SYSRV: SYSTEMS BIOLOGY REVERSE VACCINOLOGY, AN INTEGRATED VACCINE PREDICTION TOOL FOR LARGE OMICS DATA

Bacterial disease is a major threat to U.S. catfish farming, affecting fish health, farm profitability, and the stability of an important domestic food supply. A USDA report cited in this project notes a nearly 50% decline in domestic catfish production (2005-2013), with disease identified as a major contributing factor. Farmers often have limited tools including reducing feed (which slows growth and reduces production) or relying on antibiotic-medicated feeds, which can contribute to antibiotic resistance and the spread of multi-drug resistant elements. Despite substantial research effort, there are no commercially available vaccines for key bacterial pathogens affecting catfish, including Aeromonas hydrophila, Flavobacterium covae, and Edwardsiella piscicida. This gap matters beyond the farm: healthier fish means more reliable food production, stronger rural economies connected to aquaculture, and reduced public concern around antibiotic use.This project will create a practical, user-friendly web-based vaccine discovery tool that helps researchers identify the most promising vaccine targets from large amounts of pathogen genetic information by combining proprietary and public sequence data and producing ranked candidate lists for testing. Importantly, the project will not stop at computer predictions: the team will produce and test candidates in repeated validation cycles (about 10 candidates per cycle across six cycles) and use the results to improve future selections. The successful completion of the project will speed up the path to effective vaccines, reduce losses from disease, lower reliance on antibiotics, and strengthen the resilience and sustainability of U.S. catfish aquaculture.