Latest news with #MSX
Hamilton Spectator
a day ago
- Science
- Hamilton Spectator
Scientists seek to study eDNA to identify how MSX creeps up on oysters
Scientists are pursuing a new line of research to predict the times and locations of parasitic outbreaks that are wiping out oysters off the Atlantic coast. It's all part of the latest efforts to examine multinucleate sphere unknown, a parasite commonly referred to as MSX. The new research would examine the genetic material, or environmental DNA, left behind by the parasite and any other intermediate hosts. Scientists believe this can help them understand more about how MSX behaves in the water and where it goes. 'It'll give us a whole lot more information about the parasite, what the parasite is doing, how long parasites last,' said Rod Beresford, an associate professor at Cape Breton University's biology department. Beresford is among a group of scientists in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and P.E.I. who have obtained $800,000 from various sources including Genome Atlantic, Genome Canada and provincial governments for two years, starting this summer, to study MSX using eDNA. While their research is likely years away from practical applications, scientists say it could make it easier to protect oysters from deadly outbreaks that have left farmers in the lurch. The single-celled MSX has been wreaking havoc on oysters for about 60 years. It was first found in Delaware Bay, near New Jersey, in 1957 and was detected in Bras d'Or Lake, Nova Scotia, in 2002. It has since been found in Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick and southern British Columbia. The parasite targets cultured and wild oysters, and kills about 95 per cent of affected mollusks within two to three years of infection, and prevents them from reaching their full size. However, it poses no risk to human health or food safety. In most cases, the fishing industry will often observe the parasite after oysters have started dying, Beresford said. But scientists say the new research may identify how to get earlier warnings about potential outbreaks. By learning more about the parasite's eDNA, scientists believe it could solve a mystery about its life cycle, said Ryan Carnegie, a shellfish pathologist at Virginia Institute of Marine Science. 'That's the primary application to addressing this mystery of the life cycle,' he said. Environmental DNA can be detected in an environment sample such as sea water, Carnegie explained. But he said it cannot be detected in individual organisms such as shellfish. The widespread use of eDNA began in the early aughts and an article in the journal, Bioscience in 2021, said this tool is becoming more widespread because it requires tiny amounts of genetic samples, is reliable and non-invasive. Beresford said scientists could use eDNA to identify intermediate hosts of the MSX before it infects oysters. Intermediate hosts could be anything from tiny plankton, snails, worms, fish or other organisms on the sea floor. Although he said it would likely be impossible to remove those intermediate hosts, he explained scientists might be able to collect information about them in order to predict when an outbreak might occur or assess whether any oysters are resistant to the parasite. 'We don't know if it takes a lot of MSX particles for an infection to take place, or if it only takes a little bit,' Beresford said. The research could be particularly welcomed by farmers in an industry that is worth millions of dollars. Overall, Statistics Canada data from 2023 shows the oyster aquaculture industry was valued at $17.8 million in Prince Edward Island, $3.7 million in Nova Scotia, $25.9 million in New Brunswick and $16 million in British Columbia. While the parasite threatens to wipe out some of that value, the new research could be a lifeline for some farmers. Bob MacLeod, president of the P.E.I. Shellfish Association, said he hopes the research is successful. 'If they ever figure out the intermediate host or a way to kind of get around the host … it would be a real plus for us. Because right now, this many years later from when it hit the States, they haven't figured it out.' This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 5, 2025. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
CTV News
a day ago
- Health
- CTV News
Scientists seek to study eDNA to identify how MSX creeps up on oysters
