NIFS announced that it provided capacity-building training on molecuar diagnosis of aquatic organism diseases on December 4–5, 2024 to the people from five bodies* conducting diagnostic tests for aquatic organisms.

*The five bodies: Gyeonggi marine fisheries resources research institute; agriculture and livestock division of the Danyang County Office; Fish hospital of college of fisheries science, PNU; Jeollanamdo Institute of Ocean & Fisheries Science (Wando); Gyeongsangnam-do Fisheries Technology and Safety Research Institute  

Molecular methods are the widely used technique for disease diagnosis of not only aquatic organisms but also human and animals, as they are more rapid and effective in making a diagnosis by directly detecting pathogen genes in the infected tissues. 

With the occurrence of new diseases and endemic virus in aquaculture farms increasing under climate change, the demand for training on the technique has been surging. 

In response, last May, NIFS had provided the eight agencies* responsible for diagnostic tests** of local governments and universities with the training on bacterial disease testing method.

*Chungbuk Inland Fisheries Research Institute; Jeollanamdo Institute of Ocean & Fisheries Science (Yeosu, Wando); Gyeongsangnam-do Fisheries Technology and Safety Research Institute; Busan Marine Fisheries Resources Research Institute; National Institute of Fisheries Disease Control and Prevention of Sunmoon University; Gyeongsangbuk-do Pan East Sea Regional Headquarters (Fishing Technology Center); Incheon fisheries resources research institute 

**Agencies responsible for diagnostic tests refer to the research institute at the national and private level (public organizations, local governments, universities, private research institutes), equipped with facility and capacity of conducting disease tests to clarify the cause of aquatic organism infectious diseases 

The training this time was mainly about ▲the latest trend in molecular diagnosis of aquatic organism infectious diseases ▲ practice of clinical tests & the molecular methods ▲ discussion on aquaculture site-oriented diagnostic techniques ▲lecture by external experts, etc. 

In particular, there was a more in-depth learning for testing by using the rapid diagnostic kit developed by NIFS which enables to detect a number of pathogens at the same time with a single test; capable of detecting 4 types of viruses, 4 types of bacteria, and 5 types of parasites.