Infectious diseases pose a severe threat to aquatic ecosystems, particularly in closed environments like aquariums and fish farms. Diseases that affect aquatic livestock can cause rapid mortality in freshwater and marine fish populations, often within hours if left untreated. Currently, diagnostics rely mainly on visual diagnosis by disease presentation; unfortunately, if visual presentation occurs, the infected organism is often in late-stage infection and faces a significantly higher risk of complication.
The infectious disease diagnostic landscape is changing for veterinary professionals and caretakers alike. Molecular diagnostics, or the detection of pathogens using molecular biology and biochemical techniques such as qPCR and NGS, is a growing field due to its controlled and reproducible results. Molecular diagnostic techniques have sensitive limits of detection and higher specificity when compared to visual diagnosis, which allows for confident treatment and higher host organism survival rates. As of today, the only indirect, non-invasive option for aquatic disease detection is lab-based testing. Caretakers are required to ship a sample of water to an external lab for testing. This expensive process does not yield immediate results, is subject to shipping complications, and typically requires several weeks to complete. Unfortunately, time is always of the essence when dealing with infectious diseases.
dxAquaria is pioneering a novel patent-pending biotechnology solution for rapid, point-of-need detection of aquatic pathogens through nucleic acid amplification and detection. The low-cost, efficient method allows for the accurate on-site identification of pathogens within one hour, providing professional and amateur caretakers with the tools to make informed treatment decisions and reduce livestock loss.
Nick, the founder of dxAquaria, earned his B.S. in Cell and Molecular Biology and Music from Towson University and currently works in biotech. Nick plans to translate his experience in human infectious disease diagnostics to the aquatics industry to help aquatic caretakers Care with Confidence.
About the product
Molecular diagnostics is one of the leading topics in current biotechnology. Using specific DNA or protein-based (antigen) tests can help delineate which organism is causing infection. Detection tests provide invaluable insight into the most effective disease treatment options for the specific user’s situation. Techniques in molecular diagnostics can be found in at-home COVID tests, pregnancy tests, and drug tests. These devices are simple, effective, and specific to their intended targets.
The first product in dxAquaria’s line is an at-home detection kit for the organisms that cause marine ich and velvet, Cryptocaryon irritans and Amyloodinium ocellatum, respectively. These targets were selected for a few reasons – first, during active and advanced infections, they can present very similarly on the skin or scales of the host organism. Second, these infections are caused by parasites that do not respond to antibiotic treatment and require their own treatment regimen. Lastly, these diseases are two of the most commonly faced infections within the wholesale marine trade and aquaculture settings. While our product can detect active infections, it is actively being improved to detect low amounts of target DNA for surveillance and pre/post-quarantine livestock checks.
Because of the similarity in disease presentation among marine infections, marine ich and velvet can also be confused with active Brooklynella sp. (“Brook”) infections, which can be treated by antibiotics. By providing the user the ability to detect two of the three diseases within their aquatic ecosystem, disease treatment can be tailored to the infectious agent. In turn, molecular detection may lead to better disease treatment outcomes, more responsible use of antibiotics within the industry, and less of a headache to the caretaker.
dxAquaria’s Marine Ich and Velvet detection kit works in three simple steps: collect, amplify, and detect.
First, the user collects a water sample using the provided syringe and passes it through a filter to collect any DNA in the sample. The user then uses the provided materials to further purify the DNA; altogether, the collection step takes no longer than 5 minutes.
The purified DNA is then added to a reaction mix for amplification and is allowed to sit at room temperature for 20 minutes. During this time, the collected DNA is exponentially amplified to make it easier to detect – one strand of DNA can be turned into billions of strands by the end of the reaction!
Lastly, the user applies drops of the reaction mix to a provided lateral flow assay, similar to an at-home COVID test. Over the course of 10 minutes, the test absorbs the sample and provides a red line for the tested target if its DNA is recognized by the test. Altogether, in under 1 hour, anyone can use the detection kit, whether professional or hobbyist, to get test results they can trust.
Beta Testing
dxAquaria is launching its Beta program using its foundational product, the Marine Ich and Velvet detection kit. The Beta program allows users to receive introductory* test kits at a reduced price, use the product, and provide feedback on product workflow and simplicity. Since the product was designed with the hobbyist in mind, hobbyist input is critical to the device’s success and performance.
From mid-December 2024 to mid-January 2025, anyone who is interested in testing the product and providing feedback on workflow and results may sign up. The company will then reach out to the potential users to confirm interest and provide a payment link for the cost of the Beta kit ($20) plus shipping and handling to your home/place of product use. Selected users will then receive the kit with the expectation that they will use the product within a 2-month timeframe (February-March 2025) and provide any feedback to dxAquaria using a provided form. If any unintended results appear (false positives, false negatives, etc), dxAquaria will reach out to the specific user to investigate the issue. As a thank you for Beta participation, successful participants will receive a discount on their first purchase and subsequent test(s) (and maybe even some dxAquaria swag!).
Beta testing provides dxAquaria with critical information regarding device applicability, workflow, and safety. Since many of these diseases are deadly to marine livestock, it is incredibly difficult to come across “positive” samples; finding folks who own actively infected marine aquariums who are also willing to try a product can be like finding a needle in a haystack. The Beta program provides users with kits that can be used on aquariums that are actively infected with the target organisms or are known to be free of infection. While it’s incredibly important that positive samples produce positive results, it’s equally or more important that the test does not produce false positive results when testing negative aquariums.
*Introductory does not mean ineffective! In-house validation experiments such as product stability studies take time and will extend through/past Beta testing; we will not make product claims without fully vetting out product shelf-life, usefulness, and safety. Beta testing will be a strong component of the development and validation process. We want to provide you with simple tests for confident results you can trust – that’s our promise to you.
Product Timeline
December 14 – Beta Testing registration opens for Maryland Aquarium Hobbyists
December 16 – Beta Testing registration opens for the public
Anyone may sign up for Beta and/or our newsletter here:
www.dxAquaria.com/sign-up
January 10 – Beta Testing registration closes
January 10 to February 1 – dxAquaria selects and communicates with potential Beta testers
February 1 – March 31 – Selected Beta testers receive Beta test kits and provide feedback
April 1 – May 31 – dxAquaria communicates directly with Beta testers to address feedback and assess product readiness for market
June 2025+ – product launch
Very interesting news! A rapid turnaround test like this would be a great addition to the hobby.
One correction – as far as I know, our tankDNA test is the only test currently available in the hobby for fish parasites.
Your article says,
“Caretakers are required to ship a sample of water to an external lab for testing.”
In fact, users collect DNA using a filter similar to what you’re describing. Then ship the stable, fixed filter back to the lab for analysis. Shipping water is problematic for several reasons.
In any case, I’ll be curious to see the data from this approach! I think specificity will be the major challenge based on the technology used here, and without some careful fine tuning, we could get a lot of false positives. But it sounds like you’re planning some thorough testing, so hopefully this can be worked out. Looking forward to seeing how this goes!