SIX - Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon
Wednesday, August 7,2013
Building a biosensor: Irrigon teacher, student team up with EOU
professor on new research aimed at protecting Oregon’s salmon
LA GRANDE, OR—Is
it possible for a biosensor
to impact the health of an
entire species? Research
being done at Eastern
Oregon University indicates
the answer is yes.
A nna C a v in a to ,
professor of chemistry, is
leading the first phase of
a grant-funded study to
identify small strands of
DNA that will help create
such a tool.
Once developed and
deployed, Cavinato said the
biosensor could increase the
odds of early detection and
hasten response to prevent
the spread of a chronic
infection that is adversely
affecting Oregon's salmon
populations: bacterial
kidney disease (BKD).
“ O ur lo c a tio n ,
connection to the Oregon
Department of Fish and
Wildlife and relevance of
the disease are all reasons I
chose to focus my research
on the issue,” Cavinato
explained. “The biosensor
would provide an alternate
method of detecting BKD
that is rapid, portable and
highly useful in the field.”
For example, using
the biosensor to monitor
incom ing and effluent
water in hatcheries could
help assess and manage
infection risk. Testing the
tank or raceway water
could also prove useful for
anticipating epidemics of
BKD, allowing treatment
to be implemented prior to
peak disease manifestation.
“Treating before an
epidemic peaks can reduce
o verall m o rtality and
shorten the duration of the
outbreak,” Cavinato said.
“It can also allow for better
utilization of antibiotic
treatment.”
Tim H o ffn a g le , a
biologist with ODFW’s
Fish Research Office at
EOU, agrees the sensor
would be useful for early
detection of disease and
has potential to benefit the
environment in other ways,
too.
“Earlier treatment may
help reduce the amount
of antibiotics used, which
m eans less w ould be
released into the water,”
he said.
E r y th r o m y c in is
adm inistered to fish in
their food as a preventative
measure. Hoffnagle said
tra c e am ounts o f the
Jessica Nava, left, is spending the last summer before
she graduates from Irrigon High School assisting with
research at Eastern Oregon University. Anna Cavinato,
professor of chemistry, is her mentor. Here, they are using
a spectrofluorometer to measure the emission by fluorescent
labeled DNA. -Contributedphoto
medicine dissolve in water
through uneaten food and
waste matter.
As soon as Cavinato is
ready, she and Hoffnagle
may have the opportunity to
begin testing the biosensor
and another detection
technique. Until then, fish
culturists will continue to
rely on increased mortality
to signal infection and
necropsy to positively
identify the disease.
“ W e’ ve seen big
die-offs at Lookingglass
Hatchery in the p ast,”
Hoffnagle said, “but BKD is
the most common, problem
disease in juvenile salmon
everywhere.”
Molly Blatz, a science
teacher at Irrigon High
School, is teaming up with
Cavinato to conduct the
experimentation necessary
for the concept to leave the
research stage and reach the
development phase, when
Cavinato’s colleagues at
Pacific Northwest National
Labs will guide the actual
production of the biosensor.
A Partners in Science
grant is what brought
Cavinato and Blatz together
on the project. Hie $7,500
aw ard from the M .J.
Murdock Charitable Trust
will fund their research for
the next two summers. It
also provides professional
development for Blatz,
like presenting findings
at regional and national
conferences.
But w hat B latz is
anticipating the most is
the opportunity to share
discoveries with her eager
students back in Irrigon.
“ T his pro g ram is
fabulous for high school
teachers interested in
conducting re sea rc h ,”
she said. "The molecular
biology aspects will prove
very applicable in the
classroom. My students
will love the opportunity
to practice the techniques
we’re using, and they’ll
understand the big picture
of how bacteria can infect
and affect an organism.”
Some of the techniques
Blatz will incorporate into
her lesson plans require
the use o f h ig h -tec h
equipm ent—equipment
she has ready access to at
EOU, but not necessarily
in her classroom.
Partners in Science
offers a solution. In year
two of the grant, Blatz will
be eligible to apply for
a supplemental award of
up to $7,000 to fund the
purchase of new technology
for her school, including
instruments to conduct
gel electrophoresis and
polymerase chain reaction.
T hese p ro c e sse s
amplify small pieces of
DNA, replicate them and
enable Blatz and Cavinato
to visualize and separate
the fragments in an attempt
to identify specific DNA
strand sequences.
These sequences will
be eventually tested for their
ability to bind to a surface
protein used as a biomarker
to identify presence of the
bacterium in water. Strands
that bind strongly to the
biomarker will be linked
to gold nano-particles
and used to fabricate the
sensor. The nano-particles
will react to the bacteria’s
protein and change color
if the results are positive,
providing an immediate
visual interpretation.
Interns often assist
with this type of ongoing
research at EOU, and
Jessica Nava is learning
a lot while filling a vital
role. Nava, who begins
A $7,500 grant from Partners in Science is making it possible
for high school teacher Molly Blati to participate in biosensoi
research at Eastern Oregon University and bring back ness
knowledge to her students in Irrigon. -Contributedphoto
her senior year at Irrigon
High School in the fall, is
participating in an eight-
week program funded by
Project SEED, the Richland
Section of the American
Chemical Society and the
national ACS office.
Knowing Blatz first as
a teacher and now working
alongside her with Cavinato
as their dual mentor is a
fun experience, Nava said.
It was Blatz who also first
encouraged Nava to apply
for the internship.
“I’m interested in all
areas of science,” Nava
said. “I like helping with
gel electrophoresis, mixing
c h e m ic a ls and using
equipment I’ve never seen
before.”
As it turns out, Nava
knows a lot about the
sp ec tro flu o ro m e ter, a
device that measures the
emission by fluorescent
labeled DNA used in the
study.
“Jessica helped build
an improvised version of
the instrument combining a
spectrometer with an LED
and fiber optics,” Cavinato
said. “She’s our resident
expert!”
Nava’s plans after high
school include attending
Oregon State University,
where Blatz completed
both her undergraduate and
master’s degrees.
Thanks to programs
like Project SEED, Nava is
gaining exposure to college
life while being immersed in
a professional environment.
She is staying on campus
in EOU’s residence halls,
has a roommate and makes
weekend trips home to
Morrow County to see her
family.
“I’m definitely learning
a lot I can use later on,”
Nava said, “and it helps me
know what it will be like to
live on my own.”
Also assisting in the la‘ ■
is Logan Loennig, a senior
biochemistry student at
EOU from North Powder.
He has spent previous
years conducting research
with other faculty at the
university.
With his sights set on
medical school and training
as an emergency room
physician, Loennig will
join fellow EOU students
at the American Chemical
Society's national meeting
next year and present his
portion of the biosensor
research to a panel of
scientists and peers.
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