Microbial symbioses in insect vectors and insect pests (Minivan)
This line of research aims to identify and characterize microbial symbionts (bacteria and yeasts) that reveal some characteristics of the insect's biology (e.g. thermal adaptation, insecticide resistance) or that can be used for the development of innovative control methods (e.g. paratransgenesis, entomopathogenic nanoparticles).
The insects studied are mosquitoes of the Aedes, Culex and Anopheles genera (vectors of numerous human and animal pathogens) and the medfly (Ceratitis capitata), one of the major insect pests for many crops. Some bacteria and yeasts, isolated from the aforementioned insects, have been characterized at a microbiological and biomolecular level and are used in the development of biocompatible and economical methods for controlling insects’ vector and insect pests. We are currently trying to transfer these methods "from the bench to the open field", validating them in "semi-field" experiments.
Furthermore, the role of these symbionts in the mechanisms of thermal adaptation, in insecticide resistance and in the vector competence of the host insect are being in depth studied to define the biochemical and cellular mechanisms that characterize these "symbiont-host" interactions.
Keywords - ENGLISH
Mosquito; Medfly; thermal adaptation; insecticide resistance; microbial symbionts; vector control
Active participants in the research line (PI last author or *)
Monica Falcinelli, Paolo Luigi Catapano; Giulia Lombardi; Mahdokht Ilbeigi Khamseh Nejad; Silvia Sorana; Muhammad Sameer Zubair; Paul Audrey Mayi; Paolo Rossi; Alessia Cappelli; Claudia Damiani*; Irene Ricci*; Guido Favia*
External Collaborations
Steven P Sinkins, Centre for Virus Research, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK; Paulo EM Ribolla, Department of Biotecnology-Universidade Estadual Paulista, Botucatu, Brazil; Mariangela Bonizzoni, Department of Biology and Biotechnology-University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy; Laura Dickson, Department of Microbiology and Immunology-University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas (USA); Abdoulaye Diabaté, Institut de Recherche en Sciences de la Santé, Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso.
Pillar
Human Health
Macroareas in Human Health
Healthy and pathogenic microorganisms
Relevant research grants (national/international) funding specifically this Research Line
FIRB-ERC Ideas 2008 (grant RBID082MLZ) from the Italian Ministry of Education and Research. “Assessment of the potential role of bacteria of the genus Asaia as microbial agents for paratransgenic control of malaria vectors”; INFRAVEC (grant 228421) from EU-FP7-Capacities-Infrastructure 2009. “Research capacity for the implementation of genetic control of mosquitoes”; ERC Starting Grant EU-7th ERC-StG-2011 (grant 28122) from European Union “Yeast symbionts of malaria vectors: from basic research to the management of malaria control”; FIR 2013 (grant RBFR136GFF_002) from the Italian Ministry of Education and Research “Killer yeasts and killer peptides as experimental models for the control and the therapy of vector-borne diseases”; Prin-PNRR2022 (grant P2022XKRAA) from the Italian Ministry of Education and Research. “Wolbachia to control the invasive mosquito species Aedes koreicus”.
Email Address
guido.favia@unicam.it
Link to Relevant Publications