Performing Department
(N/A)
Non Technical Summary
This projectsfocuses on spotted-wing drosophila (SWD; D. suzukii), a potent, invasive agricultural pest that causes over $700M in annual damage to berries and stone fruit in the U.S. Growers relying on chemical insecticides urgently need more targeted, effective SWD management tools. Precision-guided sterile insect technique (pgSIT) is a new genetic engineering approach that produces sterile males, allowing for the suppression of wild SWD populations. The ffective widespread release of these GE insects requires federal regulatory assessment, including evaluation of pgSIT-SWD dispersal. Our proposed research investigates the scale and logic of pgSIT-SWD dispersal using a variety of novel computer vision approaches. We will compare the flight endurance and navigation ability of pgSIT-SWD males to wild-type flies (Objective 1). We will test the dispersal speed and distance of pgSIT-SWD at a landscape scale (Objective 2). Finally, we will test the hypothesis that protein starvation enhances pgSIT-SWD flight dispersal (Objective 3). Our objectives align with the BRAG program goal of developing methods for monitoring the dispersal of GE organisms, both through our large-scale field studies and phenotypic comparison with wild variants. Our research will allow regulators to assess the safety and efficacy of pgSIT-SWD, with benefits to agricultural stakeholders. Furthermore, our work will establish generalizable tools applicable to studying the dispersal of other small, mobile GE organisms.
Animal Health Component
50%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
50%
Applied
50%
Developmental
(N/A)
Goals / Objectives
This project's primary isto evaluatethe dispersal behavior of genetically sterilized spotted-wing Drosophila (SWD), which is aserious worldwideagricultural pest for berries and stone fruit. Precision-guided sterile insect techniqueis an emerging genetic engineering approach that produces sterile males, allowing for the poential suppression of wild SWD populations. Our project has three specific objectives: 1) Tocompare the flight endurance and navigation ability of pgSIT-SWD males to wild-type flies; 2) Totest the dispersal speed and distance of pgSIT-SWD at a landscape scale; 3) To test the hypothesis that protein starvation enhances pgSIT-SWD flight dispersal (Objective 3).The research will provide regulators essential data to assess the safety and efficacy of pgSIT-SWD, with benefits to agricultural stakeholders.Furthermore, the work will establish tools that are broadly useful for studyinghe dispersal of other small, mobile GE organisms.
Project Methods
To track thecontinuous navigation behavior of fruit flies, we will use a magnetic tether flight arena. This is a custom-built apparatus in which insects steer normally while flying, rotating their body axis, but cannot displace forward. This tether allows us to track a single fly's heading during visually-guided navigation in controlled, laboratory conditions.To monitorthe dispersal of a large population of insects on a landscape scale, we use a novel release-and-recapture approach usinga grid of computerized camera traps. Each trap contains a low-cost programmable Raspberry Pi computer connected to a 12MP camera, which points down on a set of funnels leading to a baited area. The cameras collect images continuously and offline computer vision methods determine the arrival time of individual views. This method provides a more quantitative, precise view of insect movement than typical release-and-recapure experiments.