PNAS Science Sessions10 Nov 2025

Probing the die-off of Pacific oysters

A giant virus associated with oyster aquaculture mortality

Science Sessions are brief conversations with cutting-edge researchers, National Academy members, and policymakers as they discuss topics relevant to today's scientific community. Learn the behind-the-scenes story of work published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), plus a broad range of scientific news about discoveries that affect the world around us.

In this episode, Curtis Suttle and Kevin Xu Zhong explain how a previously unidentified virus may be connected to mass die-offs of farmed Pacific oysters.

In this episode, we cover:

• [00:00] Introduction
• [01:03] Environmental virologist Curtis Suttle introduces the importance of the Pacific oyster to aquaculture.
• [01:42] Suttle describes mass mortality events, including one he witnessed.
• [02:42] Environmental microbiologist Kevin Xu Zhong talks about the methods used to identify the Pacific Oyster Nidovirus 1.
• [03:53] Zhong describes the notable features of the nidovirus.
• [05:19] Zhong and Suttle explain how the nidovirus merits designation of a nidovirus family.
• [06:25] Suttle explores the takeaways for oyster farmers and regulators.
• [08:15] He lists the caveats and limitations of the study.
• [09:40] Conclusion.

About Our Guests:

Kevin Xu Zhong
Research Associate
University of British Columbia

Curtis Suttle
Professor
University of British Columbia

View related content here: https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2426923122

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