Oysters harvested in Canada are seen at Bryan Szeliga's Fishtown Seafood in Haddonfield, N.J., Thursday, March 6, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP-Matt Rourke Scientists are pursuing a new line of research to predict the times and locations of parasitic outbreaks that are wiping out oysters off the Atlantic coast. It's all part of the latest efforts to examine multinucleate sphere unknown, a parasite commonly referred to as MSX. The new research would examine the genetic material, or environmental DNA, left behind by the parasite and any other intermediate hosts. Scientists believe this can help them understand more about how MSX behaves in the water and where it goes. 'It'll give us a whole lot more information about the parasite, what the parasite is doing, how long parasites last,' said Rod Beresford, an associate professor at Cape Breton University's biology department. Beresford is among a group of scientists in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and P.E.I. who have obtained $800,000 from various sources including Genome Atlantic, Genome Canada and provincial governments for two years, starting this summer, to study MSX using eDNA. While their research is likely years away from practical applications, scientists say it could make it easier to protect oysters from deadly outbreaks that have left farmers in the lurch. The single-celled MSX has been wreaking havoc on oysters for about 60 years. It was first found in Delaware Bay, near New Jersey, in 1957 and was detected in Bras d'Or Lake, Nova Scotia, in 2002. It has since been found in Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick and southern British Columbia. The parasite targets cultured and wild oysters, and kills about 95 per cent of affected mollusks within two to three years of infection, and prevents them from reaching their full size. However, it poses no risk to human health or food safety. In most cases, the fishing industry will often observe the parasite after oysters have started dying, Beresford said. But scientists say the new research may identify how to get earlier warnings about potential outbreaks. By learning more about the parasite's eDNA, scientists believe it could solve a mystery about its life cycle, said Ryan Carnegie, a shellfish pathologist at Virginia Institute of Marine Science. 'That's the primary application to addressing this mystery of the life cycle,' he said. Environmental DNA can be detected in an environment sample such as sea water, Carnegie explained. But he said it cannot be detected in individual organisms such as shellfish. The widespread use of eDNA began in the early aughts and an article in the journal, Bioscience in 2021, said this tool is becoming more widespread because it requires tiny amounts of genetic samples, is reliable and non-invasive. Beresford said scientists could use eDNA to identify intermediate hosts of the MSX before it infects oysters. Intermediate hosts could be anything from tiny plankton, snails, worms, fish or other organisms on the sea floor. Although he said it would likely be impossible to remove those intermediate hosts, he explained scientists might be able to collect information about them in order to predict when an outbreak might occur or assess whether any oysters are resistant to the parasite. 'We don't know if it takes a lot of MSX particles for an infection to take place, or if it only takes a little bit,' Beresford said. The research could be particularly welcomed by farmers in an industry that is worth millions of dollars. Overall, Statistics Canada data from 2023 shows the oyster aquaculture industry was valued at $17.8 million in Prince Edward Island, $3.7 million in Nova Scotia, $25.9 million in New Brunswick and $16 million in British Columbia. While the parasite threatens to wipe out some of that value, the new research could be a lifeline for some farmers. Bob MacLeod, president of the P.E.I. Shellfish Association, said he hopes the research is successful. 'If they ever figure out the intermediate host or a way to kind of get around the host … it would be a real plus for us. Because right now, this many years later from when it hit the States, they haven't figured it out.' This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 5, 2025. The Canadian Press
Winnipeg Free Press
a day ago
- Science
- Winnipeg Free Press
Scientists seek to study eDNA to identify how MSX creeps up on oysters
