Location: Tropical Pest Genetics and Molecular Biology Research Unit
Project Number: 2040-22430-028-044-I
Project Type: Interagency Reimbursable Agreement
Start Date: Jun 1, 2025
End Date: Nov 30, 2026
Objective:
The primary purpose of this agreement is to address critical knowledge gaps related to the establishment of bacteria in mass reared medfly (Ceratitis capitata) for sterile insect technique. Prior research has identified that mass-reared medfly exhibit marked differences in gut microbial communities compared to wild flies, and that augmentation of bacteria can lead to improved competitiveness of male flies.
In this project, we will focus on how bacteria impact fly physiology and performance. The end products will lead to improvements in SIT by providing probiotic dissemination strategies and providing a list of candidate bacterial isolates. The project has three primary objectives: 1) Evaluate medfly performance metrics in response to bacterial inoculation, 2) Compare impacts of established bacteria on male fruit fly mating performance, and 3) Perform whole genome sequencing to characterize presence of antibiotic resistance gene clusters.
Approach:
Oral inoculations will be conducted using methods developed in previous proposals. Candidate bacteria will be selected based on support from the scientific literature from our culture collection. Bacteria identified by 16S and in the genera Klebsiella, Enterobacter, Citrobacter, and Providencia will be selected in groups of twenty to thirty to compare amongst each other (within a clade). Medfly performance metrics we will initially evaluate include host responses under stress. These experiments will follow general established IAEA protocols, with some modifications to allow for higher throughput screening of isolates and outcomes (FAO/IAEA/USDA, 2019). Fly flight and movement in response to inoculation will be conducted as well.