James Winton, Ph.D.
Jim works with scientists, technicians, post-doctoral researchers, graduate students and visiting scientists working to improve methods for the detection of fish pathogens, determine factors affecting the epidemiology of fish diseases, and develop novel control strategies for reducing losses among both hatchery-reared and wild fish.
Research Interests
Infectious diseases of fish, fish cell and tissue culture, molecular taxonomy and epidemiology of fish pathogens, ecology of fish diseases in wild populations.
Mentorship/Outreach
- 1995 to Present - Professor (Affiliate Faculty), University of Washington, School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, Seattle, WA
- 1983-1986 - Assistant Professor, Oregon State University, Department of Microbiology, Corvallis, OR
Professional Experience
2017 to Present - Senior Scientists, Emeritus
1996-2017 - Chief, Fish Health Section, U.S. Geological Survey, Western Fisheries Research Center, Seattle, WA
1995 to Present - Professor (Affiliate Faculty), University of Washington, School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, Seattle, WA
1986-1996 - Project Leader, Infectious Diseases of Fish. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Fisheries Research Center, Seattle, WA
1983-1986 - Assistant Professor, Oregon State University, Department of Microbiology, Corvallis, OR
1984 to Present - Canadian Fish Health Official - International shipments of salmonid fish and gametes
1981 to Present - U.S. Title 50 Inspector - International shipments of salmonid fish and gametes
2010 - Pacific Salmon Commission - Invited expert to panel investigating Fraser River sockeye declines
1991-2000 - Office International des Epizooties (OIE), Paris - Elected to Fish Diseases Commission
1990-2003 - American Type Culture Collection (ATCC) - Animal Virus Advisory Group
1988-2000 - International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV) - Reovirus Study Group
Education and Certifications
Ph.D. 1981. Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR
B.A. 1967. University of Colorado, Boulder, CO
Affiliations and Memberships*
American Association for the Advancement of Science
American Society for Microbiology
American Fisheries Society
European Association of Fish Pathologists
Japanese Society of Fish Pathologists
Wildlife Disease Association
Honors and Awards
2015 - Senior Scientist – U.S. Geological Survey
2006 - Department of Interior Distinguished Service Award
2000 - American Fisheries Society Fish Health Section S. F. Snieszko Distinguished Service Award
1999 - Department of Interior Meritorious Service Award
Science and Products
Efficacy of a novel Pasteurella multocida vaccine against progressive atrophic rhinitis of swine
Extremophile extracts and enhancement techniques show promise for the development of a live vaccine against Flavobacterium columnare
Molecular characterisation of Atlantic salmon paramyxovirus (ASPV): A novel paramyxovirus associated with proliferative gill inflammation
Variability in triactinomyxon production from Tubifex tubifex populations from the same mitochondrial DNA lineage infected with Myxobolus cerebralis, the causative agent of whirling disease in salmonids
A genomic view of the NOD-like receptor family in teleost fish: Identification of a novel NLR subfamily in zebrafish
Decreased mortality of lake michigan chinook salmon after bacterial kidney disease challenge: Evidence for pathogen-driven selection?
Genetic analysis of paramyxovirus isolates from pacific salmon reveals two independently co-circulating lineages
Detection of viral hemorrhagic septicemia in round gobies in New York State (USA) waters of Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River
An evaluation of the effects of conservation and fishery enhancement hatcheries on wild populations of salmon
Strand-specific, real-time RT-PCR assays for quantification of genomic and positive-sense RNAs of the fish rhabdovirus, Infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus
Conservation of Toll-like receptor signaling pathways in teleost fish
Genetic effects of ELISA-based segregation for control of bacterial kidney disease in Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha)
Science and Products
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Filter Total Items: 164
Efficacy of a novel Pasteurella multocida vaccine against progressive atrophic rhinitis of swine
The efficacy of a novel vaccine composed of three short recombinant subunit Pasteurella multocida toxin (PMT) proteins in combination with a bi-valent P. multocida whole-cell bacterin (rsPMT–PM) was evaluated in field studies for prevention and control of progressive atrophic rhinitis (PAR) of swine at 15 conventional farrow-to-finish farms. Experimental piglets that were immunized twice with theAuthorsShih-Ling Hsuan, Chih-Ming Liao, Chienjin Huang, James R. Winton, Zeng-Weng Chen, Wei-Cheng Lee, Jiunn-Wang Liao, Ter-Hsin Chen, Chwei-Jang Chiou, Kuang-Sheng Yeh, Maw-Sheng ChienExtremophile extracts and enhancement techniques show promise for the development of a live vaccine against Flavobacterium columnare
The effects of temperature, ionic strength, and new cryopreservatives derived from polar ice bacteria were investigated to help accelerate the development of economical, live attenuated vaccines for aquaculture. Extracts of the extremophile Gelidibacter algens functioned very well as part of a lyophilization cryoprotectant formulation in a 15-week storage trial. The bacterial extract and trehaloseAuthorsD.B. Powell, R.C. Palm, A.P. MacKenzie, J. R. WintonMolecular characterisation of Atlantic salmon paramyxovirus (ASPV): A novel paramyxovirus associated with proliferative gill inflammation
Atlantic salmon paramyxovirus (ASPV) was isolated in 1995 from gills of farmed Atlantic salmon suffering from proliferative gill inflammation. The complete genome sequence of ASPV was determined, revealing a genome 16,968 nucleotides in length consisting of six non-overlapping genes coding for the nucleo- (N), phospho- (P), matrix- (M), fusion- (F), haemagglutinin-neuraminidase- (HN) and large polAuthorsK. Falk, W.N. Batts, A. Kvellestad, Gael Kurath, J. Wiik-Nielsen, J. R. WintonVariability in triactinomyxon production from Tubifex tubifex populations from the same mitochondrial DNA lineage infected with Myxobolus cerebralis, the causative agent of whirling disease in salmonids
Myxobolus cerebralis, the causative agent of whirling disease, infects both salmonid fish and an aquatic oligochaete, Tubifex tubifex. Although M. cerebralis has been detected in river drainages throughout the United States, disease severity among wild fish populations has been highly variable. Tubifex tubifex populations have been genetically characterized using sequences from the 16S mitochondriAuthorsC. Rasmussen, J. Zickovich, J. R. Winton, B.L. KeransA genomic view of the NOD-like receptor family in teleost fish: Identification of a novel NLR subfamily in zebrafish
Background. A large multigene family of NOD-like receptor (NLR) molecules have been described in mammals and implicated in immunity and apoptosis. Little information, however, exists concerning this gene family in non-mammalian taxa. This current study, therefore, provides an in-depth investigation of this gene family in lower vertebrates including extensive phylogenetic comparison of zebrafish NLAuthorsK.J. Laing, M. K. Purcell, J. R. Winton, J.D. HansenDecreased mortality of lake michigan chinook salmon after bacterial kidney disease challenge: Evidence for pathogen-driven selection?
