Location: Arthropod-borne Animal Diseases Research
Project Number: 3020-10400-001-014-S
Project Type: Non-Assistance Cooperative Agreement
Start Date: Jul 1, 2026
End Date: Jun 30, 2029
Objective:
Advance understanding of the physiology of a livestock insect vector using multi-omics approaches to aid in developing better control measures. Provide the first characterization of the metabolome of any Culicoides biting midge species. Asses the metabolic and transcriptional responses to key stressors: pesticide exposure, viral infection, desiccation, and temperature.
Approach:
(USDA-ARS) will maintain Culicoides midge colonies, conduct controlled exposure experiments to the defined stressors, and collect biological samples for downstream analyses. ARS aboratory will also perform RNA sequencing and analysis of said samples. (CSU) will perform comprehensive systems-level analyses of the collected samples, including untargeted liquid-chromatography mass spectrometry (LC-MS) for metabolomics and lipidomics, data acquisition, processing, and interpretation, as well as preparation of results for reporting. Both laboratories will work collaboratively to design experiments, refine analytical approaches, interpret findings, and prepare manuscripts for publication.