During her studies, Anna Amanda Schönherz researched host adaptation mechanisms of a fish virus called viral haemorrhagic septicaemia virus (VHSV). VHSV is a virus related to rabies virus that infects a wide range of freshwater and marine fish species. VHSV is endemic in marine fish species, where most species function as carriers but do not develop disease outbreaks. The introduction from marine fish to cultured rainbow trout, however, has turned the virus into a highly deadly variant causing serious economical problems to the aquaculture industry.

To identify the biological background facilitating host shift and adaptation of VHSV to cultured rainbow trout, Anna studied alternative infection routes important in gaining acess to a new host species and molecular changes involved in establishing disease in the new host species. The obatained results are based on a combination of laboratory- and wet lab work combined with various statistical analysis.

The new research findings contribute to the understanding of how VHSV can change from a harmless- to a life threatening form when gaining acess to cultured fish species, especially rainbow trout.

The PhD degree was completed at the Center for Quantitative Genetics and Genomics (QGG), Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Science and Technology, Aarhus University.

Time: Wednesday 28 May 2014, at 9.00
Place: Auditorium, AU Foulum
Title of dissertation: Evolutionary Mechanisms Involved in Emergence of Viral Haemorrhagic Septicaemia Virus (VHSV) into Cultured Rainbow Trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss
Contact information: Anna Amanda Schönherz, e-mail: anna.schonherz@agrsci.dk
Members of the assessment committee:
Associate Professor Gael Kurath, School of public health, Western Fisheries Research Center, University of Washington, USA
Associate Professor Thomas Bruun Rasmussen, National Veterinary Institute, Technical University of Denmark, Denmark
Associate Professor Bo Thomsen (chair), Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus University
Main supervisor:
Associate Professor Albert Johannes Buitenhuis, Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus University
Co-supervisor:
Katja Einer-Jensen, QIAGEN-AAR
Language: The PhD dissertation will be defended in English.

The defence is public.
The dissertation is available for reading at the Graduate School of Science and Technology/GSST, Ny Munkegade 120, building 1521, room 112, 8000 Aarhus C.