Research Symposium
25th annual Undergraduate Research Symposium, April 1, 2025
Colten Brown Poster Session 1: 9:30 am - 10:30 am/ Poster #73
BIO
I am a first-year student from St. Augustine Florida, in the Clinical Professions major on the Pre-Med track. My research is in food safety and seafood species identification. Seafood mislabeling is something that is near to me, being so close to the Atlantic and St. Johns, I have grown up near the local fishing industries.
Combating Seafood Fraud: Development of two Seafood Assays
Authors: Colten Brown, Nethraja KandulaStudent Major: Clinical Professions
Mentor: Nethraja Kandula
Mentor's Department: Department of Health, Nutrition, and Food Sciences Mentor's College: Anne Spencer Daves College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences Co-Presenters:
Abstract
The aim of this project was to develop an assay for the identification of Royal Red shrimp (Pleoticus Robustus), and Yellowtail Snapper (Ocyurus chrysurus) seafood species. In the United States, the multi-billion-dollar seafood industry mislabels up to forty percent of seafood sold is mislabeled [NOAA]. Not only is this illegal, but it can have health implications, as some species are associated with health risks. This practice also harms local industries as the fraudulent species are often imported.
The current method for identification of a seafood sample is DNA barcoding, which takes 2-3 days, and is very costly, as samples must be shipped offsite and processed with sophisticated equipment and highly trained staff. We therefore decided to develop a rhPCR-lateral flow technique that would show results in a matter of hours with minimal training and equipment.
For the development of the respective assays, DNA was extracted using standard DNA extraction kits. Then, various primers were designed and tested for species specificity. The primer showing the highest specificity was converted to a rh primer, which is activated by the RNase H2 enzyme, and was optimized for PCR reaction conditions. After optimization, the reaction was subject to lateral flow testing to show the presence of the target species.
We expect to standardize an assay that shows species specific identification of the target species within 120 minutes. This now means that there will soon be an on-site, timely and cost-effective method for identification of seafood samples to combat mislabeling and ensure authenticity.
Keywords: Seafood, PCR, Species Identification, DNA