Scientists are pursuing a new line of research to predict the times and locations of parasitic outbreaks that are wiping out oysters off the Atlantic coast. It's all part of the latest efforts to examine multinucleate sphere unknown, a parasite commonly referred to as MSX. The new research would examine the genetic material, or environmental DNA, left behind by the parasite and any other intermediate hosts. Scientists believe this can help them understand more about how MSX behaves in the water and where it goes. 'It'll give us a whole lot more information about the parasite, what the parasite is doing, how long parasites last,' said Rod Beresford, an associate professor at Cape Breton University's biology department. Beresford is among a group of scientists in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and P.E.I. who have obtained $800,000 from various sources including Genome Atlantic, Genome Canada and provincial governments for two years, starting this summer, to study MSX using eDNA. While their research is likely years away from practical applications, scientists say it could make it easier to protect oysters from deadly outbreaks that have left farmers in the lurch. The single-celled MSX has been wreaking havoc on oysters for about 60 years. It was first found in Delaware Bay, near New Jersey, in 1957 and was detected in Bras d'Or Lake, Nova Scotia, in 2002. It has since been found in Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick and southern British Columbia. The parasite targets cultured and wild oysters, and kills about 95 per cent of affected mollusks within two to three years of infection, and prevents them from reaching their full size. However, it poses no risk to human health or food safety. In most cases, the fishing industry will often observe the parasite after oysters have started dying, Beresford said. But scientists say the new research may identify how to get earlier warnings about potential outbreaks. By learning more about the parasite's eDNA, scientists believe it could solve a mystery about its life cycle, said Ryan Carnegie, a shellfish pathologist at Virginia Institute of Marine Science. 'That's the primary application to addressing this mystery of the life cycle,' he said. Environmental DNA can be detected in an environment sample such as sea water, Carnegie explained. But he said it cannot be detected in individual organisms such as shellfish. The widespread use of eDNA began in the early aughts and an article in the journal, Bioscience in 2021, said this tool is becoming more widespread because it requires tiny amounts of genetic samples, is reliable and non-invasive. Beresford said scientists could use eDNA to identify intermediate hosts of the MSX before it infects oysters. Intermediate hosts could be anything from tiny plankton, snails, worms, fish or other organisms on the sea floor. Although he said it would likely be impossible to remove those intermediate hosts, he explained scientists might be able to collect information about them in order to predict when an outbreak might occur or assess whether any oysters are resistant to the parasite. 'We don't know if it takes a lot of MSX particles for an infection to take place, or if it only takes a little bit,' Beresford said. Wednesdays Columnist Jen Zoratti looks at what's next in arts, life and pop culture. The research could be particularly welcomed by farmers in an industry that is worth millions of dollars. Overall, Statistics Canada data from 2023 shows the oyster aquaculture industry was valued at $17.8 million in Prince Edward Island, $3.7 million in Nova Scotia, $25.9 million in New Brunswick and $16 million in British Columbia. While the parasite threatens to wipe out some of that value, the new research could be a lifeline for some farmers. Bob MacLeod, president of the P.E.I. Shellfish Association, said he hopes the research is successful. 'If they ever figure out the intermediate host or a way to kind of get around the host … it would be a real plus for us. Because right now, this many years later from when it hit the States, they haven't figured it out.' This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 5, 2025.
CTV News
27-05-2025
- Health
- CTV News
‘Minimize the damage': Race to study MSX heats up as deadly disease hits Maritime oysters
Scientists at Research and Productivity Council lab in Fredericton examine an oyster. (CTV News) Researchers in Atlantic Canada are racing to try to solve a pressing problem — how to tackle a parasite that's killing oysters and threatening the region's multimillion-dollar industry. 