Possible Solution to Zebra Mussels!?!?

[Bobb-o]

Saw this on a buddie's facebook and had to share it, sounds like it may be a ways out yet, but it looks really promising:

LAKE TAHOE — The recent discovery of a bacteria that can kill zebra and quagga mussels has raised hopes for private and public organizations fighting to control the environmentally hazardous species.

New York State Museum researchers Daniel Molloy and Denise Mayer discovered a bacteria strain — Pseudomonas fluorescens — that can kill zebra and quagga mussels without killing other native species in the ecosystem.

“The eureka moment did not come, interestingly enough, when we discovered the bacteria could kill zebra and quagga mussels, but came when we discovered the lack of sensitivity among non-target species,” Mayer said in a phone interview.

Scientists have found plenty of agents capable of killing the mussels, but in most instances they've also killed everything else in an ecosystem, Mayer said.

P. fluorescens infiltrates and destroys the mussels' digestive system. Mayer and Molloy exposed fish, native mussels, waterfowl and other species to the bacteria and found they were unaffected.

“Our tests show the bacteria kills 100 percent of the target specimens when exposed,” Mayer said.

Dead cells of the strain are equally as lethal as live cells, proving the mussels died from a natural toxin found in the strain's cells — not from a bacterial infection, Mayer and Molloy also discovered.

“This is very significant because it means future commercial formulations will contain dead cells, further reducing environmental concerns,” Mayer said.

Commercial formulations

Marrone Bio Innovations, based in Davis, Calif., is in the process of getting federal approval of first commercial formula using the bacteria discovered by Mayer and Molloy.

Zequanox — the name of the product that combines P. fluorescens with other naturally occurring ingredients such as sugar — could be approved in the first quarter of 2011, with sales commencing later in the year, said CEO and founder of the company Pam Marrone.

“We've been working on Zequanox for the past five years,” Marrone said. “We've had to find a way to grow it large-scale, commercial size, so customers could use it.”

Marrone tested the formula with Power Generation, a Canadian power supply company, and the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. The tests determined Zequanox can kill mussel populations attached to pipes and other industrial material.

Marrone has begun testing if the product could be used in open-water scenarios. In a quarry infested with zebra mussels, Zequanox showed “some effect,” Marrone said.

Marrone would also need to identify an application device that could deliver Zequanox to infestation sites in open water.

“There is some precedence for that type of device, as people have used similar devices to treat water for algae or bacteria,” she said.

A different company would most likely be tasked with formulating such, Marrone said.

Local implications

Quagga and zebra mussels have not entered Lake Tahoe. In the past three years the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency implemented a lake-wide boat inspection program in an effort to prevent aquatic invasive species from entering into the waters of Lake Tahoe.

The recent discovery of P. fluorescens is “encouraging,” said Ted Thayer, manager of the agency's Aquatic Invasive Species Program.

“It's exciting to have the tools available should the lake have an introduction (of non-native mussels),” he said.

However, Thayer pointed out the inspection program is designed to prevent a variety of species from entering the lake, including noxious weeds and other invertebrates.

Furthermore, Zequanox has yet to be successfully applied to open-water situations, Thayer said.

“It would be great if they can perfect it to the point where it could be used in a place like Lake Tahoe, but right now, there is no change to our inspection program,” he said.

[kilkercal615]

sweet

[Jim Almquist]

We can only hope that it works as stated but it sure sounds good or at least a start.

[TooTallTom]

“The eureka moment did not come, interestingly enough, when we discovered the bacteria could kill zebra and quagga mussels, but came when we discovered the lack of sensitivity among non-target species,” Mayer said in a phone interview.

I wonder what the "non-target" species were? It would be interesting to see a list, and whether they tested on much wildlife that is native Minnesota's waters.

[goblueM]

non target probably being a host of benthic organisms, such as native freshwater mussels, crustaceans, and assorted bugs

[TooTallTom]

Right, but bacteria potentially impact everything so I just wonder what their list of non-target species was. I'm going to try to find the study and see if they've got them listed. I'll let you know what I find out.

[OnAFly]

Then we release zooplankton to eat the bacteria, grass carp to eat the zooplankton, bull sharks to eat the grass carp...

I'm a little hesitant to start releasing more non-native species. The problem with unforeseen consequences is that they are...unforeseen and in some cases irreversible.

[goblueM]

but then its fine, the bull sharks will just die out in the winter

/simpsons did it

[Nick Kuhn]

This is a reading comprehension fail. It's a chemical in the bacteria that kills the fish, not the bacteria itself. Either you could extract just the chemical, or manufacture the chemical itself. Then only the chemical needs to be applied to the lake, not the bacteria itself...

[TooTallTom]

Hi Nick,

I would not call it a reading-comprehension fail, so much as not-making-hypotheticals ftw.

