Progress 08/15/16 to 04/14/17
Outputs
Target Audience:The aim of this project is to develop a new strategy for mosquito control, based on a novel semiochemical blend designed to manipulate the sugar-seeking behavior common to all mosquitoes, rather than the expensive and cumbersome host cues (such as CO2) used in current mosquito traps. All mosquitoes, regardless of sex, physiological state, or host preference, rely predominantly on sugar-based food sources for sustenance. With the Sweet Bait product line, ISCA is developing a semiochemical blend so powerfully attractive to mosquitoes that it out-competes natural plant odors and attractants, and can therefore be used to empower a new strategy of mosquito monitoring and control that will achieve equal or better results than current standards, at a far reduced cost and impact to the environment. We intend to develop three methods by which to deploy this plant based attractant: 1) as a long-lasting monolithic lure--to be developed using our versatile SPLAT emulsion controlled release technology--that can be used either alone or to enhance the attractiveness of a CO2 lure, in virtually any type of trap; 2) blended with an insecticide to create an attract and kill formulation, which will then be deployed in self-contained bait stations in and around at-risk environments (i.e., near outdoor worksites, rural residences, agricultural operations, key mosquito reproductive sites, etc.); and 3) an attractant-laced aerosolized glue to lure and capture mosquitoes at the treated surface. Our bait stations, trap designs, and glue formulations will effectively draw mosquitoes away from prospective hosts, both human and animal, with minimal impacts on the environment and non-target species. As an inexpensive, efficacious, and easy-to-apply mosquito control and monitoring solution specifically designed for outdoor use, this product will decrease vector- and nuisance-mosquito related damages to tourism, agricultural and livestock industries, and human health, while improving employee productivity and quality of life for rural communities throughout the US and in rural regions around the globe. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?We had the chance to present at the American Chemical Society (ACS) National Meeting in DC some of the work we are doing to create semiochemical tools to suppress vectors of disease, including some of the work done with the generous funding of NIFA USDA SBIR. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?We had the chance to present at the American Chemical Society (ACS) National Meeting in DC some of the work we are doing to create semiochemical tools to suppress vectors of disease, including some of the work done with the generous funding of NIFA USDA SBIR. We were lucky. Out of the ~10,000 presentations, ACS decided to do a PR of our work, and then they invited me to do a live broadcasted meet the press event on the 23rd, (i was told that we were one of a"select group" of 18 authors chosen to do the live press out of the entire conference). We presented at the American Chemical Society National Meeting in Washington DC, and they chose our paper for apress release.It gave our mosquito and tick semiochemical work great positive exposure. For example, we did numerous interviews (radio, TV, newspapers and magazines, the web) and our story was reported by Science, BBC, our local news--and next week we have an interview scheduled with Scientific American--among others. Here are the links to some of the better news stories: Here are the links to some of the better news stories: 1) BBC international radio: Caution-http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p05d5n77 < Caution-https://app.salesforceiq.com/r?target=59a1b588e4b097af701e79f6&t=AFwhZf367LrdYoKKGcFDst_3VaQ3P4VrSFzbI_8W9pkkFo98VTJ3PuTD0Ky_pb4kcxnjlwFkC6PtAE9Ys1yfah1g-j_mHrFxNMOVMoOU8tIJhODUvRuzbgONmhJDp6yCljOYVKz6ir5s#Caution-http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p05d5n77 > 2) BBC TV (Wash, DC bureau): mp4 from BBC posted a: Caution-https://www.facebook.com/ISCATechnologiesRiverside/ < Caution-https://app.salesforceiq.com/r?target=59a1b588e4b097af701e79f7&t=AFwhZf367LrdYoKKGcFDst_3VaQ3P4VrSFzbI_8W9pkkFo98VTJ3PuTD0Ky_pb4kcxnjlwFkC6PtAE9Ys1yfah1g-j_mHrFxNMOVMoOU8tIJhODUvRuzbgONmhJDp6yCljOYVKz6ir5s#Caution-https://www.facebook.com/ISCATechnologiesRiverside/ > 3) Science magazine : Caution-http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2017/08/pesticide-spiked-punch-lures-mosquitoes-their-doom < Caution-https://app.salesforceiq.com/r?target=59a1b588e4b097af701e79f8&t=AFwhZf367LrdYoKKGcFDst_3VaQ3P4VrSFzbI_8W9pkkFo98VTJ3PuTD0Ky_pb4kcxnjlwFkC6PtAE9Ys1yfah1g-j_mHrFxNMOVMoOU8tIJhODUvRuzbgONmhJDp6yCljOYVKz6ir5s#Caution-http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2017/08/pesticide-spiked-punch-lures-mosquitoes-their-doom > 4) KABC 7 Eyewitness Caution-news: Caution-http://abc7.com/health/aggressive-mosquito-species-discovered-in-socal/2341541/ < Caution-https://app.salesforceiq.com/r?target=59a1b588e4b097af701e79f9&t=AFwhZf367LrdYoKKGcFDst_3VaQ3P4VrSFzbI_8W9pkkFo98VTJ3PuTD0Ky_pb4kcxnjlwFkC6PtAE9Ys1yfah1g-j_mHrFxNMOVMoOU8tIJhODUvRuzbgONmhJDp6yCljOYVKz6ir5s#Caution-http://abc7.com/health/aggressive-mosquito-species-discovered-in-socal/2341541/ > 5) The Press-Enterprise: Caution-http://www.pe.com/2017/08/24/riverside-tech-company-has-found-3-new-ways-to-kill-mosquitoes-and-thwart-malaria/ < Caution-https://app.salesforceiq.com/r?target=59a1b588e4b097af701e79fa&t=AFwhZf367LrdYoKKGcFDst_3VaQ3P4VrSFzbI_8W9pkkFo98VTJ3PuTD0Ky_pb4kcxnjlwFkC6PtAE9Ys1yfah1g-j_mHrFxNMOVMoOU8tIJhODUvRuzbgONmhJDp6yCljOYVKz6ir5s#Caution-http://www.pe.com/2017/08/24/riverside-tech-company-has-found-3-new-ways-to-kill-mosquitoes-and-thwart-malaria/ > The exposure is great for our continued efforts. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
The goal of the current project wasto develop and optimize an improved monitoring and control strategy for vector and nuisance mosquitoes in rural environments of the US, using a four-part system: 1) a plant derived semiochemical lure that attracts vector and nuisance mosquitoes regardless of location, species, gender, and physiological status, as effectively or more effectively than any currently available lure; 2) a simple, inexpensive, and easy-to-deploy passive trap, which does not require a source of battery power to function; 3) an insecticide-impregnated A&K formulation that can be deployed in a variety of ways (depending on the requirements of the treated site), as hundreds to thousands of micro-bait stations, smaller numbers of larger, self-contained macro-bait stations to be placed in at-risk locations (near rural outdoor work- and recreational sites, farming operations), and 4) an attractant-laced aerosolized glue to lure and capture mosquitoes at the treated surface. These tools were developed and they will become tools to be used to reduce mosquito populations in rural communities, reducing frequency of nuisance mosquito biting as well as the likelihood of transmission of MBDs among rural populations. During Phase I of this research, ISCA has focused on the development of effective, field-ready tools for mosquito monitoring, conducting lab trials to refine the optimal Sweet Baits attractant blend, which will form the basis of the entire Sweet Baits product line, as well as to assess the capacity of monitoring lures to sustain AI release over time.
Publications
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2017
Citation:
Title: "Behavior manipulation of vectors of disease."
Agenor Mafra-Neto1, Eamonn Keogh2, Gustavo Batista2,9, Teun Dekker3, Leonard Mboera4, Elison Mwebembezi, Patrick Kija4, Shailendra Singh5, Woodbridge Foster6, Graham White7, Jesse Saroli1, Rodrigo Silva1, Mehdi Shahbazi1, Carmem Bernardi1, William Urrutia1, Leandro Mafra8, Rafael Borges8, Gabriela Martinez1, Kim Spencer1. 254th ACS National Meeting
|