A STUDY  led by the University of Santo Tomas proposing an eco-friendly approach to disease control in prawn aquaculture has been recognized by the Department of Science and Technology–Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic, and Natural Resources Research and Development.

The 2024 research received the Dr. Elvira O. Tan Award for Outstanding Published Paper in the Aquatic Sciences Category, conferred on November 10, 2025, in recognition of its contribution to sustainable aquaculture practices.

Authored by UST graduate school alumna Kristelle Mae Tardecilla and Prof. Mary Beth B. Maningas, the award-winning paper explored alternatives to antibiotic use in protecting shrimp and prawn from disease.

Titled “Evaluation of inhibitory, immunomodulatory, survival, and growth effects of host-derived Weissella confusa on Macrobrachium rosenbergii challenged with Vibrio parahaemolyticus,” the study was published in the November 2024 issue of Fish & Shellfish Immunology.

The research focused on Macrobrachium rosenbergii, a high-value prawn species, and assessed the potential of beneficial gut-derived microorganisms to enhance immunity, growth, and survival when exposed to disease-causing bacteria.

Findings showed that Weissella confusa C6 could serve as a viable feed supplement that improves disease resistance and overall prawn health while addressing concerns on antimicrobial resistance linked to the use of antibiotics in aquaculture.

Tardecilla conducted the study under the mentorship of Maningas from the UST Department of Biological Sciences, with the research undertaken through the University’s Research Center for the Natural and Applied Sciences.