'What we're trying to do is minimize the damage as much as possible,' said Martin Mallet, an evolutionary biologist and co-owner of Mallet Oysters in Shippagan, N.B., where he manages his family's oyster hatchery. The disease multinucleate sphere unknown, known as MSX, is caused by a parasite that is harmless to people but is deadly to oysters and has already had a devastating impact to oysters in some areas of P.E.I. after first being detected in Bedeque Bay in July 2024. MSX has now been confirmed across P.E.I. and multiple locations in New Brunswick. As uncertainty grips the industry, researchers are trying to tackle the problem from multiple angles. Environment detection MSX was discovered in 1957 in the U.S. but there is a still a lot that remains unknown about the disease and the parasite that causes it, including how it's transmitted. Martin Mallet Martin Mallet, an evolutionary biologist and co-owner of Mallet Oysters in Shippagan, N.B., looks through a microscope. (CTV News) Mallet's team is part of several projects involving governments, industry and academia aiming to solve key questions — can MSX be detected within the environment? What is its genetic sequence? How quickly can researchers create disease-resistant oysters? One project, funded by Genome Atlantic, will try to detect MSX and Dermo — another deadly oyster disease caused by a parasite — in the environment. 'So in some cases we might be able to detect before we see oyster infections. That's a really important piece of information,' said Mallet. While major gaps in knowledge surround MSX, it's suspected to be transmitted through an intermediate host. 'Much like malaria infects humans via mosquitoes, we think that oysters are infected via some unknown critter,' said Mallet. Missing genetic data Multiple teams are trying to solve a key piece of the MSX puzzle — figuring out its genetic sequence. Mallet's team is collaborating with Université Laval on a project to sequence the genome for Haplosporidium Nelsoni, the parasite that causes MSX. The project received more than $110,000 from the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO). Mallet thinks cracking this scientific problem would open up a host of questions, such as where it comes from and how it got here. 'That requires an understanding of the genetic diversity that exists within the parasite population,' he said. 'And with the available small fragments of DNA that we have, we can't do that kind of work.' New Brunswick's Research and Productivity Council (RPC) lab also received more than $250,000 from DFO. Attiq Rehman, Director of Bioscience at the Fredericton RPC lab, is working to map out the DNA of MSX by doing single-cell whole genome sequence analysis. Maritimes oysters Attiq Rehman, Director of Bioscience at Research and Productivity Council lab in Fredericton. (CTV News) 'This will definitely increase our understanding of the infection dynamics,' said Rehman. 'The scientific community would be thrilled to have that information for infection models and for developing resistant seeds as well as understanding the intermediate host which is currently unknown.' Scientists at RPC have been monitoring for MSX through a provincial program in New Brunswick since 2002, when it was first detected in the Bras d'Or Lakes in Nova Scotia. Since the disease was found in P.E.I. last summer, the lab has received thousands of oysters from across Atlantic Canada to shuck and test. Initially, the team relied on a conventional PCR test, which took more time and was more costly. To keep up with demand, they developed a faster and more sensitive process by using a rapid multiplex PCR test that can detect for three diseases — MSX, Dermo and seaside organism — at once. 'We'll get three hits in one test in a lot quicker turnaround time and sensitivity in results,' said Rebecca Liston, Supervisor of Fish Health Diagnostic Services at RPC. To Liston, her team's role is to provide industry support. 'It's a concern for all producers and they work hard to provide these beauty gems from our waters,' she said. 'We're here to help them in their time of crisis.' Aiming for disease resistance Mallet, who's been breeding oysters for about a decade, called a disease-resistant strain the 'holy grail'. 'We're throwing sort of all the tools in the toolbox, at this,' he said. One traditional method involves moving oysters into areas that have been affected by MSX and seeing what oysters get infected what oysters survive, and who their relatives are. Mallet notes his team is looking to augment that process with genomic tools. Disease-resistant breeding has helped the industry adapt in the U.S. east coast. Mallet explained the industry in the U.S. relied on oysters that survived MSX outbreaks to breed but it took a few generations to develop an appreciable level of resistance. Most experts, he said, are comfortable saying it takes two generations to develop 50 per cent resistance. 'That's kind of like our baseline target. And what we're trying to do is improve on that, with genomic tools,' Mallet says, 'We're hopeful some amount of resistance within a year or two, an appreciable amount of resistance within probably four years. And that's being kind of like hopeful but reasonable.'
