Location: Research Programs
Project Number: 3022-32000-018-016-S
Project Type: Non-Assistance Cooperative Agreement
Start Date: Sep 15, 2022
End Date: Sep 14, 2025
Objective:
The Cooperator and the Agricultural Research Service desire to enter into this Agreement for the purpose of supporting research to be carried out at ARS and Cooperator facilities. ARS desires the Cooperator to provide goods and services necessary to carry out research of mutual interest to the National Bio- and Agro-Defense Facility and the Foreign Arthropod Borne Animal Diseases Research Unit in Manhattan, KS location, which is to characterize, describe, and quantify the impact of viral recombination on virus fitness. These epidemiological studies will prepare American agriculture for the next viral outbreak.
The objective is to define and optimize the use of nanoparticles as insecticides for significant agricultural insect pests. The biodegradable nanoparticles consist of two parts, a core and an outer surface coating and either part can be insecticidal, an attractant, or used as a shield to reduce the insecticidal active ingredient from environmental or biological degradation. This project will determine the optimal formulation of the particles which includes existing or new active ingredients and deployment methods of this technology which may include absorption by the organism to be protected, environmental treatments, or other novel methods that may be developed.
Approach:
The Agency locations are engaged in research addressing the impact of vesicular stomatitis, which is an economically important livestock disease in the US, and is clinically indistinguishable form other vesicular diseases, including foot-and-mouth disease. The current project will characterize the genetic sequences of VSV strains causing recent outbreaks in the US using next generation sequencing technology and phylogenetic analysis. Samples collected during outbreaks in 2019, 2020 in western US will be analyzed with high priority, and samples from earlier years will be included as resources allow to gain a more complete understanding of VSV molecular epidemiology in the US. A few additional samples from other locations (e.g. New Mexico) will be included in the sequencing and analysis. Under the authority of 7 USC 3319a, ARS desires to acquire goods and services from the Cooperator to further agricultural research supporting the independent interests of both parties.
