Michael Roe

Project History. We developed a wettable powder as an indoor, residual wall spray. Phase I, II and III research was completed; EPA and WHO registrations are in review for mosquito control for Imergard (made from volcanic rock) and an EPA registration granted for Celite (silica based) for flies and ticks. Product Description. The goal of this DWFP proposal is to use our minerals (i) in sugar (and protein) baited traps for mosquitoes and flies and in aggregation traps for ticks and (ii) as barrier treatments. We have demonstrated proof of concept for a dry, sugar-baited fly trap extended to mosquitoes (NCSU patents pending). We also have identified tick aggregation semiochemicals for traps. A patent was granted on the synergistic activity of our minerals with natural and synthetic chemicals for insect and tick control. Finally, we have data supporting their use as a barrier treatment. Commercialization Strategy. (a) The plan is to first offer the trap technology to the company, Imerys. (b) A patent has been granted for use of our minerals alone and in combination with chemistry, and NCSU is in negotiations with a private company for a license. Our commercial strategy overall is to patent new inventions and then seek companies to license the technology. The NCSU Chancellor???s Innovation Fund and the NCSU Angel Investment Fund provide direct support for commercialization, and funded our new insect repellent (EPA registration submitted) and Rynoskin Total (first on the market; others pending).

Insect and tick bite proof clothing is essential to protect our war fighters. This proposal is using established NCSU IP to develop garments that are bite proof by incorporating industrial minerals into cloth.

In recent decades, vector-borne diseases have re-emerged and prolonged at alarming rates, triggering significant morbidity and mortality worldwide. Particularly, larvae of trombiculid mites, commonly known as chiggers, are widespread ectoparasites of vertebrates and known to bite humans. They transmit a human pathogen, including bacteria, such as Orientia spp. (Scrub typhus), Bartonella spp. and Rickettsia spp. has been reported. Scrub typhus has an expanding known distribution, with most diseases occurring across South and East Asia, Middle East, South America, and in sub-Saharan Africa. Importantly, however, the microbiomes of chigger species remain unexplored in the USA. Our long-term goals are to identify novel microbial organisms as potential pathogens, symbionts, and commensals associated with chigger, to understand the wildlife reservoirs for these microbes and, to develop new diagnostic tests.

Our areas of research in 2023 are the following: (1) Determine proof of concept for using wing beat patterns and machine learning for remote identification of bollworm versus budworm moths in cotton; (2) Determine whether the microbiome associated with bollworm larval resistance to Bt cotton can transfer to adults and the next generation; and (3) Conduct preliminary egg staining assessments of bollworm versus budworm eggs for egg ID.

Project is to develop a mechanical insecticide for mosquito, filth fly and sand fly control for the US military.

Vector-borne diseases have had a devastating impact on the readiness of combat troops. Due to their increased exposure through training and operations outdoors, deployed military personnel are often at greater risk of receiving arthropod bites than common populations. Presently, the military uses chemical treatments (primarily permethrin) to prevent exposure to vector-borne diseases. The chemical bonding on knitted fabric is not as successful as with wovens and under normal operational conditions, these measures often result in incomplete protection. Mosquito resistance to existing pyrethroid chemistries is problematic in some areas of military operations. In addition, military personnel are concerned that exposure to pyrethroid treatments have adverse effects on their health or that of their family members. Therefore, vector control and personal protection strategies are still of critical importance in ensuring the operational readiness of armed forces. There is an urgent need to develop an alternative effective bite-resistant system, which is more effective to insecticide-resistant mosquitoes and other arthropods, reducing the potential hazard for human health. This technology is also transferable to the private sector.Traditional domestic (Berry Act compliant) conventional knitting, cutting, and sewing of military garments are labor-intensive, time-consuming, and waste-producing processes. Production of wearable bite-resistant military clothing often takes as long as six weeks for the knitting/weaving of textiles and two to four more weeks for production of garments and potentially far longer in the private sector. The garment seams can be the weakest link in the garment construction, causing seam breakage or slippage thereby allowing an easier entry path for vector insects. Furthermore, a traditionally sewed garment with bulky seams often deforms when stretched and can cause skin abrasion. Structural instability as well as mechanical degradation of the seam areas will affect bite-protection capability of the garment prototypes, especially in the area of stretched shoulder seams. Achieving an accurate fit can also be difficult in a cut and sew process because garment sizes are averaged and not based on actual measurements which often produces garments with poor fit. Military personnel need garments that are more accurately sized, providing a comfortable fit for which WholeGarment????????? knitting is ideal. Wholegarment????????? knitting machines directly produce an entire three-dimensional garment without sewing that allows for new design opportunities not available with traditional cut and sew methods. Conventional combat clothing developed by major consumer brands over the last few years lack the functionality the military needs (Figure 2). Current knitting design programming technology and Wholegarment????????? machines are capable of rapid prototyping with multiple yarns and complex stitch patterns. The seamlessness of these knitted garments eliminate seams that can fail, chaff or bind, and reduce movement, thus offering comfort and fit that cannot be rendered in a cut and sew garment. Therefore, Wholegarment????????? knitting technology offers opportunities to address the limitations of cut and sew garment production, reducing time to market, labor needs, material costs, and energy needs with lower production minimums at the same time making a more sustainable, longer lasting, higher quality product.

