Fu-Lin E. Chu

Professor of Marine Science

Email: [[chu]]
Phone: (804) 684-7349
Office: Chesapeake Bay Hall S109
Department: Environmental and Aquatic Animal Health

Dr. Chu is no longer accepting new students into her programs.

Education

• B.S., The Chinese University of Hong Kong
• M.S., University of Rochester
• Ph.D., College of William and Mary

Research Interests

My research focuses on nutrition and host/parasite interactions in shellfish and fish. I am especially interested in the effects of environmental factors including pollution on host/parasite interactions, and immunological, biochemical and pathological responses associated with exposure to diseases and anthropogenic chemicals. In the nutrition aspect, I am especially interested in essential nutrient “upgrading” and transfer and biochemical processes affecting fishery production in marine coastal environments. I am also conducting research to understand the effects essential nutrients and growth factors have in enhancing shellfish/fish growth and survival, and the effects of environmental stress on development and reproduction of aquatic organisms.

Current Projects

NUTRITION

• Fatty acid and sterol metabolism in planktonic heterotrophic protists: essential nutrient upgrading and transfer and their ecological implications in pelagic food webs (National Science Foundation, USA)
• Effects of plankton composition and nutritional quality on growth of newly metamorphosed winter flounder (funded by Collaborative Marine Education and Research Program, NOAA, USA).
• An integrated approach to the development of cobia (Rachycentron canadum) culture in the United States (funded by Sea Grant, NOAA, USA).
• Enhanced tautog (Tautoga onitis) survival via essential fatty acid enrichment of larval feed (funded by Collaborative Marine Education and Research Program, NOAA, USA).

OYSTER PATHOPHYSIOLOGY AND DISEASES

• Lipid metabolism in the oyster protozoan parasite, Perkinsus marinus, and the role of host lipids in the development and proliferation of the parasite (National Science Foundation, USA).
• Development of a chemotherapeutic protocol for eliminating and/or reducing perkinsus marinus from infected oysters (ODRP, Sea Grant, NOAA, USA)
• Evaluation of inherent and induced thermal-tolerance in protection of oyster populations from summer mortality caused by Dermo and MSX parasitism and thermal stress (ODRP, Sea Grant, NOAA, USA).
• Comparison of physiological condition and defense mechanisms eastern oyster populations with natural Dermo resistance (ODRP, Sea Grant, NOAA, USA)

