Nucleic Acid Purification for Monitoring Economically Important Aquatic Species

Aquaculture is a significant contributor to the global food supply. As in other animal husbandry practices, confining large numbers of organisms in contained spaces increases the risk of infection and disease and close monitoring of animal populations is required to identify and control pathogens. Molecular analysis of aquaculture allows rapid approaches for 1) genetic screening for population diversity and authentication and 2) monitoring for microbial infections that may lead to stock decimation or human health risks. Analysis begins with efficient purification of high quality nucleic acids and requires that the isolated nucleic acid performs well in downstream PCR-based assays. We examined 3 key families: bivalve mollusks (mussel), Penaeidae (shrimp), and Salmonidae (trout and salmon). For mussels and Salmonidae, we focused on RNA purification as RNA viruses (e.g. Norovirus and Salmon Anemia Virus, respectively) are significant threats to the commercial value of these stocks. For shrimp, we focused on DNA purification as shrimp speciation and source determination are a critical aspect of food safety labeling. We present data demonstrating automated purification of DNA and RNA using automated nucleic acid technologies suitable for either moderate or high throughput walk-away purification.