John L. Fryer Salmon Disease Laboratory

The faculty of Oregon State University have been at the forefront of fish disease research for over 30 years, beginning with the pioneering efforts of Dr. John L. Fryer, OSU Distinguished Professor of Microbiology.  Faculty at OSU have trained many of the nation's professional fish pathologists and fish health researchers, have identified the causes of several important diseases afflicting fishes in the Pacific Northwest, and developed vaccines and diagnostic tests that are routinely used for cultured and wild stocks of fish. In addition, they have provided a wealth of knowledge on the pathogenic mechanisms and epidemiology of most of the serious diseases of salmonids and other fish. Since inception of the fish disease program, the fish species under investigation have broadened to include wild marine fishes, ornamental species, and fish used as research models. Nevertheless, diseases of salmonid fishes remain a primary research focus.

The John L. Fryer Salmon Disease Laboratory (SDL) is a 9000 sq. ft. regional fish disease research facility dedicated to the study of organisms infectious for salmonids and other species of freshwater fish.  The SDL has wet laboratory capacity for maintaining fish, as well as providing space for an analytical laboratory, a histology facility, a microscopy room, office space and a conference room/library.

The laboratory is supplied with specific-pathogen free fresh water from two wells, each with a capacity of more than 300 gpm. The water, which has an ambient temperature of 12.8°C, is processed through UV sterilization and a degassing tower to eliminate pathogens, gas supersaturation and allow oxygen to saturate into the water. Effluent from the laboratory is treated with chlorine to prevent the escape of any pathogens from the facility. All systems are redundant and can be operated with a diesel-electric generator in the event of commercial power failures.

The wet laboratory is divided into two sections, one for stock fish and experiments not involving infectious agents and the other for holding fish to be used in disease experiments. The stock area has forty-nine tanks of various sizes from three to twelve feet in diameter. The experimental area has 128 one hundred-liter tanks and 120 twenty-five liter tanks which will accommodate various sizes of fish. Added at the end of 2004 are 18 thirty gallon aquaria for zebrafish research. User fees for the various size tanks. (pdf) 

Heated water provides high-quality fresh water for warm water species and for research on the effects of temperature on disease processes. Temperature units can be programmed to deliver heated water from 13-28°C, making this laboratory ideally positioned for conducting studies on the effects of climate change on aquatic organisms. Temperature controls can also be programmed to replicate diurnal temperature fluctuations, allowing researchers to closely emulate natural conditions. The laboratory also has some capacity for chilling water below ambient temperature.

 In addition to areas for specific pathogen free holding and disease studies, the Salmon Disease Laboratory has a stand-alone isolation/quarantine room that provides an area to work with non-endemic aquatic organisms and pathogens. The isolation room has over 300 squar e feet of climate controlled space for specialized studies, shelves and racks for tubs holding animals, 24 twenty-five liter tanks and a separate necropsy room. UV treated well water or river water is available.  The sealed concrete floor has a poured footing that encloses the lower 18” of the room, which has a single enclosed outflow line and no floor drain; thus water cannot leave the room inadvertently and animals cannot escape.  Water on the floor alerts our security service.  Windows are placed high on the wall and securely screened.  The room has a one man door with a series of foot baths at the front necropsy/prep area and the animals holding room.  A large garage-type door forms much of the back wall (with a 12” footing) and allows easy setup and removable of equipment.  Both doors are customarily locked.  Disinfection is through 1% chlorine treatment of waste water and a 1% solution of Virkon Aq for equipment and surfaces.

The laboratory was constructed through a grant from the Bonneville Power Administration with matching funds from OSU.