The ICAR-Central Institute of Brackishwater Aquaculture, Chennai signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with M/s Salem Microbes Private Limited, Salem, Tamil Nadu for producing and marketing of the a “Phage based product” developed by the Aquatic Animal Health and Environment Division (AAHED) of ICAR-CIBA, Chennai.
Dr. S.V. Alavandi, Principal Scientist and Head, AAHED, ICAR-CIBA outlined that the formulation comprised of a broad spectrum lytic bacteriophages from aquaculture systems and also from the coastal ecosystems of the country and had proven its efficacy in the field evaluation trials.
Shri D. Ramesh Kumar, C.E.O., M/s Salem Microbes highlighted that the Phage Therapy was a safe alternative for tackling the Anti-Microbial Resistance (AMR) issue for the sustainable shrimp hatchery operations.
Dr. K.K. Vijayan, Director, ICAR- CIBA, Chennai highlighted on the novelty of the Institute’s Phage Technology which comprises of a “cocktail of phages” that can neutralise a wide range of specific pathogenic bacteria in the hatchery settings, thus, helping the prevention and control of bacterial diseases, replacing the use of antibiotics which pose the concern of residues and antimicrobial resistance.
The Phage product is effective for the bio-control of bacterial diseases in Shrimp Hatchery Settings. The “Bacteriophages” also known as “Phages” in short, are the viruses that infect and kill only specific disease causing bacteria and are an alternative to antibiotics as therapeutic agents in controlling the bacterial infections. The Bacteriophages and their lytic enzymes have been used for therapy of bacterial infections in humans and animals as biocontrol agents for food protection, diagnostics and also as tools in molecular biology. The Bacteriophage Therapy has advantages of being specific to their host bacteria, harmless to other microflora and fauna and do not have residual issues as in the case of antibiotics.
In aquaculture hatcheries, the bacterial diseases like vibriosis are significant and often cause considerable economic loss to the hatchery operators world over. The Institute developed the “Phage Prophylaxis and Therapy” using the Bacteriophages for the biocontrol of bacterial diseases, particularly, the vibriosis in aquaculture settings. Source: ICAR-Central Institute of Brackishwater Aquaculture, Chennai
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