Location: Livestock Arthropod Pest Research Unit
Project Number: 3094-10400-001-013-S
Project Type: Non-Assistance Cooperative Agreement
Start Date: Aug 15, 2026
End Date: Aug 14, 2028
Objective:
This project will characterize the function of chemical receptors in the New World screwworm (NWS) fly, Cochliomyia hominivorax, which is a significant threat to animal health in the United States. Our main objective will be to discover volatile odor compounds that can be used as lures to enhance existing trapping systems for NWS surveillance and control. Studies describing NWS chemoreceptor activation are lacking, leaving a significant gap in our understanding of the molecular genetic basis for host attraction in this species. The intended beneficiaries are stakeholders at multiple levels, including USDA-Animal Plant Health Inspection Service operational managers, USDA-ARS scientists, livestock producers, U.S. meat and dairy industry, State Departments of Agriculture and Animal Health Commissions, International Agricultural Ministries, wildlife managers, and other researchers studying Dipteran pest species.
Approach:
We will utilize the Xenopus laevis oocyte expression platform and the two-electrode voltage clamping (TEVC) technique to investigate the activation properties of New World screwworm (NWS) chemical receptors. We have used this approach to successfully identify ligands for chemical receptors in other flies. Our investigations will focus on chemical receptors that mediate volatile compound sensing in NWS and are therefore the most likely to be involved in host attraction and/or mate recognition. Our approach will allow us to define the long-range chemosensory abilities of NWS and to discover compounds that can be used as attractive lures to enhance current surveillance and trapping technologies.