Microbiome in Artemia fed with polyhydroxybutyrate and chitosan

Aquaculture industry has been challenged by the proliferation of various infectious pathogens. Using poly-3-hydroxybutyrate (PHB) as a biocontrol agent is gaining more attention as a replacement for antibiotics. Nevertheless, the costs associated with PHB production and supplementation to aquaculture animals are considerably high due to costly sterilization and inefficient harvesting/delivery approaches. This study investigated a new approach in which PHB-rich biomass, produced by a PHB-hyperaccumulating bacterium (Zobellella denitrificans ZD1), is harvested with chitosan, a non-toxic biocoagulant. In vivo assays showed that chitosan-harvested PHB-rich ZD1 promoted disease resistance and microbial community in an aquaculture animal model, brine shrimp Artemia.