Selected Publications

    Complete list of publications

• S.E. Wilson, D.K. Steinberg, F.L. Chu, J.K.B. Bishop. (2009). Feeding ecology of mesopelagic zooplankton of the subtropical and subarctic North Pacific Ocean determined using lipid biomarkers. Deep Sea Research. (Submitted).
• Fu-Lin E. Chu, Eric D. Lund, Paul R. Littreal, Kate E. Ruck, Ellen Harvey. (2009). Species-specific differences in long-chain n-3 essential fatty acid, sterol, and steroidal ketone production in six heterotrophic protist species.  Aquatic Biology, 6: 159-172.
• Eric D. Lund, Fu-Lin E. Chu, Paul R. Littreal, Kate E. Ruck, Ellen Harvey. (2009). An investigation of the mechanism(s) in long chain n-3 fatty acid production and dietary sterol conversion in the heterotrophic protists Oxyrrhis marina and Gyrodinium dominans. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology, 374: 150-159.
• Fu-Lin E. Chu, Eric D. Lund, Paul R. Littreal, Kate E. Ruck, Ellen Harvey, Jean-René Le Coz, Yanic Marty, Jeanne Moal and Philippe Soudant. (2008). Sterol production and phytosterol bioconversion in two species of heterotrophic protists, Oxyrrhis marina and Gyrodinium dominans. Marine Biology, 156:155-169.
• Fu-Lin E. Chu, Eric D. Lund, and Jennifer A. Podbesek (2008). Effects of triclosan on the oyster parasite, Perkinsus marinus and its host, the eastern oyster, Crassostrea virginica. Journal of Shellfish Research, 27:769-774.
• Eric D. Lund, Fu-Lin E. Chu, Ellen Harvey and Richard Adlof (2008). Mechanism(s) of  “essential nutrient upgrading” in two species of heterotrophic protists: Oxyrrhis marina and Gyrodinium dominans. Marine Bilogy, 155:23-36.
• Fu-Lin E. Chu,  E. D. Lund, and J. A. Podbesek.  (2008). Quantitative significance of n-3 essential fatty acid contribution by heterotrophic protists in marine pelagic food webs. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 354:85-95.
• Soudant P. R. Leite, F-L. E. Chu, A. Villalba and L. Cancela. (2008).  Bivalves – Perkinsus spp. Interactions. In: Proceeding of the workshop for the analysis of the impact of Perkinsosis to the European shellfish industry. Pp: 78-109. Publication, Foundacion CETMAR, Vigo, Spain 2008.
• Encomio V. G. and F-L. E. Chu (2007). Heat shock protein (Hsp70) expression and thermal tolerance in sublethal heat shocked eastern oysters (Crassostrea virginica) infected with the parasite Perkinsus marinus. Diseases in Aquatic Organisms, 76 : 252-260.
• Delaporte, M., F-L. E. Chu,  C. Langdon , J. Moal , C. Lamberte, J-F. Samain and P. Soudant. (2007) Changes in biochemical and hemocyte parameters of the Pacific oysters Crassostrea gigas fed T-Iso supplemented with lipid emulsions rich in eicosapentaenoic fatty acid. Journal of Experimental Biology and Ecology, 343: 261-275.
• Lund, E. D., F-L. E. Chu, P. Soudant and E. Harvey. (2007). Perkinsus marinus, a protozoan parasite of the eastern oyster, has a requirement for dietary sterols. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology, Part A, 146:141-147..
• Chu, F-L. E., and E. D. Lund. (2006). Viability, infectivity and fatty acid synthetic activity of Perkinsus marinus meront cells incubated in estuarine and artificial seawaters. Diseases of Aquatic Organisms. Dis Aquat Org., 71(2): 131-9.
• Veloza, A. J., F-L. E. Chu and K.W. Tang. (2006). Trophic modification of essential fatty acids by heterotrophic protists and its effects on the fatty acid composition of the copepod Acartia tonsa. Marine Biology, 148: 779 – 788.
• Veloza , A. J., F-L. E. Chu and K.W. Tang. (2005) (online publication). Trophic modification of essential fatty acids by heterotrophic protists and its effects on the fatty acid composition of the copepod Acartia tonsa. Marine Biology (DOI 10.1007/s00227-005-0123-1).
• Soudant, P. F-L. E. Chu, and Eric D. Lund. (2005). Assessment of the cell viability of cultured perkinsus marinus (perkinsea), a parasitic protozoan of the eastern oyster, crassostrea virginica, using sybrgreen-propidium iodide double staining and flow cytometry. Journal of Eukaryotic Microbiology. 52:492-499
• Lund E D., P. Soudant, F-L. E. Chu, E. Harvey, S. Bolton and A.  Flowers. (2005). Effects of the drug triclosan on growth, viability and fatty acid synthesis in the oyster protozoan parasite Perkinsus marinus. Diseases of Aquatic Organisms, 67:217-224.
• Encomio, V. G. and F-L. E. Chu. (2005). Seasonal variation of heat shock protein (hsp70) in eastern oysters (Crassostrea virginica) infected with Perkinsus marinus (Dermo). Journal of Shellfish Research, 24:167-175.
• Encomio V.G., S.M. Stickler, S.K. Allen, Jr., and F-L. E. Chu. (2005). Performance of “natural Dermo-resistant” oyster stocks: Survival, disease, growth, condition and energy reserves. Journal of Shellfish Research, 24: 143-155.
• Q-G. Xue, K. L. Schey, A. K. Volety, F-L. E. Chu, J. F. La Peyre. 2004. Purification and characterization of lysozyme from plasma of the eastern oyster (Crassostrea virginica). Com. Biochem. Physiol. Part B. 139:11-25

• Lund, E., F.- L. E. Chu, and E. Harvey. 2004. Effects of temperature and salinity on fatty acid synthesis in the oyster protozoan parasite Perkinsus marinus. Journal of Experimental MarineBiology and Ecology. 307:111-126.

