China

Sino-American Biological Control Laboratory

The Sino-American Biological Control Laboratory (SABCL) was established in 1988 through an agreement between USDA ARS and the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), and is based in the Institute of Plant Protection in Beijing. The objective of the SABCL is to search for, identify, and evaluate the potential of natural enemies of pest insects, weeds, and plant diseases that affect Chinese and U.S. agriculture, develop biological control agents, and evaluate biodiversity of insects based on DNA barcoding. SABCL has established a collaborative working group with local collaborators, most of whom are from local agricultural research units, academies, and universities from 30 provinces in China. These collaborators help SABCL researchers conduct field surveys for biocontrol agents across China. SABCL has more than 30 years experience in classical biological control and other areas of pest management targeting species that include Asian Longhorn Beetle, salt cedar, soybean aphid, wheat stem sawfly, leafy spurge, emerald ash borer, brown marmorated stink bug, and Drosophila suzukii. As a fundamental part of its research program, SABCL conducts studies in insect physiology, insect taxonomy, and insect biochemistry and molecular biology.

SABCL has two independently controlled greenhouses and three reach-in growth chambers on 600 square meters. The research space is equipped with PCR amplification instrumentation, DNA sequencing instrumentation, computers for DNA sequence alignment and other bioinformatics analysis, anatomical lens and imaging equipment, digital and light dissecting microscopes, phase contact microscopes, refrigerated centrifuges, specimen storage equipment, and insect rearing chambers.

For more information or to discuss potential collaborations please contact ARS OIREC at ARSinternational@usda.gov.