R&D operations yield candidates to control burrowing shrimp damaging oyster beds in Washington State
DAVIS, Calif., June 25, 2024 – Invasive Species Corporation (ISC), a Delaware public benefit corporation, announces significant progress in its research aimed at controlling invasive burrowing shrimp in oyster beds, supported by a $388,000 grant from the Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA).
In just five months, ISC achieved a major milestone by demonstrating bioactivity —successfully eliminating surrogate shrimp in laboratory settings. This swift advancement was facilitated by strategically collecting environmental sediment, water samples, and shrimp specimens from locations in and around shrimp burrows in commercial oyster operations in Washington State.
This achievement underscores ISC’s effective, targeted approach to bioprospecting. By focusing on specific habitats where pests are prevalent, utilizing advanced techniques such as next-generation sequencing and by deploying AI/ML tools to find “better” microbes from external sources, ISC can quickly identify and prioritize promising microbes. This meticulous, data-driven process significantly enhances the discovery of potent biocontrol agents.
While these initial findings are promising, further testing is required to validate their effectiveness against the target shrimp species. Non-target testing will also be conducted to ensure the safety and the specificity of these microbes. Comprehensive research and development efforts are underway to refine these discoveries into development of market-ready products that meet rigorous regulatory and environmental standards.
The company thanks the following collaborators:
Shoalwater Bay Indian Tribe; David Beugli, Executive Director, Willapa-Grays Harbor Oyster Growers Association, Northern Oyster Company, Nisbet Oyster Company and Emeritus Professor Dr. Kim Patten, Washington State University and the Washington State Department of Agriculture.
About the Invasive Species Corporation
The Invasive Species Corporation was founded to discover, develop and deploy bio-based solutions to control invasive species. Invasive species have caused more than $1 trillion in damage, with more than $420 billion in damages annually, and are considered the second largest contributor to the earth’s significant decline in biodiversity, right behind land-use alteration. ISC’s goal is to regenerate our planet’s environment through the application of bio-based, sustainable and earth friendly solutions, thereby preserving ecological biodiversity and reducing the impact of climate change. ISC is focused on biologicals to control invasive species in water, forestry and agriculture, including invasive mollusks, fish, toxic algae, forest pests and weeds. ISC is currently selling Zequanox® for invasive zebra and quagga mussel control, while rapidly developing a significantly lower cost, sinking formulation (Gen 2). In addition, ISC is in late-stage development of Piscamycin™, a potent natural product against invasive carp and other fish, exclusively licensed from the US Geological Survey.
Learn more about The Invasive Species Corporation at www.invasivespeciescorporation.com as well as our corporate LinkedIn account.
Invasive Species Corporation Contacts:
Pam Marrone, Executive Chairperson and Co-Founder
Telephone: +1 (530) 902-1014
Email: Pam@invasivespeciescorporation.com
Jim Boyd
President, CEO and Co-Founder
Telephone: +1 (415) 306-2945
Email: Jim@invasivespeciescorporation.com