As part of sustainable, integrated pest management initiatives, learners in the Biotechnology – Advanced program are researching safe and effective alternatives to conventional chemical pesticides in the form of microscopic roundworms known as nematodes. By working with DNA fingerprinting, third-year students Dara Palmer and Autumn Henry are creating diagnostic profiles to identify different nematode species. They will debut their research findings in the upcoming RE/ACTION Showcase on April 14.
Nematodes are roundworms that exist naturally in nearly every ecosystem worldwide. As part of their life cycle, nematode larvae enter into a pest insect through naturally occurring openings, then release bacteria and mature rapidly, thus killing the host insect. In this study, wax moth juvenile caterpillars are used as this moth species acts as the model system to efficiently assist in the nematode life cycle. As a form of pest control, nematodes can be used for many insect pests affecting ecosystems from home gardens to commercial agriculture.
Continue reading