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Project T. bryosalmonae
I spent 2 and a half years as an undergrad working with the Fish Pathobiology and Immunology Lab (FPIL) at Michigan State University. There we worked to monitor the prevalence and understand the impact of the myxozoan parasite Tetracapsuloides bryosalmonae in salmonids (Coho salmon, chinook salmon, rainbow trout etc. ) in the Great Lakes region.
In that time, I led an independent project to explore the extent to which invertebrate hosts, such as invasive mussels, could take up the parasite.
Sampling
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Screening
1. DNA Extraction of tissues
2. PCR and qPCR
3. Histology and Immunohistochemistry
Presentations
Svavarsdóttir, F.R. (2016). Proliferative kidney disease (PKD) in Icelandic fresh water. Distribution and prevalence of Tetracapsuloides bryosalmonae and its effect on salmonid populations in Iceland.
Primary Goal: Undersand the life cycle of T.bryosalmonae in the Great Lakes region
Ahmad Ali S, Fusianto CK, Buszkiewicz J, and Gorgoglione B. Can highly invasive mussels act as vectors or bioindicators of the myxozoan parasite T. bryosalmonae in Michigan? Poster presented at: Michigan State University Undergraduate Research and Arts Forum; 2025 April 11th; East Lansing, MI.
Ahmad Ali S, Fusianto CK, Buszkiewicz J, and Gorgoglione B. Can invasive mussels act as carriers, or hosts, of myxozoan parasites in the great lakes region? Poster presented at: MSU One Health Day Conference; 2024 November 12; East Lansing, MI.
Ahmad Ali S, Fusianto CK, Buszkiewicz J, and Gorgoglione B. (2025) First evidence of Invasive Michigan Mussels hosting emerging pathogen Tetracapsuloides bryosalmonae. [Manuscript in writing].
Samples taken: Salmonid tissue (kidney, spleen, gills, etc.), Bryozoans (Fredricella sp. and Cristatella sp.), invasive mussels (Dreissena polymorpha, D. bugensis), and any nematodes found in fish.
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