• Chu, F.- L. E., E. Lund, and E. Harvey. 2004. Arachidonic Acid Synthetic Pathways of the Oyster Protozoan Parasite, Perkinsus marinus: evidence for usage of a delta-8 pathway. Molecular and Biochemical Parasitology, 133:45-51.

• Chu, F.- L. E., P. Soudant and E. Lund. 2003. Perkinsus marinus, a protozoan parasite of the Eastern oyster (Crassostrea virginica): Effects of temperature on the uptake and metabolism of fluorescent lipid analogs and lipase activities. Experimental Parasitology. 105:121-130.

• Cruz-Rodríguez, L A. and F.-L. E. Chu. 2003. Hsp70 levels in oyster Crassostrea virginica exposed to cadmium sorbed to algal food and suspended clay particles. Proceeding of 4th International Conference on Molluscan Shellfish Safety, Santiago de Compostela, Spain, June 2002 (peer review).

• Cruz-Rodríguez, L A. and F.-L. E. Chu. 2002. Heat-shock protein (HSP70) Response in the Eastern Oyster, Crassostrea virginica, Exposed to PAHs Sorbed to Suspended Artificial Clay Particles and to Suspended Field Contaminated Sediments. Aquatic Toxicology. 60: 157-168.

• Lund, E. and F.-L. E. Chu. 2002. Phospholipid biosynthesis in the oyster protozoan parasite, Perkinsus marinus. Molecular and Biochemical Parasitology, 121: 245-253.

• Chu, F.- L. E., E. Lund, P. Soudant, and E. Harvey. 2002. De novo arachidonic acid synthesis utilizing acetate in in vitro cultured Perkinsus marinus, a protozoan parasite of the eastern oyster, Crassostrea virginica. Molecular and Biochemical Parasitology, 119: 179-190.

• Chu, F.-L. E., A. K. Volety, R. C. Hale, and Y. Huang. 2002. Hemocyte function and disease expression in oysters (Crassostrea virginica) exposed to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon- contaminated sediments. Marine Environmental Research, 53:17-35.

• Soudant, P., and F.-L. E. Chu. 2001. Lipid class and fatty acid composition of the protozoan parasite of oysters, Perkinsus marinus, cultivated in two different media. Journal of Eukaryotic Microbiology, 48:309-319.

• Soudant, P. F.-L E. Chu, and Y. Marty. 2000. Analysis of lipid class composition of the oyster protozoan parastie, Perkinsus marinus and metabolites derived from the metabolism of fluorescent phosphatidylcholine analog. Lipids, 35:1387-1395.

• Chu, F.-L. E. P. Soudant, A. K. Volety, Y. Huang. 2000. Uptake and interconversion of fluorescent lipid analogs in the protozoan parasite, Perkinsus marinus, of the oyster, Crassostrea virginica. Experimental Parasitology. 95:240-251.

• Chu, F.-L. E. 2000. Defense mechanisms of marine bivalves. In: Recent Advances in Marine Biotechnology. Volume 5, Immunobiology and Pathology. M. Fingerman & R. Nagabhushanam (edis). Science Publishers, Inc., Enfield (NH), USA, Plymouth, UK. pp 1-42.

• Chu, F.-L. E., P. Soudant, L. A. Cruz-Rodriguez, and R. Hale. 2000. PCB uptake and accumulation by oysters (Crassostrea virginica) exposed via a contaminated algal diet. Mar. Environ. Res. 50: 217-221.

• Encomio, V., and F.-L. E. Chu. 2000. The effect of PCBs on glycogen reserves in the eastern oyster Crassostrea virginica. Mar. Environ. Res. 50:45-49.

