Institute of Fisheries Science, NTU

Research Areas:
Virology, Biologics, Functional Feed Additives

Research Interests:
(1) The interaction between aquatic animal viruses and hosts and the viral pathogenesis.
(2) Molecular mechanisms of aquatic animal immune system against viruses.
(3) Development of viral vaccines.
(4) Development of antiviral functional feed additives.

Our research focus on aquatic animal viruses, including betanodavirus, aquabirnavirus, and iridovirus, which causes mass mortality of aquacultured organisms and leads to severe economic losses in aquaculture industry. We attempt to find the ways to prevent and control the viral diseases by investigating the interaction between viruses and hosts, exploring viral pathogenesis, and developing viral vaccines and antiviral functional feed additives.
Fish possess innate and adaptive immune systems. We investigate the molecular mechanisms of fish innate immune system against viruses and study the molecular regulations of fish adaptive immune system induced by viral infection. Furthermore, these basic researches will be applied to the development of viral vaccines.  
The investigation of functional feed additives not only explores the influence of additives on the growth of fish and shellfish but also focuses on how additives regulate the immunity of fish and shellfish to antagonize specific pathogens, hoping to achieve antibiotic-free aquaculture environment in the future. Therefore, supplementation of herbs in aquafeed to resist viral diseases can be used as a strategy to prevent diseases in aquaculture. We attempt to select herbs as the aquafeed additives through investigating the impact of herbs on the growth, health, and immunity of fish and shellfish and their regulation mechanisms. Furthermore, we will develop and apply these aquafeed additives in aquaculture to protect fish and shellfish from viral diseases.

近年重要著作 (2017- ):

*責任作者

Wu YC*, Tsai CH, Chi SC. (2021) Ammonium produced from Shewanella strain 0409 contributes to antiviral activity against Betanodavirus. Aquaculture. 533, 736131.

Kuo TY, Lin MY, Coffman RL, Campbell JD, Traquina P, Lin YJ, Liu LTC, Cheng J, Wu YC, et al. (2020) Development of CpG-adjuvanted stable prefusion SARS-CoV-2 spike antigen as a subunit vaccine against COVID-19. Sci. Rep. 10, 20085.

Wu YC*, Chu LS, Cheng CH, Chi SC. (2020) The presence of substances of the Shewanella strain 0409, isolated from grouper intestine, gives antiviral activity against Betanodavirus in cell cultures and protection of fish. Aquaculture. 518, 734862.

Chiang YH, Wu YC*, Chi SC*. (2017) Interleukin-1β secreted from betanodavirus-infected microglia caused the death of neurons in giant grouper brains. Dev. Comp. Immunol. 70, 19-26.

Cheng YK, Wu YC*, Chi SC*. (2017) Humoral and cytokine responses in giant groupers after vaccination and challenge with betanodavirus. Dev. Comp. Immunol. 67, 385-394.