Location: Livestock Arthropod Pest Research Unit
Project Number: 3094-32000-041-006-S
Project Type: Non-Assistance Cooperative Agreement
Start Date: Sep 17, 2018
End Date: Sep 16, 2023
Objective:
Develop putative genetic sexing lines in screwworms to optimize the production capacity, and the capacity for large cost reductions, for the Program to Eradicate Screwworms along the barrier zone at the Panama-Columbia border.
Approach:
Transgenic strains will be reared under laboratory conditions, with ARS transferring information to Technical Direction, for approximately five generations to evaluate the quality of resultant genetic sexing line(s) as they are developed. Then, in collaboration with Technical Direction, rearing parameters will be optimized relative to levels of tetracycline used in the 'colony' replacement larval pans, optimum temperature to maintain the larval media (both for flies intended for sterile, mass release and those for colony replacement), evaluation of the potential to develop a 'filter rearing' system, and consideration of requirements for handling waste (particularly larval diet containing tetracycline).