Our areas of research in 2016 will include (i) Exam impact of fast versus slow feeding in bollworms on Bt susceptibility; (ii) Exam feeding rates of bollworms collected from different field populations in NC and compared to susceptible insects for potential Bt tolerance; (iii) Study the impact of the natural bollworm gut microbiome in the field on Bt susceptibility; and (iv) Evaluate the use of mechanical insecticides for tobacco thrips control on cotton.

Larvae of trombiculid mites (Acari: Trombiculidae), commonly known as chiggers, bite humans outdoors, transmit pathogens causing human disease that on a worldwide basis sickens millions of people and causes death. This pilot project will use next-generation sequencing to provide the first characterization of the trombiculid bacterial microbiome in the United States. The research will investigate chigger species that acquired bacteria from feeding on wild animal hosts and their potential role in the epidemiology of tick-associated rickettsiosis, illness related to scrub typhus that might produce adverse human health conditions.

There are two different types of clothing to prevent mosquito biting, insecticide-treated and pesticide-free garments. The latter is based on textile structure. There are competing ideas about which of these approaches best protects skin not covered by clothing, for example hands and the face. Both considered equal, most people would likely prefer reducing their potential exposure to pesticides in their clothing. This project is to assess the risk of mosquito blood feeding on uncovered skin for insecticide treated versus non-insecticide treated, mosquito bite resistant clothing and at the same time evaluate bite resistance across the garment. Risk will be determined using clothing commercially available for the farm and forestry community.

The eastern carpenter bee (Xylocopa virginica) is both a pollinator and a pest. Its habit of excavating nest tunnels in sound wood renders it a wood-destroying insect pest throughout its range in the eastern United States and southern Canada. Despite anecdotal evidence of widespread concern and pesticide use among homeowners and property managers, the prevalence and economic importance of this pest are poorly documented. There is no empirical information about current management practices or their efficacy. The problem addressed by this proposal is that there is insufficient information to develop and evaluate an IPM program for carpenter bees. During the seed project, we will conduct online and face-to-face surveys to assess prevalence of perceived carpenter bee damage and current practices, motivations, expenses, and preferred responses to carpenter bees among homeowners and property managers in the southern region. The online survey will cover multiple states in the southern region (at least NC, SC, FL, and AL). The face-to-face survey will cover four demographically representative neighborhoods in Raleigh, NC, allowing us to estimate bias in online survey responses. In the short term, results will increase knowledge of the baseline situation and inform future research directions in carpenter bee IPM. In the longer term, these results will ensure that new IPM strategies are adopted because they match user priorities, and will provide a baseline for future evaluation. We will also conduct a preliminary assessment of a novel mechanical insecticide derived from volcanic rock, currently being registered for mosquito control. We will assess adult and larval knockdown and mortality using standard procedures, including a WHO cone test and topical applications. Future work after the seed project would address formulation and field efficacy. If effective for carpenter bees, this mechanical insecticide would improve human and environmental safety over the active ingredients currently recommended for carpenter bee management. The proposal addresses the purpose of the RFA by promoting development of an IPM framework for carpenter bees, and by providing baseline information for future evaluation. It addresses documented stakeholder priorities in community IPM and least-toxic alternatives that reduce human and non-target insect exposure to toxic insecticides. In the long term, we envision an applied research and extension program that measures the pollination benefits of carpenter bees and weighs them against structural, aesthetic, or psychological costs; establishes economic thresholds for interventions; and provides evidence-based education and guidance for prevention and suppression of pestiferous populations. The long-term impact of such a program will be reduced use of toxic insecticides in community settings, including homes, schools, and other structures; and reduced expense and anxiety among homeowners and property managers when interacting with and making management decisions about this common species.