Rachel Powers
(She/her)I am a Public Affairs Specialist at the Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center
I worked as a biology laboratory technician in the field of aquatic animal health for over 10 years, then transitioned to a role in science communication. As part of the Science & Data Delivery Program at FRESC, I get to read all the fascinating and diverse scientific publications produced by our researchers and find ways to communicate their findings to the general public and our partners using language anyone can understand.
Professional Experience
2024 - Present: Public Affairs Specialist, U.S. Geological Survey, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Seattle, WA
2010 - 2023: Biological Science Technician, U.S. Geological Survey, Western Fisheries Research Center, Seattle, WA
Education and Certifications
B.S., Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA (2010)
Honors and Awards
2021- Department of the Interior, Unit Award for Excellence of Service awarded to the Quality Management System Work Group
2012 – U.S. Geological Survey, Western States Diversity Award group award to Fish Health Section
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 19
Optimization of a Plaque Neutralization Test (PNT) to identify the exposure history of Pacific Herring to viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus (VHSV)
Methods for a plaque neutralization test (PNT) were optimized for the detection and quantification of viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus (VHSV) neutralizing activity in the plasma of Pacific Herring Clupea pallasii. The PNT was complement dependent, as neutralizing activity was attenuated by heat inactivation; further, neutralizing activity was mostly restored by the addition of exogenous compleme
Authors
Lucas Hart, Ashley MacKenzie, Maureen K. Purcell, Rachel L. Thompson, Paul Hershberger
Inhibition of an aquatic rhabdovirus demonstrates promise of a broad-spectrum antiviral for use in aquaculture
Many enveloped viruses cause devastating disease in aquaculture, resulting in significant economic impact. LJ001 is a broad-spectrum antiviral compound that inhibits enveloped virus infections by specifically targeting phospholipids in the lipid bilayer via the production of singlet oxygen (1O2). This stabilizes positive curvature and decreases membrane fluidity, which inhibits virus-cell membrane
Authors
Bethany F. Balmer, Rachel L. Powers, Ting-Hu Zhang, Jihye Lee, Frederic Vigant, Benhur Lee, Michael E. Jung, Maureen K. Purcell, Kevin Snekvik, Hector C. Aguilar
Identification of the major capsid protein of erythrocytic necrosis virus (ENV) and development of quantitative real-time PCR assays for quantification of ENV DNA
Viral erythrocytic necrosis (VEN) is a disease of marine and anadromous fish that is caused by the erythrocytic necrosis virus (ENV), which was recently identified as a novel member of family Iridoviridae by next-generation sequencing. Phylogenetic analysis of the ENV DNA polymerase grouped ENV with other erythrocytic iridoviruses from snakes and lizards. In the present study, we identified the ge
Authors
Maureen K. Purcell, Schuyler Pearman-Gillman, Rachel L. Thompson, Jacob L. Gregg, Lucas M. Hart, James R. Winton, Eveline J. Emmenegger, Paul K. Hershberger
Ichthyophonus parasite phylogeny based on ITS rDNA structure prediction and alignment identifies six clades, with a single dominant marine type
Despite their widespread, global impact in both wild and cultured fishes, little is known of the diversity, transmission patterns, and phylogeography of parasites generally identified as Ichthyophonus. This study constructed a phylogeny based on the structural alignment of internal transcribed spacer (ITS) rDNA sequences to compare Ichthyophonus isolates from fish hosts in the Atlantic and Pacific
Authors
Jacob Gregg, Rachel L. Thompson, Maureen K. Purcell, Carolyn S. Friedman, Paul Hershberger
Piscine reovirus, but not Jaundice Syndrome, was transmissible to Chinook Salmon, Oncorhynchus tshawytscha (Walbaum), Sockeye Salmon, Oncorhynchus nerka (Walbaum), and Atlantic Salmon, Salmo salar L.
