Award details

Developing genetic control methods for arthropod vectors

Reference	BBS/E/I/00001892
Principal Investigator / Supervisor	Dr Luke Alphey
Co-Investigators / Co-Supervisors
Institution	The Pirbright Institute
Department	The Pirbright Institute Department
Funding type	Research
Value (£)	942,301
Status	Completed
Type	Institute Project
Start date	01/02/2014
End date	31/03/2017
Duration	37 months

Abstract

Arthropod pests transmit or vector viral pathogens causing morbidity, suffering and economic harms to animals and humans. The best known such arthropod vectors may be mosquitoes, but mites and ticks, as well as other insects, are also significant disease vectors. We aim to develop new genetics-based control tools to supplement and complement existing control methods. We can use the natural propensity of the pest arthropod to seek out and mate the opposite sex as the basis for highly specific control methods targeted on the pest arthropod with minimal off-target effects. We focus on two broad approaches, aiming either (i) to reduce the numerical size of the pest population – “population suppression”, also the aim of most conventional approaches such as the use of insecticidal chemicals or (ii) to reduce the ability of the mosquito to transmit a specific pathogen, or set of pathogens. We are also exploring ways to introduce such genes into target pest populations. In each case we take a synthetic biology approach, with systematic laboratory development combined with mathematical modelling.

Summary

unavailable

Committee	Not funded via Committee
Research Topics	Animal Health, Synthetic Biology
Research Priority	X – Research Priority information not available
Research Initiative	X - not in an Initiative
Funding Scheme	X – not Funded via a specific Funding Scheme

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