Rey-Varela, DiegoDiéguez, Ana L.Rodríguez, SergioDinçtürk, EzgiVillada, AntíaOjea, JustaPolo, DavidDubert, Javier2026-05-082026-05-082026-04-14Rey-Varela, D., Diéguez, A.L., Rodriguez, S., Dinçtürk, E., Villada, A., Ojea, J., Polo, D., Dubert, J., 2026. Development of conventional and quantitative PCR assays for the detection of Vibrio europaeus using a Species-Specific gene identified from the pangenome. Journal of Invertebrate Pathology 217, 108624. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jip.2026.1086241096-08050022-2011https://hdl.handle.net/2183/48205[Abstract] Vibriosis, specifically caused by Vibrio europaeus, significantly impacts bivalve aquaculture through severe mortalities mainly at early stages. Developing specific diagnostic tools has been hindered by a lack of reliable molecular targets. Using a pangenomic approach via our custom pipeline, PanGenAmp, we identified the gene ktrA as a highly specific marker. Novel conventional and quantitative PCR (qPCR) assays were developed based on ktrA, demonstrating high sensitivity and accuracy. These PCR tools fill a critical diagnostic gap, enabling early pathogen detection and improved biosecurity to mitigate the economic consequences of V. europaeus outbreaks in shellfish hatcheries.engAttribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 Internationalhttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/Vibrio europaeusPangenome approachSpecies-specific genesPathogen detectionVibriosis outbreakjournal articleopen access10.1016/j.jip.2026.108624