News Release

NEW MOLECULAR BIOLOGY LAB AT GULF FISHERIES CENTRE

Moncton, N.B. -- Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) has a new addition to its aquatic animal health research facility: a new molecular biology lab. Located in the Gulf Fisheries Centre in Moncton, this newly opened laboratory will allow for the analysis of hundreds of wild fish and shellfish samples locally. Using the latest techniques and equipment in molecular biology, researchers will test for the presence of diseases of concern in fish and shellfish, such as infectious salmon anaemia (ISA).

"Before, we were not able to perform some diagnostic tests in Moncton because we didn't have the proper expertise or adequate facilities," says Gilles Olivier, the head of the Aquaculture Section for the Gulf Region. "This new laboratory will allow us to become a leader in diagnostic testing in the Maritimes."

Under the Fish Health Protection Regulations (FHPR), DFO is responsible for monitoring the health of fish in Canada. The tests currently available to identify and detect disease agents, however, are becoming more sophisticated. The advantage of newer methods (which use advanced bio-molecular techniques) is that they are more sensitive and more specific than traditional tests used in the past.

When laboratories diagnose human and animal disease agents, they use standard methods. Scientists at DFO are working with other agencies to establish similar guidelines for the testing of diseases in fish and shellfish. This new laboratory will assist DFO scientists, in collaboration with the Atlantic Veterinary College, the Research and Productivity Council, and others, to standardize protocols so that consistent results are achieved in laboratories throughout the Maritimes.

Every year, the laboratory in Moncton tests approximately 18,000 samples to monitor the health of fish and shellfish. These tests look for viruses, parasites and bacteria that affect the health of the fish, not human health. This new laboratory will allow DFO to use state of the art techniques, thus augmenting its capacity to detect infectious disease agents.

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Internet: : http://www.glf.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/comm-comm/nr-cp/index-e.html