Yu, Wenjie

Atlantic billfishes (family Istiophoridae) are overexploited and often illegally harvested. To address both of these problems, a rapid means of identifying billfish carcasses is needed. This thesis describes a simple and rapid Nalge Nunc-Immuno(TM) Stick-based direct sandwich assay for sailfish identification that can be performed in the field. A species-specific anti-sailfish monoclonal antibody, covalently bound to the Nalge Nunc-Immuno(TM) Stick's polystyrene surface, was used to capture a biomarker molecule---serum albumin---from sailfish tissue samples. This antibody-antigen interaction was visualized by utilizing peroxidase-conjugated anti-billfish monoclonal antibodies or polyclonal antibodies together with a precipitating substrate. This technique successfully differentiated between sailfish and other fishes within 15 minutes, with a high degree of sensitivity and accuracy. This assay has many potential applications for species identification.