Antennal Gland Inoculation for Crustacean Pathogen Transmission
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current aquaculture practices for penaeid shrimp lack effective control measures against infectious diseases like white spot syndrome and Vibrio infections, primarily due to limited understanding of pathogen entry mechanisms into crustaceans.
Innovation Solution
Inoculating pathogens directly into the external pore of the antennal gland of crustaceans, which is found to be a more efficient route for infection compared to oral consumption or immersion, using a process involving collection, urine removal, and inoculation with infectious agents like White Spot Syndrome Virus (WSSV) and Vibrio campbellii.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If pathogens are administered via oral consumption of infected tissues, then infection can be transmitted between crustaceans, but multiple feedings are required and the efficiency is low
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses the antennal gland as an intermediary portal of entry to bypass the need for multiple oral feedings. By directly introducing the pathogen through the nephropore into the antennal gland, the infection process is streamlined into a single efficient administration event, eliminating the time loss associated with repeated feedings while ensuring reliable infection transmission.
2Reliability
If infected tissues are administered orally, then virus transmission can occur, but the impenetrable cuticula protects tissues from the outside world making entry difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The antennal gland serves as a specialized intermediary structure that provides a direct pathway into the crustacean's internal environment, bypassing the protective cuticula entirely. The nephropore of the antennal gland offers direct access to the hemolymph, allowing pathogens to enter without encountering the physical barrier of the cuticula, thus ensuring reliable virus transmission.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of attempting to penetrate the protective cuticula from the outside (oral route), the invention inverts the approach by finding a natural opening (nephropore) that leads directly into the internal system. This inversion of the entry strategy avoids the harmful protective factor of the cuticula while achieving the desired virus transmission.
3Adaptability or versatility
If immersion in infected water is used, then contact transmission is possible, but it is unlikely to be a major transmission route in nature
Solution Approach 1:
The antennal gland provides a specialized intermediary portal that is far more effective than general immersion in infected water. This specific anatomical structure offers a direct, high-efficiency route for pathogen entry, making it a superior transmission method that better reflects natural infection dynamics while maintaining adaptability for experimental purposes.
4Productivity
If the antennal gland is used as a portal of entry, then pathogen infection efficiency is dramatically increased, but this route was previously unknown and poorly described
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary action by identifying and characterizing the antennal gland as a portal of entry before utilizing it for widespread infection studies. By first describing this previously unknown route and demonstrating its effectiveness, the invention establishes a foundation for future research and applications, converting the loss of information into valuable new knowledge about crustacean-pathogen interactions.
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to the field of aquaculture of commercially important crustaceans such as penaeid shrimp. The present invention discloses a process to effectively infect crustaceans via inoculating pathogens directly into the external pore of the antennal gland of said crustaceans. This new portal of entry for pathogens can be used to investigate and/or prevent infection of crustaceans with pathogens such as white spot syndrome virus.