• Cruz- Rodriguez, L., A. J. Baucum, P. Soudant, F.-L. E. Chu, R. C. Hale. 2000. Stress protein response (Hsp 70 family) in the eastern oyster, Crassostrea virginica, exposed to PCBs sorbed to algal paste. Mar. Environ. Res. 50:341-345.

• Chu, F.-L. E., and Ozkizilcik, S. 1999. Acceptability of complex microencapsulated diets by striped bass (Morone saxatilis) larvae. J. Experimental Marine Biology & Ecology, 237:1-9.

• Chu, F.-L. E. 1999. Effects of field-contaminated sediments and related water soluble components on hemocyte function and Perkinsus marinus susceptibility and expression in oysters. Biomarkers, 4:537-548.

• Chu, F.-L. E. 1999. Environmental factors and the infectious disease caused by the protozoan parasite, Perkinsus marinus, in eastern oysters (Crassostrea virginica). Bull. Eur. Ass. Fish Pathol. 19: 265-268.

• Chu, F.-L. E. 1997. Trends in research on Crassostrea virginica and its two protozoan parasites, Perkinsus marinus and Haplosporidiun nelsoni. Bulletin of The European Association of Fish Pathologists, 17: 184-187.

• Chu, F.-L. E. and A.K. Volety. 1997. Disease processes of the parasite Perkinsus marinus in eastern oyster Crassostrea virginica: minimum dose for infection initiation, and interaction of temperature, salinity and infective cell dose. Dis. Aquat. Org. 28:61-68.

• Volety, A. K. and F.-L. E. Chu. 1997. Acid phosphatase activity in Perkinsus marinus, the protistan parasite of the American oyster, Crassostrea virginica. J. Parasitol., 83:1093-1098.

Current Students

As Dissertation and Thesis Committee member

• Lawrence W. Carpenter, Ph.D. student, Biological Science

• Bryce Brylawski, Ph.D. student, Biological Science

• Stephanie Wilson, Ph.D. student, Biological Science

Former Students

• Jia Chen, M.A. awarded 1989 (Co-advisor Ken Webb)
• Jerome La Peyre, Ph.D. awarded 1993
• Sureyya Ozkizilcik, Ph.D. awarded 1995
• Aswani Volety, Ph.D. awarded 1995
• Tong Li, M.A. awarded 1996
• Lance Garrison, Ph.D. awarded 1997 (Co-advisor Rom Lipcius)
• Luis Angel Cruz-Rodriguez, Ph.D. awarded 2001
• Vincent Encomio, Ph.D. awarded 2004
• Shawn Stickler, Ph.D. awarded 2004 (Co-advisor Stan Allen)

Research Experience for Undergraduate Interns

• 2004-2005 Mentor for the DREAM program, Calvin Peters, Hampton University, VA 
• 2003 summer Mentor for NSF REU (one student, Adolf Flowers, Morehouse University, GA) 
• 2002 summer Mentor for NSF Undergraduate Research Intern Program (one student, Stephanie Bolton, Wake Forest University, NC). 
• 2001 summer Mentor for Cooperative Marine Education and Research Program, NOAA (two students, Alisha Acy and Mariah Love, Hampton University, Virginia). 
• 2000 summer Mentor for NSF Undergraduate Research Intern Program (one student, Aiysha Balbosa, Florida A & M University, Florida). 
• 1998 summer Mentorship for NSF Undergraduate Research Intern Program (one student, Anthony, J. Baucum II, Loyola Maymount Univesity, Los Angles, CA). 
• 1997 summer Elif Demir, Aegean University of Izmir, Turkey 
• 1996 summer Mentorship for NSF Undergraduate Research Intern Program (one student, Christine Forsythe, Coastal Carolina University). 
• 1995 summer Mentorship for NSF Undergraduate Research Program (Two students, Sandra Merrill, Reed College, Katherine Eminger, College of William and Mary) 
• 1994 summer Mentorship for NSF Undergraduate Research Program (one student, Richard Amar, College of William and Mary). 
• 1993 summer Mentorship for NSF undergraduate summer intern program (one student, Anita Ford, Jackson State University) 
• 1992 summer Mentorship for NSF undergraduate summer intern program (one student, Melvin Brown, Jackson State University) 
• 1991 summer Mentorship for NSF Marine Science undergraduate summer intern program (two students, Bianca Garner, Xavier University; Stevie Lott, Jackson State University) 
• 1990 summer Mentorship for NSF undergraduate research experience program (one student, Dionne Hoskins, Savannah State College). 
• 1989 summer Mentorship for NSF Program, research experience for minority undergraduates (two students, Earl Speight, N.C. Central University; Teresa Bryan, Pembroke State University) 
• 1988 summer Mentor, NSF Undergraduate Research Program (one student, Bridget Bender, College of William & Mary). 
• 1988 summer Mentorship for Virginia Environmental Endowment Summer Research Aide program. (one student, Carrie Buresson, Christopher College). 
• 1987 summer Mentorship for Virginia Environmental Endowment Summer Research Aide program. (one student, Linda Moncure).