Commercial formulations

Marrone Bio Innovations, based in Davis, Calif., is in the process of getting federal approval of first commercial formula using the bacteria discovered by Mayer and Molloy.

Zequanox — the name of the product that combines P. fluorescens with other naturally occurring ingredients such as sugar — could be approved in the first quarter of 2011, with sales commencing later in the year, said CEO and founder of the company Pam Marrone.

“We've been working on Zequanox for the past five years,” Marrone said. “We've had to find a way to grow it large-scale, commercial size, so customers could use it.”

You are right, they have identified that it is a chemical present in the bacteria which is fatal to the zebra mussels, and delivering just that chemical to just the zebra mussels might be a better solution. However, they don't talk at all about using only the chemical in any application. They do talk about combining the bacteria with other things in the proposed formula, though, so I think it's fair to say that the bacteria will be introduced as part of the treatement.

[BoxMN]

FWIW, mosquito control already uses a similar method, a naturally occurring soil bacteria (Bti, can't recall spelling, but Bacillus thuringagensis or something like that) that was originally found in Arizona desert areas. When the skeeters eat the bacteria (people think it is "sprayed" but it is not, it is applied on ground corncob type material to wetlands after a rainfall) and the bacteria then eats the stomach linings of the skeeter larvae, killing them quite quick. So different than the above, but similar in that it is a specific agent to the target, though the cool thing about this new find is it seems to be even more specific - i.e. Bti gets all skeeters, which is good though for its intended use.

[TooTallTom]

I received an email from Dr. Molloy, he said that they are publishing on the non-target species in the fall, and that he'll email me when they do. I'll try to remember to post back to this thread when I hear from him.

Tom.

[JohnMickish]

The interesting part is that dead bacteria had the same effect as live bacteria. IF this is a possible solution I think everyone is comfortable releasing dead bacteria than another live forign body.

[TooTallTom]

That's a good point. I remember reading the words the first time around, but I had a reading-comprehension fail. Just didn't absorb/ digest that crucial detail.

[bobbymalone]

not sure how dumping 55 gal drums of this bacteria in Lake Minnetonka will play out, but I will note that P. fluorescens is a naturally occurring and can be easily isolated from soil and water from all over the globe. They also form symbiotic relationships with plants. Bring me some dirt from your backyard and I can probably pull out P. fluorescens within a week. It's not quite like fighting an invasive with another invasive.

Just thinking here, but it's possible that whole cell bacteria, live or dead, is required because the mussels are filter feeders and ingesting a whole bacterium might be akin to taking a pill filled up with toxins rather than the diluted concentrations you might find by spiking the water with purified toxin. Also, it's easy to grow bacteria in a big vat, much more expensive to purify a product that might not even be identified yet.

[TooTallTom]

Interesting post, bobbymalone, thanks for the information. Do you work in some kind of lab setting, or just have a really fun basement?

[bobbymalone]

Interesting post, bobbymalone, thanks for the information. Do you work in some kind of lab setting, or just have a really fun basement?

...both? i'm a microbiologist.

[BobT]

I sure hope the powers that be exercise due diligence to make certain that introducing a bacterium won't become another problem later. That's how many of the problems we have today got their start in the first place.

[Sonicrunch]

I, for one, welcome our new zebra mussel overlords.

[tacklejunkie]

[quote=bobbymalone...both? i'm a microbiologist.

[tacklejunkie]

I, for one, welcome our new zebra mussel overlords.

WHile reading this thread, the thought came to my mind, "can you eat them?"

[Bobb-o]

hey bobbymalone, my g/f is a microbiologist too and she was saying that this bacteria is already grown in quantities large enough to use, wonder what the delay is?

Also I have been reading some new published info that is saying that many panfish species, especially pumpkinseed sunfish are eating the baby zeebs.

[JohnMickish]

Large enough quantities for what? The great lakes? One thing to remember with Zebras is we will pretty much have to get every body of water in the USA and Canada that has them or they will just come back. We couldn't keep them out of our inland lakes the first time, what makes a guy think we could do it a second time?

[bobbymalone]

hey bobbymalone, my g/f is a microbiologist too and she was saying that this bacteria is already grown in quantities large enough to use, wonder what the delay is?

Yeah, I don't know why it would be grown in large quantities but I don't doubt it.

I am sure a lot of the delay is getting the approval to release it and from the article it sounded like they are having some application problems in open water.

[bobbymalone]

Really...didn't know that.

What do you do for a living exactly if you don't mind my asking?

Well, right now I am a postdoctoral fellow. It's kind of a similar thing as the residency thing that MD's do after they graduate. Supposedly honing one's craft through additional years of long work with little financial award. Not sure what I'll do after this, I am funded for 2 more years on my current project.

I'd love to tell you specifically what my research work is about, but I care not to hear the criticism from the peanut gallery regarding the use of taxpayer dollars. I will say I work on a experimental therapy for a bacterial infection.