A Jaundice Syndrome occurs sporadically among sea-pen-farmed Chinook Salmon in British Columbia, the westernmost province of Canada. Affected salmon are easily identified by a distinctive yellow discolouration of the abdominal and periorbital regions. Through traditional diagnostics, no bacterial or viral agents were cultured from tissues of jaundiced Chinook Salmon; however, piscine reovirus (PRV
Authors
Kyle A. Garver, Gary D. Marty, Sarah N. Cockburn, Jon Richard, Laura M. Hawley, Anita Müller, Rachel L. Thompson, Maureen K. Purcell, Sonja M. Saksida
Distribution and transmission of the highly pathogenic parasite Ichthyophonus in marine fishes of Alaska
A combination of field surveys, molecular typing, and laboratory experiments were used to improve our understanding of the distribution and transmission mechanisms of fish parasites in the genus Ichthyophonus. Ichthyophonus spp. infections were detected from the Bering Sea to the coast of Oregon in 10 of 13 host species surveyed. Sequences of rDNA extracted from these isolates indicate that a ubiq
Authors
Jacob L. Gregg, Courtney A. Grady, Rachel L. Thompson, Maureen K. Purcell, Carolyn S. Friedman, Paul K. Hershberger
Universal reverse-transcriptase real-time PCR for infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus (IHNV)
Infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus (IHNV) is an acute pathogen of salmonid fishes in North America, Europe and Asia and is reportable to the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE). Phylogenetic analysis has identified 5 major virus genogroups of IHNV worldwide, designated U, M, L, E and J; multiple subtypes also exist within those genogroups. Here, we report the development and validation
Authors
Maureen K. Purcell, Rachel L. Thompson, Kyle A. Garver, Laura M. Hawley, William N. Batts, Laura Sprague, Corie Sampson, James R. Winton
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 19
Optimization of a Plaque Neutralization Test (PNT) to identify the exposure history of Pacific Herring to viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus (VHSV)
Methods for a plaque neutralization test (PNT) were optimized for the detection and quantification of viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus (VHSV) neutralizing activity in the plasma of Pacific Herring Clupea pallasii. The PNT was complement dependent, as neutralizing activity was attenuated by heat inactivation; further, neutralizing activity was mostly restored by the addition of exogenous compleme
Authors
Lucas Hart, Ashley MacKenzie, Maureen K. Purcell, Rachel L. Thompson, Paul Hershberger
Inhibition of an aquatic rhabdovirus demonstrates promise of a broad-spectrum antiviral for use in aquaculture
Many enveloped viruses cause devastating disease in aquaculture, resulting in significant economic impact. LJ001 is a broad-spectrum antiviral compound that inhibits enveloped virus infections by specifically targeting phospholipids in the lipid bilayer via the production of singlet oxygen (1O2). This stabilizes positive curvature and decreases membrane fluidity, which inhibits virus-cell membrane
Authors
Bethany F. Balmer, Rachel L. Powers, Ting-Hu Zhang, Jihye Lee, Frederic Vigant, Benhur Lee, Michael E. Jung, Maureen K. Purcell, Kevin Snekvik, Hector C. Aguilar
Identification of the major capsid protein of erythrocytic necrosis virus (ENV) and development of quantitative real-time PCR assays for quantification of ENV DNA
Viral erythrocytic necrosis (VEN) is a disease of marine and anadromous fish that is caused by the erythrocytic necrosis virus (ENV), which was recently identified as a novel member of family Iridoviridae by next-generation sequencing. Phylogenetic analysis of the ENV DNA polymerase grouped ENV with other erythrocytic iridoviruses from snakes and lizards. In the present study, we identified the ge
Authors
Maureen K. Purcell, Schuyler Pearman-Gillman, Rachel L. Thompson, Jacob L. Gregg, Lucas M. Hart, James R. Winton, Eveline J. Emmenegger, Paul K. Hershberger
Ichthyophonus parasite phylogeny based on ITS rDNA structure prediction and alignment identifies six clades, with a single dominant marine type
Despite their widespread, global impact in both wild and cultured fishes, little is known of the diversity, transmission patterns, and phylogeography of parasites generally identified as Ichthyophonus. This study constructed a phylogeny based on the structural alignment of internal transcribed spacer (ITS) rDNA sequences to compare Ichthyophonus isolates from fish hosts in the Atlantic and Pacific
Authors
Jacob Gregg, Rachel L. Thompson, Maureen K. Purcell, Carolyn S. Friedman, Paul Hershberger
Piscine reovirus, but not Jaundice Syndrome, was transmissible to Chinook Salmon, Oncorhynchus tshawytscha (Walbaum), Sockeye Salmon, Oncorhynchus nerka (Walbaum), and Atlantic Salmon, Salmo salar L.
A Jaundice Syndrome occurs sporadically among sea-pen-farmed Chinook Salmon in British Columbia, the westernmost province of Canada. Affected salmon are easily identified by a distinctive yellow discolouration of the abdominal and periorbital regions. Through traditional diagnostics, no bacterial or viral agents were cultured from tissues of jaundiced Chinook Salmon; however, piscine reovirus (PRV
Authors
Kyle A. Garver, Gary D. Marty, Sarah N. Cockburn, Jon Richard, Laura M. Hawley, Anita Müller, Rachel L. Thompson, Maureen K. Purcell, Sonja M. Saksida
Distribution and transmission of the highly pathogenic parasite Ichthyophonus in marine fishes of Alaska
A combination of field surveys, molecular typing, and laboratory experiments were used to improve our understanding of the distribution and transmission mechanisms of fish parasites in the genus Ichthyophonus. Ichthyophonus spp. infections were detected from the Bering Sea to the coast of Oregon in 10 of 13 host species surveyed. Sequences of rDNA extracted from these isolates indicate that a ubiq
Authors
Jacob L. Gregg, Courtney A. Grady, Rachel L. Thompson, Maureen K. Purcell, Carolyn S. Friedman, Paul K. Hershberger
Universal reverse-transcriptase real-time PCR for infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus (IHNV)
Infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus (IHNV) is an acute pathogen of salmonid fishes in North America, Europe and Asia and is reportable to the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE). Phylogenetic analysis has identified 5 major virus genogroups of IHNV worldwide, designated U, M, L, E and J; multiple subtypes also exist within those genogroups. Here, we report the development and validation
Authors
Maureen K. Purcell, Rachel L. Thompson, Kyle A. Garver, Laura M. Hawley, William N. Batts, Laura Sprague, Corie Sampson, James R. Winton