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Virginia Sea Grant funded research

Modification of Aquaculture Vaccines for Oral Administration

Stephen A. Smith, Steven D. Holladay, Michael W. Nolan (Virginia Tech)

The objectives of the research are to (1) effectively compound two DNA vaccines into an orally administrated formulation using four different compounding methods, (2) evaluate gastrointestinal tract absorption of the compounded vaccines, and (3) compare the immune response and protection elicited by the vaccines. Two different fish DNA vaccines (a commercially-available IHNV vaccine and an experimental Ag85A anti-Mycobacterium marinum vaccine) will be compounded by four different complexing techniques for oral administration. Each vaccine will be evaluated in four different species of marine fish (Atlantic salmon, striped bass, summer flounder and cobia) by in situ hybridization (FISH), an indirect ELISA, lymphocyte proliferation, macrophage activity, and pathogen challenge. Data collected will be used to evaluate and describe the immune response elicited and the amount of protection conferred by each of the complexed vaccines.