A Souris, Prince Edward Island contract research organization specializing in aquaculture research has taken the MSX bull by the horns.
Onda began working on MSX immediately after it was first detected on the island, in the summer of 2024, said research scientist Tirosh Shapira.
“This work was initiated because MSX directly affects our local aquaculture community, and we felt a strong responsibility to contribute our expertise where it could make a meaningful difference,” said Shapira.
Onda researchers have been actively engaging with the broader MSX research community: participating in local and international conferences, visiting affected regions and consulting with scientists who have spent decades studying the disease.
“MSX is a particularly challenging disease. Despite more than 50 years of MSX affecting oysters in North America, many fundamental questions such as ‛how the parasite is transmitted?’ remain unanswered,” said Shapira.
“One of the most important contributions Onda is making is the development of a controlled, laboratory-based MSX infection model. This would allow hatcheries and researchers to “stress-test” oyster lines under consistent conditions and identify those that show greater resilience. Without such a model, selection often relies on exposure in MSX-affected waters, where disease pressure can vary significantly even at the same site over time. In parallel, we are investigating the environmental conditions that enable MSX infections to occur. While we know MSX is not transmitted directly from oyster to oyster, identifying the environmental triggers of infection could provide growers with practical guidance on site selection and husbandry practices that reduce risk,” Shapira said.
Beyond that, another major focus is diagnostics.
“Onda has developed a cost-effective, highly validated qPCR test for MSX that is already widely used. We deliberately priced this service to be accessible, reflecting our commitment to supporting a community that is under real economic strain. Building on that, we are also developing a ‘point-of-care’ MSX detection tool. These kits are designed to provide accurate, sensitive results with minimal equipment and training — similar in concept to rapid COVID-19 tests that complemented centralized PCR testing. This approach can significantly reduce both time and cost for growers,” said Shapira.
Shapira described the work as requiring a blend of discovery and application. “There is no simple template to follow, but we are making steady, meaningful progress across all these areas,” he said.
Where oyster biology and MSX dynamics are strongly seasonal, much of Onda’s environmental sampling and model development will resume in the spring.
“We expect to have a clear assessment of the feasibility of our laboratory infection model by the end of the summer. Success, in this context, would mean being able to reliably reproduce MSX infection under controlled conditions — placing a healthy oyster alongside an infected one in a tank, adjusting specific environmental parameters and observing consistent disease transmission. Achieving this would be a major step forward for both research and industry application,” said Shapira.
For the point-of-care detection kits, field trials will continue through March. Following that, Onda plans to begin rolling them out to local farmers and laboratories, while actively collecting feedback to ensure they meet real-world needs.
“This work is being done first and foremost to support our local community and regional economy. While the tools are designed with aquaculture in mind, they are equally valuable for wild oyster monitoring, research and conservation efforts,” Shapira said.
“We’ve also heard directly from growers and researchers in Canada and the United States that these tools would be beneficial beyond P.E.I., and we see that broader impact as a positive outcome of this work.”
Onda has been working closely with industry and research partners who share a deep concern about MSX. “In this case, because the disease affects our own community so directly, Onda is also investing significant internal resources into the research alongside partner collaborations,” said Shapira.
Onda has received federal funding to support the MSX research. “This funding, combined with partner support and Onda’s own investment, has enabled us to move quickly and thoughtfully in developing both diagnostic and applied tools,” Shapira said.
Onda has also received funding from Innovation PEI to help develop the point-of-care MSX detection tests, which Onda sees as a tangible, near-term benefit to growers.
“Onda is among the leading aquaculture research organizations globally. For many years, we have developed infection models across a wide range of species, including salmon, tilapia, shrimp, lobster and oysters. These models are routinely used to answer critical questions around vaccines, feeds, husbandry practices and biosecurity. What makes MSX unique, and particularly challenging, is how much remains unknown about the disease itself. Developing an MSX model requires an unusually high level of innovation, experimentation and adaptability. In that sense, this work is genuinely groundbreaking and reflects Onda’s willingness to take on complex problems that matter deeply to the communities we serve,” said Shapira.
MSX is a parasite that destroys oysters but is not harmful to humans. It was first detected on P.E.I. in 2024. There are an estimated 250 active oyster fishers, 300 oyster growers and 18 oyster processors on Prince Edward Island. In 2024, combined landed value of oysters from both commercial fishery and aquaculture operations in P.E.I. exceeded $27 million, translating to an estimated $54 million in total economic value to P.E.I.
In December, the P.E.I. government announced a $9.2-million investment for two new programs to deliver short-term relief for the province’s oyster growers and processing sectors in response to industry challenges caused by oyster diseases in the region.
The Oyster Growers Income Stabilization Program offers interim support to eligible oyster growers who have experienced significant income losses due to oyster disease. The Oyster Processors Inventory Mitigation Program provides interim financial support to oyster processors who purchase and hold oysters from fishers and growers. This support helps reduce financial risk if the product does not reach market.
The two programs build on a broader suite of supports the province continues to deliver to the oyster sector. To date, the provincial government has invested over $12 million in total to support the Island’s oyster industry in response to the discovery of MSX and Dermo. This includes surveillance and monitoring programs, diagnostic testing, nursery equipment, industry-led adaptation and mitigation projects and subsidies for reskilling and wages.
