Our Impact

Innovative solutions for combating bacterial diseases sustainably.

Aquaculture Health

We will need to feed 9 billion people by 2050 which means food production will need to increase by at least 50% by 2050, and aquaculture will be a huge source for that protein. Over 90% of global blue (aquaculture) food production faces substantial risks from environmental change. ~166 million micronutrient deficiencies could be averted by 2030 if the global production of blue food increases by 8%. We are developing antivirulence therapies for aquatic ecosystems, specifically shrimp aquaculture. Our therapeutics are easily added to consumer preferred products and will offer a more effective alternative to the use of antibiotics, decrease disease, and increase production yield in order to help fortify food chain stability in the coming years. See how we are driving meaningful change .

Human Health

Targeting bacterial infections with cutting-edge treatments in order to more effectively prevent and treat infections. Vibriosis is a "flesh-eating" disease that occurs when people contact ocean water with open wounds or when they eat contaminated raw seafood. Wound infection fatality rates are 25% and most patients require amputation to stop the "flesh-eating" disease. If not treated within 72 hours, death is 100%. While there is an estimated 80,000 cases, 52,000 of those are food-born, per year, these rates are nearly doubled over the last 10 years. Natural disasters, specifically hurricanes, provide increased opportunity for humans to come into contact with these bacteria. See how we are driving meaningful change.

Sustainability Focus

Global antibiotic consumption will increase by 52.3% by 2030 and 90% of all aquatic bacteria are already resistant to at least 1 antibiotic, while 20% have resistance to multiple antibiotics (2021). We are promoting environmentally friendly biotechnological advancements that will decrease the need for antibiotic use. Our mechanism of action for our therapeutics will limit the emergence of new treatment-resistant strains of pathogenic Vibrio bacteria. We also use protocols and practices in lab that are sustainability oriented and focused on reducing waste.

Research Initiatives

Relying on more than 15 years of collaborative research and innovative development to understand the mechanisms of how these bacteria cause disease and how to effectively translate that research into real applications. We do this through structure-activity relationship (SAR) drug development that originally was used to teach students about translational science.

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