Maj. Alison Burke, assistant professor and health professions adviser in the Department of Biology at Virginia Military Institute, was a coauthor of a research article on seafood safety that was recently published in PLOS One, a peer-reviewed scientific journal.
Burke, whose specialty is molecular microbiology, explained that the article highlights information about four newly discovered viruses that could be used to improve seafood safety.
“We used oysters purchased from the grocery store,” he said, “that had been harvested from the Chesapeake Bay in Virginia, to isolate bacteriophages – viruses that destroy host bacteria – against Vibrio parahaemolyticus, a bacterium commonly found in coastal waters that can accumulate in oysters and cause foodborne illness in humans when contaminated shellfish are eaten raw or undercooked. Unlike antibiotics or chemical treatments, bacteriophages are highly specific and naturally occurring, targeting only their bacterial hosts without harming other organisms or the environment.”
This work, which spanned over a period of one year and produced an article co-written by five other biologists, contributes to a growing body of research exploring solutions for food safety and aquaculture. “By improving our understanding of how bacteriophages interact with harmful bacteria in marine environments, the study lays important groundwork for future strategies to reduce bacterial contamination in shellfish without relying on antibiotics,” said Burke.