In the late 1960s, Chinook salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha from the Green River, Washington, were successfully introduced into Lake Michigan. During spring from1988 to 1992, large fish die-offs affecting Chinook salmon occurred in the lake. Multiple ecological factors probably contributed to the severity of the fish kills, but the only disease agent found regularly was Renibacterium salmoninarum,AuthorsM. K. Purcell, A.L. Murray, A. Elz, L.K. Park, S.V. Marcquenski, J. R. Winton, S.W. Alcorn, R.J. Pascho, D.G. ElliottGenetic analysis of paramyxovirus isolates from pacific salmon reveals two independently co-circulating lineages
Viruses with the morphological and biochemical characteristics of the family Paramyxoviridae (paramyxoviruses) have been isolated from adult salmon returning to rivers along the Pacific coast of North America since 1982. These Pacific salmon paramyxoviruses (PSPV), which have mainly been isolated from Chinook salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha, grow slowly in established fish cell lines and have notAuthorsW.N. Batts, K. Falk, J. R. WintonDetection of viral hemorrhagic septicemia in round gobies in New York State (USA) waters of Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River
In May 2006 a large mortality of several thousand round gobies Neogobius melanostomus (Pallas, 1814) occurred in New York waters of the St. Lawrence River and Lake Ontario. Necropsies of sampled fish from these areas showed pallor of the liver and gills, and hemorrhagic areas in many organs. Histopathologic examination of affected tissues revealed areas of necrosis and hemorrhage. Inoculations ofAuthorsG.H. Groocock, R.G. Getchell, G.A. Wooster, K.L. Britt, W.N. Batts, J. R. Winton, R.N. Casey, J.W. Casey, P.R. BowserAn evaluation of the effects of conservation and fishery enhancement hatcheries on wild populations of salmon
The historical, political and scientific aspects of salmon hatchery programmes designed to enhance fishery production, or to recover endangered populations, are reviewed. We start by pointing out that the establishment of hatcheries has been a political response to societal demands for harvest and conservation; given this social context, we then critically examined the levels of activity, the biolAuthorsKerry A. Naish, Joseph E. Taylor, Phillip S. Levin, Thomas P. Quinn, James R. Winton, Daniel Huppert, Ray HilbornStrand-specific, real-time RT-PCR assays for quantification of genomic and positive-sense RNAs of the fish rhabdovirus, Infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus
The fish rhabdovirus, Infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus (IHNV), is an important pathogen of salmonids. Cell culture assays have traditionally been used to quantify levels of IHNV in samples; however, real-time or quantitative RT-PCR assays have been proposed as a rapid alternative. For viruses having a single-stranded, negative-sense RNA genome, standard qRT-PCR assays do not distinguish betAuthorsMaureen K. Purcell, S. Alexandra Hart, Gael Kurath, James R. WintonConservation of Toll-like receptor signaling pathways in teleost fish
In mammals, toll-like receptors (TLR) recognize ligands, including pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs), and respond with ligand-specific induction of genes. In this study, we establish evolutionary conservation in teleost fish of key components of the TLR-signaling pathway that act as switches for differential gene induction, including MYD88, TIRAP, TRIF, TRAF6, IRF3, and IRF7. We furthAuthorsM. K. Purcell, K.D. Smith, A. Aderem, L. Hood, J. R. Winton, J.C. RoachGenetic effects of ELISA-based segregation for control of bacterial kidney disease in Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha)
We evaluated genetic variation in ability of Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) to resist two bacterial pathogens: Renibacterium salmoninarum, the agent of bacterial kidney disease (BKD), and Listonella anguillarum, an agent of vibriosis. After measuring R. salmoninarum antigen in 499 adults by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), we mated each of 12 males with high or low antigen levAuthorsJ.J. Hard, D.G. Elliott, R.J. Pascho, D.M. Chase, L.K. Park, J. R. Winton, D.E. Campton - News
*Disclaimer: Listing outside positions with professional scientific organizations on this Staff Profile are for informational purposes only and do not constitute an endorsement of those professional scientific organizations or their activities by the USGS, Department of the Interior, or U.S. Government