Timothy Bruce

DEGREES EARNED

• Ph.D. in Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences (2016) South Dakota State University, SD USA
• M.S. Biology (2011) Purdue University-Fort Wayne, IN, USA
• BMSc. Medical Sciences (2008), University of Western Ontario, Canada

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS

• Member, National Aquaculture Association (Since 2021)

• Member, American Society of Microbiology (Since 2023)

• Member, Alabama Chapter of the American Fisheries Society (Since 2021)

• Member, Fish Health Section of the American Fisheries Society (Since 2017)

• Member, Fish Culture Section of the American Fisheries Society (Since 2017)

• Member, United States Aquaculture Society (Since 2016)

• Member, World Aquaculture Society (Since 2014)

• Member, American Fisheries Society (Since 2012)

• Host-pathogen interactions
• Mechanisms of virulence in emerging fish pathogens and the fish immune response
• Nutritional aspects of fish health (including alternative feed ingredients and feed-based therapeutants/immunostimulants)
• Aquaculture vaccine design, optimization, and delivery strategies
• Characterization of the immune response and pathogen susceptibility in up-and-coming fish species with production potential

RECENT COURSES TAUGHT

RECENT OR SELECT PUBLICATIONS

• Cacot, G., Davis, D.A., LaFrentz, B.R., Liles, M.R., Butts, I.A.E., Shoemaker, C.A., Beck, B.H., Farmer, M., and T.J. Bruce. Assessment of dietary yeast-based additives for cultured catfish and tilapia health. Journal of Fish Diseases (In Press).
• Wang, J., Xing, D., Bruce, T.J., Li, S., Bern, L., Shang, M., Johnson, A., Simora, R.M. C., Coogan, M., Hettiarachchi, D., Wang, W., Hasin, T., Al-Armanazi, J., Lu, C., and R.A. Dunham. Generation of eco-friendly channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus, harboring alligator cathelicidin gene with robust disease resistance by harnessing different CRISPR/Cas9-mediated systems. Engineering (In Press).
• Wise, A.L., B.R. LaFrentz, A.M. Kelly, M.R. Liles, M.J. Griffin, B.H. Beck, and T.J. Bruce. 2024. Coinfection of channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) with virulent Aeromonas hydrophila and Flavobacterium covae exacerbates mortality. Journal of Fish Diseases (In Press).
• Oladipupo, A., Kelly, A.M., Davis, D.A, and T.J. Bruce. 2024. Investigation of growth and immune responses in channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) following the feeding of dietary immunostimulants and varying levels of protein. Journal of Fish Diseases (In Press).
• Wang, J., Torres, I.M., Shang, M., Al-Armanazi, J., Dilawar, H., Hettiarachchi, D.U., Paladines-Parrales, A., Chambers, B., Pottle, K., Soman, M. and Wise, A.L., Simora, R.M.C., Bruce, T.J., and Dunham, R.A. 2024. Direct and pleiotropic effects of antimicrobial peptide transgene integration on reproductive, growth regulating, and non-coding loci in channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus). Agriculture Communications 2(2), 100044.
• Wang, H., Su, B., Zhang, Y., Shang, M., Li, S., Xing, D., Wang, J., Bern, L., Johnson, A., Al-Armanazi, J., Hasin, T., Hettiarachchi, D., Parrales, A., Dilawar, H., Bruce, T.J., Dunham, R.A., and X. Wang. 2024. From heterosis to outbreeding depression: Genotype-by-environment interaction shifts hybrid fitness in opposite directions. Genetics, iyae090.
• Oladipupo, A., Stuart, K.R., T.J. Bruce, Drawbridge, M.A., and Davis D.A. 2024. Practical diets for California yellowtail, Seriola dorsalis: Use of advanced soybean meal products on growth performance, body composition, intestinal morphology, and immune gene expression. PLoS One 19(6), e0304679.
• Wang, H., Su, B., Zhang, Y., Shang, M., Wang, J., Johnson, A., Dilawar, H., Bruce, T.J., Dunham, R. and Wang, X. 2023. Transcriptome analysis revealed potential mechanisms of channel catfish growth advantage over blue catfish in tank culture environment. Frontiers in Genetics 15, p.1341555.
