Finding a way to interrupt the life cycle of disease carrying ticks


By RUDI HEMPE
CELS News Editor & Reporter

Diseases affecting oysters have an expensive impact on the shellfishing industry and researchers at URI are trying their best to unravel some of the whys and hows of the situation.

One researcher is Dina Proestou, a post-doc who is working with Dr. Marta Gomez-Chiarri, a professor in the Department of Fisheries, Animal & Veterinary Science.

Proestou, who earned her PhD in biology at URI after getting her bachelors at the University of Michigan, said the post-doc opportunity was a good fit because she could use her previously gained skills in tackling the issue of how oysters battle disease.

“We started at ground zero with the process,” she says. “We didn’t know anything about the suite of genes that control the oyster immune system.”

Juvenile oyster disease is relatively new to the Northeast waters, says Gomez-Chiarri. “Dina’s work is molecular, looking at one protein that may be defending oysters from disease.” The protein may have other functions as well, she added, including making the shell and digesting food.

The target for Proestou and Gomez-Chiarri is the local oyster population. Proestou said she is looking at the basic function of the genes that are involved. One avenue is to identify genes in oysters with those that have an immune function in vertebrates.

Proestou’s expertise in genetics made her a perfect fit for this basic research said Gomez-Chiarri.

As for all earmark funding, there is a termination deadline and Proestou's funding will run out in late summer.

An effort is under way to obtain a National Science Foundation grant to continue the work, says Gomez-Chiarri, who notes that while she has graduate students who can work on the project, the progress is not the same.

“When you have a post-doc, you get a different perspective. Dina had training in genetics and evolution. That helps us with more challenging techniques. Post-docs can delve into more risky research. They can lessen the load on faculty by working with graduate students and graduate students get a look at the different levels of research.”

The obvious difference is that post-docs can spend more time on research whereas grad students have to take classes.

Proestou is hoping more funding will come. She would like to stay a couple more years at URI.

“Oysters are getting decimated,” says Proestou. “All these projects are intended to help the oyster industry combat disease—a big issue for the Rhode Island economy.”

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