
- Careers and Employability
- Student Equity and Wellbeing
- Career Ready Plan
- Careers at JCU
- Partners and Community
- JCU-CSIRO Partnership
- Alumni
- About JCU
- Reputation and Experience
- Chancellery
- Governance
- Celebrating 50 Years
- Academy
- Indigenous Engagement
- Education Division
- Graduate Research School
- Research and Teaching
- Research Division
- Research and Innovation Services
- CASE
- College of Business, Law and Governance
- College of Healthcare Sciences
- College of Medicine and Dentistry
- College of Science and Engineering
- CPHMVS
- Anthropological Laboratory for Tropical Audiovisual Research (ALTAR)
- Anton Breinl Research Centre
- Agriculture Technology and Adoption Centre (AgTAC)
- Advanced Analytical Centre
- AMHHEC
- Aquaculture Solutions
- AusAsian Mental Health Research Group
- ARCSTA
- Area 61
- Lions Marine Research Trust
- Australian Tropical Herbarium
- Australian Quantum & Classical Transport Physics Group
- Boating and Diving
- Clinical Psychedelic Research Lab
- Centre for Tropical Biosecurity
- Centre for Tropical Bioinformatics and Molecular Biology
- CITBA
- CMT
- Centre for Disaster Solutions
- CSTFA
- Cyclone Testing Station
- The Centre for Disaster Studies
- Daintree Rainforest Observatory
- Fletcherview
- JCU Eduquarium
- JCU Turtle Health Research
- Language and Culture Research Centre
- MARF
- Orpheus
- TESS
- JCU Ideas Lab
- TARL
- eResearch
- Indigenous Education and Research Centre
- Estate
- Work Health and Safety
- Staff
- Discover Nature at JCU
- Cyber Security Hub
- Association of Australian University Secretaries
- Services and Resources Division
- Environmental Research Complex [ERC]
- Foundation for Australian Literary Studies
- Gender Equity Action and Research
- Give to JCU
- Indigenous Legal Needs Project
- Inherent Requirements
- IsoTropics Geochemistry Lab
- IT Services
- JCU Webinars
- JCU Events
- JCU Motorsports
- JCU Sport
- Library
- Mabo Decision: 30 years on
- Marine Geophysics Laboratory
- Office of the Vice Chancellor and President
- Outstanding Alumni
- Pharmacy Full Scope
- Planning for your future
- Policy
- PAHL
- Queensland Research Centre for Peripheral Vascular Disease
- Rapid Assessment Unit
- RDIM
- Researcher Development Portal
- Roderick Centre for Australian Literature and Creative Writing
- Contextual Science for Tropical Coastal Ecosystems
- State of the Tropics
- Strategic Procurement
- Student profiles
- SWIRLnet
- TREAD
- TropEco for Staff and Students
- TQ Maths Hub
- TUDLab
- VAVS Home
- WHOCC for Vector-borne & NTDs
- Media
- Copyright and Terms of Use
- Australian Institute of Tropical Health & Medicine
- Pay review
Title of Project
Role of toxin genes in juvenile pearl oyster mortality syndrome
Advisor/s
Professor Dean Jerry
College or Research Centre
College of Science & Engineering
Summary of Project
A decade ago pearl farming was one of the major employers and contributors to the social-economic fabric of northern Australia, contributing $189.7 million farm-gate to the national economy and generating another $200 million in tourism related activities. However, in recent years Australian pearl production has been severely impacted by episodic and large-scale mortality events by an as yet unidentified causative factor. This causative factor impacts within the first few months of grow-out when juvenile oysters are stocked into the ocean and often result in upwards of 90% mortality. These mortality events, termed juvenile pearl oyster mortality syndrome (or JPOMS), have resulted in massive write-downs in production and economic value of the industry and led to uncertainty within the future of the industry. The cause of JPOMS is unknown, but when an outbreak is first detected it generally sweeps rapidly through farm nursery areas suggesting a pathogenic agent is responsible for the syndrome. The causative agent has yet to be identified despite intensive investigation, but one possibility is that JPOMS is related to an organism that is always present but becomes pathogenic through the expression of toxin genes carried in bacterial plasmids under certain environmental conditions. In fact, plasmid transmitted toxin genes (Pir A &B) have been shown to be the causative agent for the recent pandemic of early mortality syndrome (or AHPND) in farmed shrimp and are associated with Vibrio spp. The occurrence of possible toxin genes, however, has not been extensively examined in pearl oysters subject to JOMS. This project, which will be a collaboration between Prof Dean Jerry from JCU https://research.jcu.edu.au/portfolio/dean.jerry/, Cygnet Bay Pearls, and Clipper Pearls, will use next generation sequencing, bioinformatic analyses, and histological approaches to look for the occurrence of likely toxin genes and their association with onset of JOMS in Australian pearl oysters. Enquiries to: dean.jerry@jcu.edu.au
Key Words
aquaculture; genetic tools; pearl oyster mortality syndrome; JPOMS; genes
Would suit an applicant who
Available to both domestic and international applicants wishing to undertake a PhD or Masters by research degree. Applicants will need to apply for a JCU competitive Research Scholarship and should be familiar with the Higher Degree by Research Requirements.
Updated: 11 Apr 2020