• Bruce, T.J., Trettin, C.C., Noel, Z.A., Chow, A.T., Warden, K., and T. M. Farmer. 2024. A case study of epizootic ulcerative syndrome (EUS) caused by Aphanomyces invadans in Eastern Mosquitofish (Gambusia holbrooki) from the headwaters of Charleston Harbor, South Carolina. Journal of Fish Diseases 47(3), e13895.
• LaFrentz, B.R., Khoo, L.H., Lawrence, M.L., Petrie-Hanson, L., Hanson, L.A., Hemstreet, W.G., Kelly, A.M., García, J.C., Shelley, J.P., Johnston, A.E., Bruce, T.J., and Matt J. Griffin. 2024. Flavobacterium covae is the predominant species of columnaris-causing bacteria impacting the challenge catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) industry in the southeastern USA. Journal of Aquatic Animal Health 36(1), 3-15.
• Bruce, T.J., Abernathy, J.W., Tripp, N., Barnes, N., Harrison, C.E., Oladipupo, A.A., Krol, J.D., Wise, A.L., Warg, J.V., and J.A. Stoeckel. 2024. White spot syndrome virus (WSSV) in Alabama red swamp crayfish (Procambarus clarkii). Journal of Fish Diseases 47(2), e13873.
• Mathua, M., Oliver, L.P., Bruce, T.J., and K.D. Cain. 2024. Optimizing early weaning protocols for burbot (Lota lota) larvae. North American Journal of Aquaculture 86(1), 141-153.
• Hess, H.N., Strader, M.E., Montague, H.R., Bruce, T.J., Aguilar, G.L., Sorensen, S., Jenkins, L.E., Roy, L.A., Dunham, R.A., and I.A.E. Butts. 2024. Molecular biomarkers for speedy sperm in an economically important fish: Blue catfish, Ictalurus furcatus. Aquaculture 579, 740220.
• Padeniya, U., Davis, D.A., Liles, M.R., LaFrentz, S.A., LaFrentz, B.R., Shoemaker, C.A., Beck, H., Wells, D.E., and T.J. Bruce. 2023. Immune responses in Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) reared in biofloc systems and associated susceptibility to Streptococcus iniae following probiotic feeding. Journal of Fish Diseases 46(10), 1137-1149.
• Oliver, L.P., Bruce, T.J., Gulen, S., Jones, E.M., Vuglar, B.M., Brown, M.L., and K.D. Cain. 2023. The effect of partial fishmeal replacement with soy products: Performance, gastric evacuation rate, and digestibility in grow-out stage burbot (Lota lota maculosa). North American Journal of Aquaculture 85(4), 378-394.
• Tuttle, J.T., Bruce, T.J., Butts, I.A.E., Roy, L.A., Abdelrahman, H., Beck, B.H., and A.M. Kelly. 2023. Investigating the ability of Edwardsiella ictaluri and Flavobacterium covae to persist within commercial catfish pond sediments under laboratory conditions. Pathogens 12(7), 871
• Wang, J., Su, B., Al-Armanazi, J., Wise, A.L., Shang, M., Bern, L., Li, S., Xing, D., Johnson, A., Wang, W., Hettiarachchi, D.U., Coogan, M., Bruce, T.J., and R.A. Dunham. 2023. Integration of alligator cathelicidin gene via two CRISPR/Cas9-assisted systems enhances bacterial resistance in blue catfish (Ictalurus furcatus). Aquaculture 576, 739860.
• Wang, J., Su, B., Bruce, T.J., Wise, A.L., Bern, L., Zeng, P., Cao G., Simora, R.M. C., Bern, L., Shang, M., Li, S., Xing, D., Wang, W., Johnson, A., Coogan, M., Hettiarachchi, D.U., Al-Armanazi, J., Farias, R.S., and R.A. Dunham. 2023. CRISPR/Cas9- microinjection of transgenic embryos enhances the dual-gene integration efficiency of antimicrobial peptide genes for bacterial resistance in channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus. Aquaculture 575, 739725.
• Oliver, L.P., Bruce, T.J., Ma, J., Jones, E.M., and K.D. Cain. 2023. Development of a monoclonal antibody      specific to burbot (Lota lota) IgM and optimization of an ELISA to measure anti-Aeromonas antibody titers following pathogen challenge. Fish and Shellfish Immunology 137, 108775.
• Ma, J., J.T. Trushenski, E.M. Jones, T.J. Bruce, L.P. Oliver, B.M. Vuglar, D.G. McKenney, G. Kurath, and K.D. Cain. 2023. Characterization of maternal immunity following vaccination of broodstock against IHNv or Flavobacterium psychrophilum in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). Fish and Shellfish Immunology 137, 108749.
• Tuttle, J.T., Bruce, T.J., Abdelrahman, H., Roy, L.A., Butts, I.A.E., Beck, B.H., and A.M. 2023. Persistence of a wild type virulent Aeromonas hydrophila isolate in pond sediments from commercial catfish ponds: A laboratory study. Veterinary Sciences 10(3), 236.