High School Student Interns

• 2005 summer Mentor, Virginia Governor's School Summer Intern (Samantha Smith) 
• 2001 summer Mentor, Female Initiation into Research in Science and Technology Program, VIMS (one student, Ms. Lara Neece). 
• 2000 summer Mentor, Female Initiation into Research in Science and Technology Program, VIMS (one student, Ms. Jennifer Lewis). 
• 1999 summer Mentor, Female Initiation into Research in Science and Technology Program, VIMS (one student, Ms. Danielle Trimble). 
• 1999 summer Virginia Governor School (one student, Ms. Elizabeth Werner). 
• 1998 summer Mentor, Female Initiation into Research in Science and Technology Program, VIMS (one student, Ms,Melinda Cotter). 
• 1992 summer Mentor, Virginia Governor's School Summer Intern. 
• 1991 summer Mentor, Virginia Governor's School Summer Intern. 
• 1988 summer Mentor, Virginia Governor's School Summer Intern. 
• 1987 summer Mentor, Virginia Governor's School Summer Intern.

Courses Taught / Teaching

• MS 570: Nutrition and Energy Reserves in Marine Organisms
• MS 567: Comparative Immunology
• MS 565: Principles of Pathology
• MS 698: Special topic course: Biochemical Assays

Faculty / Student Awards

• VIMS Outstanding Faculty Researcher Award (1997)

• Best Oral Presentation, 1994 National Shellfisheries Association Annual Meeting. Jerome La Peyre

• Best Poster Presentation, 1995 National Shellfisheries Association Annual Meeting. Aswani Volety

• Luis Angel Cruz-Rodriguez, VIMS “Environmental Study” award (in memory of Dr. Craig Smith) 1998.

• 1^st place in Biochemistry section at a 1999 Science Fair, Elizabeth Werner, Virginia Governor Scholl Summer Intern.

• Best Poster Presentation, 2005 National Shellfisheries Association Annual Meeting. Vincent Encomio

Professional Memberships

• World Aquaculture Society 
• National Shellfisheries Association 
• American Society of Parasitiogists 
• European Association of Fish Pathologists

Collaborative / Interdisciplinary Efforts

• Kam M. Tang (VIMS): Planktonic biochemistry and nutrition of winter flounder juveniles.

• Richard Adlof (USDA): lipid metabolism in the oyster protozoan parasite, Perkinsus marinus. Trophic upgrading by heterotrophic marine protists.

• Philippe Soudant (Université de Bretagne Occidentale, France): Lipid biochemistry; Essential fatty acids and immune responses; flowcytometric technology. 

• Yanic Marty (Université de Bretagne Occidentale, France): Lipid biochemistry. 

• Christopher Langdon (Oregon State University): Essential fatty acids and immune responses. 

• Jean-Fracois Samain (IFREMER, France): Essential fatty acids and immune responses. 

• Albert Choi (Cheju University Korea): Reproductive physiology and diseases of marine bivalves.

• Bassem Allam (Stony Brook University): The biochemistry of the clam parasite, QPX.