Advancing portable detection capabilities of harmful algal bloom species in California waters
California routinely experiences annual toxic harmful algal blooms (HABs) that impact marine wildlife, threaten human health, and affect the economy through losses and closures within commercial and recreational fisheries. However, genetic detection of microorganisms in the field has long been hampered by issues like cumbersome and expensive platforms and time lags for sample transport. University of Southern California (USC) Sea Grant has funded a study to investigate a new portable detection technology (Freedom4) that would provide near real-time results to aid natural resource managers in identifying threats, mitigating risk, and monitoring the progression of HAB events. Specifically, this project will transition traditional, lab-based, quantitative genetic assays onto a portable detection platform to enable onsite detection of eleven HAB species that threaten California coastal ecosystems.
Key Results:
- Assay refinement is ongoing for dozens of diatom species, Alexandrium species, Cochlodinium species, Dinophysis species, Akashiwo species, and Pseudo-nitzschia species
Project Impacts & Application:
- Presented at Moss Landing Marine Labs; University of Technology, Sydney; California Molecular Methods Working Group; The Pacific Plankton Program at Cabrillo College
- Collaborating with a Cabrillo college student to create an educational video on this research
- PI Bowers was invited to be part of an international committee as a HAB species expert and demonstrated the handheld qPCR machine for the first time; now part of a subgroup working towards qPCR practice standards for the international HAB community
Principal Investigators:
- Holly Bowers, Ph.D., San Jose State University
- Jason Smith, Ph.D., San Jose State University
Funding:
California Ocean Protection Council, 2018-2021
Additional Info and Publications:
- https://mlml.sjsu.edu/ebl/holly-a-bowers/
- https://mlml.sjsu.edu/ebl/
- Nishimura, Tomohiro; Murray, J. Sam; Boundy, Michael J.; Balci, Muharrem; Bowers, Holly A.; Smith, Kirsty F.; Harwood, D. Tim; Rhodes, Lesley L. Update of the planktonic diatom genus pseudo-nitzschia in aotearoa new zealand coastal waters: Genetic diversity and toxin production. Toxins. 2021;13(9):637-. doi:10.3390/toxins13090637
Access our Publications Database to view publications from this project or other related topics