CTV News
26-05-2025
- Health
- CTV News
‘Minimize the damage': Race to study MSX heats up as deadly disease hits Maritime oysters
Scientists at Research and Productivity Council lab in Fredericton examine an oyster. (CTV News) Researchers in Atlantic Canada are racing to try to solve a pressing problem — how to tackle a parasite that's killing oysters and threatening the region's multimillion-dollar industry. 'What we're trying to do is minimize the damage as much as possible,' said Martin Mallet, an evolutionary biologist and co-owner of Mallet Oysters in Shippagan, N.B., where he manages his family's oyster hatchery. The disease multinucleate sphere unknown, known as MSX, is caused by a parasite that is harmless to people but is deadly to oysters and has already had a devastating impact to oysters in some areas of P.E.I. after first being detected in Bedeque Bay in July 2024. MSX has now been confirmed across P.E.I. and multiple locations in New Brunswick. As uncertainty grips the industry, researchers are trying to tackle the problem from multiple angles. Environment detection MSX was discovered in 1957 in the U.S. but there is a still a lot that remains unknown about the disease and the parasite that causes it, including how it's transmitted. Martin Mallet Martin Mallet, an evolutionary biologist and co-owner of Mallet Oysters in Shippagan, N.B., looks through a microscope. (CTV News) Mallet's team is part of several projects involving governments, industry and academia aiming to solve key questions — can MSX be detected within the environment? What is its genetic sequence? How quickly can researchers create disease-resistant oysters? One project, funded by Genome Atlantic, will try to detect MSX and Dermo — another deadly oyster disease caused by a parasite — in the environment. 'So in some cases we might be able to detect before we see oyster infections. That's a really important piece of information,' said Mallet. While major gaps in knowledge surround MSX, it's suspected to be transmitted through an intermediate host. 'Much like malaria infects humans via mosquitoes, we think that oysters are infected via some unknown critter,' said Mallet. Missing genetic data Multiple teams are trying to solve a key piece of the MSX puzzle — figuring out its genetic sequence. Mallet's team is collaborating with Université Laval on a project to sequence the genome for Haplosporidium Nelsoni, the parasite that causes MSX. The project received more than $110,000 from the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO). Mallet thinks cracking this scientific problem would open up a host of questions, such as where it comes from and how it got here. 'That requires an understanding of the genetic diversity that exists within the parasite population,' he said. 'And with the available small fragments of DNA that we have, we can't do that kind of work.' New Brunswick's Research and Productivity Council (RPC) lab also received more than $250,000 from DFO. Attiq Rehman, Director of Bioscience at the Fredericton RPC lab, is working to map out the DNA of MSX by doing single-cell whole genome sequence analysis. Maritimes oysters Attiq Rehman, Director of Bioscience at Research and Productivity Council lab in Fredericton. (CTV News) 'This will definitely increase our understanding of the infection dynamics,' said Rehman. 'The scientific community would be thrilled to have that information for infection models and for developing resistant seeds as well as understanding the intermediate host which is currently unknown.' Scientists at RPC have been monitoring for MSX through a provincial program in New Brunswick since 2002, when it was first detected in the Bras d'Or Lakes in Nova Scotia. Since the disease was found in P.E.I. last summer, the lab has received thousands of oysters from across Atlantic Canada to shuck and test. Initially, the team relied on a conventional PCR test, which took more time and was more costly. To keep up with demand, they developed a faster and more sensitive process by using a rapid multiplex PCR test that can detect for three diseases — MSX, Dermo and seaside organism — at once. 'We'll get three hits in one test in a lot quicker turnaround time and sensitivity in results,' said Rebecca Liston, Supervisor of Fish Health Diagnostic Services at RPC. To Liston, her team's role is to provide industry support. 'It's a concern for all producers and they work hard to provide these beauty gems from our waters,' she said. 'We're here to help them in their time of crisis.' Aiming for disease resistance Mallet, who's been breeding oysters for about a decade, called a disease-resistant strain the 'holy grail'. 'We're throwing sort of all the tools in the toolbox, at this,' he said. One traditional method involves moving oysters into areas that have been affected by MSX and seeing what oysters get infected what oysters survive, and who their relatives are. Mallet notes his team is looking to augment that process with genomic tools. Disease-resistant breeding has helped the industry adapt in the U.S. east coast. Mallet explained the industry in the U.S. relied on oysters that survived MSX outbreaks to breed but it took a few generations to develop an appreciable level of resistance. Most experts, he said, are comfortable saying it takes two generations to develop 50 per cent resistance. 'That's kind of like our baseline target. And what we're trying to do is improve on that, with genomic tools,' Mallet says, 'We're hopeful some amount of resistance within a year or two, an appreciable amount of resistance within probably four years. And that's being kind of like hopeful but reasonable.'
