Michela Massimo
New perspectives in the control of the infection by the protozoan Amyloodinium ocellatum
Supervisor: Marco Galeotti (UniUD)
Amyloodinium ocellatum is an obligate ectoparasite protozoan, which depends on euryhaline fish to survive and complete its life cycle. It is present in different aquatic habitats (sea and brackish water), characterised by mild temperatures. The parasite infects more farmed fish than feral ones, which are naturally resistant to the parasitosis. Because of the economic impact due to its detrimental activity, that, in some cases, can cause the loss of all the reared animals, numerous investigations have been conducted to better define possible strategies to control this pest. Unluckily, at the moment, effective medical treatments are not developed or cannot be used for food consumption fish.
The aim of the study, which is part of a Horizon 2020 project denominated “ParaFishControl”, is to find innovative treatments for avoidance of parasite resistance, toxicity of chemicals and persistence of chemical residues in fish and environment.
In particular, the research will study the effectiveness of some natural compounds (plant-extracts) showing a dual effect as both parasiticides and immunostimulants, for increasing the resistance of fish against Amyloodinium.
In vitro exposures of infectious parasite stages will initially be used to identify agents of particular interest, and then the compounds will be tested in dose-response and time course trials (ELISA, spectrophotometry). Subsequently, small scale in vivo trials will be performed on European sea bass (Dicentarchus labrax) with emphasis on oral delivery shortly before or after exposure of the fish to infectious parasites.
Biography and contacts
Michela Massimo was born in 1988 in Monfalcone (Italy). In 2011 graduated in Animal Production Science (110/110 cum laude) and 2013 graduated in Animal Science Master (110/110 cum laude) at Udine University (Italy). In 2015 she started the doctoral course at the PhD school “Agriculture Science and Biotechnology” at the University of Udine.
[Phone: 0432558591]