Dr. Maia Tsikolia is a research chemist. She has been with the USDA-ARS European Biological Control Laboratory (EBCL) since 2022. Prior to joining EBCL, she worked at the Center for Medical, Agricultural and Veterinary Entomology (CMAVE) at USDA, and at the University of Florida. Her research has mainly focused on the discovery of new active compounds that could be used to prevent insect vector bites and therefore the transmission of vector-borne diseases to humans and livestock. To achieve her goals, she used the design, synthesis and bioassay of new insecticide and repellent candidates based on structure-activity relationship analysis.

Current research projects at EBCL

To develop novel vector control technologies with a focus on insecticidal/repellent chemistries (targets: mosquitoes, sand flies, ticks).

Selected Publications

• Tsikolia M, Tabanca N, Kline DL, Demirci B, Yang L, Linthicum KJ, Bloomquist JR, Bernier UR. 2022. Studies on the Volatiles Composition of Stored Sheep Wool, and Attractancy toward Aedes aegyptiInsects 13(2): 208. https://doi.org/10.3390/insects13020208
• Richoux GR, Yang L, Norris E, Tsikolia M, Jiang S, Linthicum KL, Bloomquist JR. 2020. Structure-Activity Relationship Analysis of Potential New Vapor Active Repellents. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. J Agric Food Chem 68(47): 13960–13969. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jafc.0c03333
• Tsikolia M, Bernier UR, Agramonte NM, Estep AS, Becnel JJ, Linthicum KL, Bloomquist JR. 2019. Insecticidal and repellent properties of novel trifluoromethylphenyl amides III. Pestic Biochem Physiol 161: 5-11. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pestbp.2019.06.012
• Tsikolia M, Bernier UR, Tabanca N, Wedge DE, Bloomquist JR. 2019. Fungicidal properties of some novel trifluoromethylphenyl amides. Chem Biodivers 16: https://doi.org/10.1002/cbdv.201800618  
• Bibbs CS, Tsikolia M, Bernier UR, Bloomquist JR, Xue RD, Kaufman PE. 2018. Vapor toxicity of five volatile pyrethroids against Aedes aegypti, albopictus, Culex quinquefasciatus, and Anopheles quadrimaculatus (Diptera: Culicidae). Pest Manag Sci 74: 2699-2706. https://dx.doi.org/10.1002/ps.5088
• Tsikolia M, Bernier UR, Agramonte N, Estep AS, Becnel JJ, Tabanca N, Linthicum KJ, Gross AD, Guerin PM, Kröber T, Bloomquist JR. 2018. Insecticidal and repellent properties of novel trifluoromethylphenyl amides II. Pestic Biochem Physiol. 151: 40-46. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pestbp.2018.08.006
• Jiang S, Tsikolia M, Bloomquist JR, Bernier UR. 2017. Mosquitocidal activity and mode of action of the isoxazoline fluralaner. Int J Environ Res Public Health 14(2): 154. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph14020154
• Tabanca N, Tsikolia M, Ozek G, Ozek T, Ali A, Bernier UR, Duran A, Baser KHC, Khan IA. 2016. The Identification of suberosin from Prangos pabularia Essential Oil and Its Deterrent and Larvicidal Activity against Aedes aegypti. Rec Nat Prod 10(3): 311-325.
• Demirci B, Tsikolia M, Bernier UR, Agramonte NM, Alqasoumi SI, Al-Yahya MA, Al-Rehaily AJ, Yusufoglu HS, Demirci F, Baser KHC, Khan IA, Tabanca N. 2013. A New Natural Source: Phoenix dactylifera spathe essential oil: Chemical composition and repellent activity against the yellow fever mosquito, Aedes aegypti. Acta Trop 18: 4308-4327. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actatropica.2013.08.003
• Tsikolia M, Bernier UR, Coy MR, Chalaire KC, Becnel JJ, Agramonte NM, Tabanca N, Wedge DE, Clark GG, Linthicum KJ, Swale DR, Bloomquist JR. 2013. Insecticidal, repellent and fungicidal properties of novel trifluoromethylphenyl amides. Pestic Biochem Physiol 107: 138-147. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pestbp.2013.06.006
• Tsikolia M, Hall AC, Suarez C, Z. O. Nylander, S. M. Wardlaw, M. E. Gibson, K. L. Valentine, L. N. Onyewadume, D. A. Ahove, M. Woodbury, M. M. Mongare, C. D. Hall, Z. Wang, B. Draghici, A. R. Katritzky. 2009. Synthesis and characterization of a redox-active ion channel supporting cation flux in lipid bilayers. Organic & biomolecular chemistry. 7(18), 3862-70. doi:10.1039/b907350g
• Katritzky AR, Wang Z, Slavov S, Tsikolia M, Dobchev D, Akhmedov NG, Hall CD. 2008. Synthesis and bioassay of novel mosquito repellents as predicted from chemical structure. PNAS USA, 7359-7364. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0800571105