• Wise, A.L., B.R. LaFrentz, A.M. Kelly, M.R. Liles, M.J. Griffin, B.H. Beck, and T.J. Bruce. 2023. Infection dynamics of experimental Edwardsiella ictaluri, and Flavobacterium covae coinfection in channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus). Pathogens 12(3), 462.
• Lange, M.D, Churchman, E., Wise, A.L., and T.J. Bruce. 2023. A recombinant 9E1 monoclonal antibody binds membrane and soluble channel catfish immunoglobulin M. Fish and Shellfish Immunology Reports 4, 100086.
• Aguilar, G.L., Sakmar, J., Nicholls, A., Litvak, M.K., Hess, H.N., Bruce, T.J., Montague, H.R., Kelly, A.M., Roy, L.A., Bernal. M.A., Politis, S. N., and I.A.E. Butts. 2023. Effects of temperature and subspecies during critical early life history stages of largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides). Aquaculture 570,
• Watson, T.R., T.J. Bruce, J. Ma, and K.D. Cain. 2023. Evaluation of Renibacterium salmoninarum strains in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) via injection and immersion challenge. Journal of Aquatic Animal Health 35, 34-40.
• Nguyen, K., Bruce, T.J., Afe, O.E., Liles, M.R., Beck, B.H., and D.A. Davis. 2022. Growth performance, survival, blood chemistry, and immune gene expression of channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) fed probiotic-supplemented diets. Veterinary Sciences 9(12):701.
• Padeniya, U., Davis, D.A., Wells, D.E., and T.J. Bruce. 2022. Microbial interactions, growth, and health of aquatic species in biofloc systems. Water 14(24):4019.
• Faye, R., Fall, J., Kane, Y. Bruce, T.J., and R. Bada Alambedji. 2022. Non-infectious and infectious pathological patterns in tilapia and catfish: A review of the literature on causes and clinical manifestations. International Journal of Advanced Research 10:972-993.
• Bledsoe, J.W., J. Ma, K.D. Cain, T.J. Bruce, A. Rawles, J. Abernathy, T.L. Welker, and K. Overturf. 2022. Multi-tissue RNAseq reveals genetic and temporal differences in response to acute viral (IHNV) infection among three selected lines of rainbow trout with varying resistance. Fish and Shellfish Immunology 124:343-361.
• Wang, H., T.J. Bruce, B. Su, S. Li, R.A. Dunham, and X. Wang. 2022. Environmental dependent heterosis and transgressive gene expression in reciprocal hybrids between the channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) and the blue catfish (Ictalurus furcatus). Biology 11(1):117.
• Ma, J., E. Casadei, T.J. Bruce, A. Sephahi, K.D. Cain, and I Salinas. 2022. Long-term efficacy of nasal vaccination against enteric red mouth (ERM) disease and infectious hematopoietic necrosis (IHN) virus in juvenile rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). Vaccine 40(2):2129-238.
• Wise, A.L., B.R. LaFrentz, A.M. Kelly, L. Khoo, T. Xu, M.R. Liles, and T.J. Bruce. 2021. A review of bacterial co-infections in farmed catfish: Components, diagnostics, and treatment directions. Animals 11(11):3240.
• Bruce, T.J.,P. Oliver, J. Ma, B.C. Small, R.W. Hardy, M.L. Brown, S.R. Craig, and K.D. Cain. 2021. An initial evaluation of fishmeal replacement with soy protein sources on the growth and immune response of burbot (Lota lota maculosa). Aquaculture 545:737157.
• Walsh, S., Davis, R., Weldon, A., Reis, J., Stites, W., Rhodes, M., Ibarra-Castro, L., Bruce, T.J.,  and D.A. Davis. 2021. Effects of fishmeal replacement, attractants, and taurine removal on juvenile and sub-adult red snapper (Lutjanus campechanus). Aquaculture 544:737054.
• Bruce, T.J., Ma, P.S. Sudheesh, and K.D. Cain. 2021. Quantification and comparison of gene expression associated with iron regulation and metabolism in a virulent and attenuated strain of Flavobacterium psychrophilum. Journal of Fish Diseases 44(7):949-960.
• Bruce, T.J., Ma, E.M. Jones, B.M. Vuglar, L.P. Oliver, C. Knupp, T.P. Loch, and K.D. Cain. 2021. Assessment of Flavobacterium psychrophilum-associated mortality in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) and brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis). Journal of Fish Diseases 44(5):645-653.