IU researchers use ‘coral corral’ to tackle rising antibiotic resistance

IU researchers use ‘coral corral’ to tackle rising antibiotic resistance

IU researchers use coral corral

In an unexpected setting deep inside Indiana University Bloomington, scientists are turning fragile coral ecosystems into powerful research tools to confront one of the world’s most serious health threats: antibiotic resistance.

Located in the basement of the university’s Biology Building, a small saltwater tank — informally called the coral corral — is home to living corals that are helping researchers study how harmful bacteria behave and spread. The project is led by Julia van Kessel, an associate professor of biology, alongside Laura Brown, a teaching professor of chemistry and startup cofounder.

Despite Indiana being far from the ocean, the coral lab plays a crucial role in understanding aquatic pathogens that threaten both marine ecosystems and human health. According to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, antibiotic-resistant infections are responsible for millions of illnesses and tens of thousands of deaths across the country each year.

Maintaining coral in a laboratory environment is no easy task. Van Kessel explained that coral survival depends on an extremely delicate balance, with factors such as water chemistry, temperature, and even transportation stress capable of causing sudden losses.

Corals are incredibly sensitive, she noted, adding that her team must constantly monitor the tank to ensure stable conditions. Recently, several corals failed to survive, leaving only a few remaining specimens — a reminder of how fragile these organisms truly are.

Ironically, this vulnerability is what makes coral such an effective research subject. As coral reefs worldwide face widespread decline due to disease and climate stress, studying coral pathogens offers valuable insight into how bacteria communicate, evolve, and resist treatment.

Beyond its scientific goals, the coral corral also serves as a hands-on learning environment. Undergraduate students are actively involved, gaining real-world research experience while contributing to studies that could shape future approaches to fighting antibiotic resistance.

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Interrupting infection

IU researchers use coral corral

Before coral are used for experiments at Indiana University, they are first placed in a special mother tank where they slowly adjust to the lab environment. Bathed in blue light inside aquaculture trays, these corals grow only about 5 to 6 centimeters per year, yet they are still considered fast-growing compared to many other coral species. Their slow and sensitive growth highlights just how delicate coral ecosystems are.

Beyond maintaining the coral lab, Julia van Kessel has taken the research a step further by launching a biotech startup called Quornix in 2023. She cofounded the company with Laura Brown, a teaching professor of chemistry, to develop new ways of fighting infections without relying on traditional antibiotics.

Quornix focuses on a biological process known as quorum sensing — the method bacteria use to communicate with one another. Instead of acting alone, bacteria release small chemical signals and wait until enough of them are present before activating genes that cause disease.

The team is especially interested in Vibrio, a marine bacterium that can infect coral and spread to fish, shrimp, oysters, and even humans.

Causing disease is really about survival, van Kessel explained. “These bacteria are trying to access nutrients. It makes more sense for them to wait until they have enough numbers rather than attacking alone.

Rather than killing bacteria outright, van Kessel believes infections could be stopped by blocking bacterial communication. If quorum sensing is disrupted, bacteria fail to recognize strength in numbers and never switch on their infection-causing behavior.

To test this idea, Brown’s undergraduate research students help design and supply chemical compounds that may interfere with quorum sensing. These compounds are then tested to see whether they can prevent Vibrio from coordinating an attack.

What makes the project unique is its strong educational focus. Each semester, students actively contribute to real experiments while learning chemistry, biology, and research methods hands-on.

While progress in coral disease research takes time, Quornix has already achieved promising results in shrimp health, where quorum-sensing disruption has shown success against Vibrio infections.

The startup is managed by Chelsea Simpson, an Indiana University alumna who serves as both general manager and principal investigator. Alongside overseeing daily operations, she leads laboratory research aimed at protecting shrimp from bacterial disease — work that could have major implications for global aquaculture and food security.

 

From shrimp farms to human health

At Quornix, Chelsea Simpson plays a dual role as both general manager and principal investigator, focusing her research on bacterial infections that threaten shrimp populations. Her work highlights a growing global concern: shrimp have become one of the most affordable and widely consumed sources of protein worldwide, yet disease continues to devastate production.

According to industry estimates, shrimp farmers lose nearly 40% of their harvest each year due to infections. These losses don’t just affect food supply — they also place a heavy financial burden on aquaculture operations.

Disease-related losses cost the aquaculture sector close to $4 billion annually, Simpson explained. Farmers aren’t only losing shrimp; they’re also losing the money and effort invested in preparing ponds, feed systems, and infrastructure long before harvesting begins.

While Quornix’s current research centers on stopping Vibrio infections in shrimp, the company’s long-term vision reaches far beyond aquaculture. Its leadership hopes that quorum-sensing–based therapies could be adapted to protect other marine species and eventually contribute to human health treatments, offering an alternative to traditional antibiotics.

The innovative nature of Quornix’s approach has already gained national recognition. In 2025, the startup received both the Environmental Award and the Grand Prize at the Cade Prize for Inventivity, honoring its work in developing new therapeutic technologies for aquaculture with promising applications across marine and medical fields.

From Biosciences to Business

From Biosciences to Business

Julia van Kessel, Chelsea Simpson, and Laura Brown recently celebrated as recipients of the Cade Museum’s Inventivity Grand Prize, receiving giant checks for $10,000 and $50,000. In addition to the cash award, their startup, Quornix, will benefit from product development guidance and legal support provided by the museum. Photo by James Vavrek, Indiana University

Quornix’s growth isn’t fueled solely by prizes—it also gains momentum from local academic support. At the Kelley School of Business, senior lecturer George Telthorst selects a local bioscience startup each semester to collaborate with students enrolled in his course, The Life Sciences Industry from Research to Patient, part of the Certificate in the Business of Life Sciences program.

This semester, Telthorst partnered with Quornix, allowing undergraduate and graduate students to propose solutions to business and marketing challenges presented by van Kessel, Brown, and Simpson. Chelsea Simpson, who completed the course and certificate in 2024, viewed the collaboration as mutually beneficial: the startup gains fresh insights, while students gain real-world experience with a company actively addressing industry challenges.