FEATURE STORY
Professor Kwai-Lin Thong and Eng-Huan Ung collaborated on research on EMS in Malaysia and both gave oral presentations at the symposium.
mercial interest in finding potential feed additives to mitigate EMS in farmed shrimp has resulted in many researchers working with industry partners but having to withhold revealing potentially sensitive research data. Nevertheless, Beng-Chu Kua (Department of Fisheries, Malaysia) in her poster presentation revealed that the extracts of betel leaves when
16 » Aquaculture Magazine
Professor Chu-Fang Lo (left) together with Dr Han-Ching Wang (second left) and students from National Cheng Kung University have embarked on comprehensive research on the identification of the EMS-causing toxins using the latest molecular biology tools.
incorporated into shrimp feeds were able to impart higher shrimp survival compared to the control group when challenged with EMS causing Vp. This was partly attributed to the anti-microbial properties of the betel leaf extract. In his presentation, Dr Chumporn Soowannayan (National Science and Technology Development Agency, Thailand) reminded the del-
egates that in nature, bacteria live in communities as bacterial biofilms. Living in structured biofilm communities enable bacteria to proliferate more rapidly, transfer genetic material, acquire resistant genes and virulence factors, and improve their survival in hostile environments. More than 80% of all microbial infections involve biofilms. Since EMS infection is through the oral route, he hy-