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Q&A ViewAttendees 4

Medical, Urban, and Veterinary Entomology

Section Symposium

DoD-funded Research to Transform Ideas into Advanced Products for Vector Control and Bite Prevention On-Demand Presentations

Improving biological control of bed bugs: Entomopathogen discovery and targeting of immune signaling pathways for synergy

On-Demand
On-Demand

    Presenting Author(s)

  • Jose Pietri

    Assistant Professor
    University of South Dakota Sanford School of Medicine Basic Biomedical Sciences
    Vermillion, SD

    • Co-author(s)

  • RP

    Rashaun Potts

    University of South Dakota
    Vermillion, South Dakota

There is an ongoing need for effective tools to control bed bug infestations. While resistance to chemical insecticides appears to be growing, the development of biological control tools to combat bed bugs is still in its infancy, with few products on the market. It has been reported that bed bugs are highly susceptible to infection with several species of entomopathogenic fungi and bacteria. Molecular studies have also revealed that bed bugs mount fine-tuned innate immune responses to these agents, which may complicate biological control efforts. Here, we will present results of studies testing the effectiveness of several entomopathogenic bacteria alone and in combination small molecule inhibitors of innate immunity. The implications of these results for the development of biological control tools will also be discussed.