Dr. Mary Nia Santos, Scientist I at the DA-National Fisheries Research and Development Institute (NFRDI), served as one of the invited speakers at the “5th Conference of the International Society of Fish and Shellfish Immunology (ISFSI)” held on November 4-8, 2025 in Tainan, Taiwan.

She presented the progress of project on the “Development of a marine probiotic bacterium producing nanobody and/or dsRNA against white syndrome virus (WSSV)” funded by Department of Science and Technology (DOST) under the Manila Economic and Cultural Office – Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (MECO-TECO) Joint Research Program and in collaboration with the National Cheng Kung University, Academia Sinica and Mindanao State University – Naawan.

The study aims to generate a probiotic bacterium with a complementary dual-function to control White Spot disease.

“Due to the devastating effects of viral infections on aquaculture, new treatments with greater sensitivity and effectiveness are urgently needed. The study offers a new strategy for combating WSSV and lays the foundation for developing highly effective treatments for other diseases.” Dr. Santos reported.

In the scientific session, Dr. Santos was joined by other renowned international researchers and scientists from Israel, Sweden, South Korea, Chile, Japan, Thailand, Spain, New Zealand, and Taiwan. Other highlights of the conference included oral and poster presentations and flash talk session.

Also attending the conference was Dr. Joshua Superio, NFRDI Balik Scientist based at the Fisheries Biotechnology Center (FBC) in Nueva Ecjia.

The 5th ISFSI, held every three years, brought together researchers, from established scientists to emerging scholars in both academia and industry, to share the latest advances in fish and shellfish immunology and to foster networking and collaboration, particularly for early-career researchers.

Organized by ISFSI, a global scientific organization dedicated to studying the immune systems of aquatic animals, the conference highlighted cutting-edge research, promoted knowledge-sharing, and advanced strategies for disease prevention in aquaculture, underscoring its vital role in supporting sustainable and healthy aquatic production. ### (Rita dela Cruz)