** AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** MAXIMIZING FOOD PRODUCTION IS ESSENTIAL TO PREVENT FOOD SCARCITY, BUT AS GLOBAL TEMPERATURES RISE, FOOD SCARCITY WILL INCREASE. SHIFTS IN TEMPERATURE WILL ALTER INSECT PEST ABUNDANCES, WITH INCREASED TEMPERATURE POTENTIALLY ALSO CAUSING SHIFTS IN DISEASE TRANSMISSION RATES TO HEAT STRESSED CROPS. FURTHERMORE, INSECT THERMAL TOLERANCE MAY BE ALTERED BY THE LOCAL AVAILABILITY OF THEIR ENVIRONMENTALLY ACQUIRED BACTERIAL SYMBIONTS, MAKING THESE INSECT HOSTS BETTER SUITED FOR CHANGING ENVIRONMENTS. UNLIKE MATERNALLY TRANSMITTED SYMBIONTS, INSECT PARTICIPANTS IN THE BUG-CABALLERONIA SYMBIOSIS UTILIZE NUMEROUS SYMBIONT SPECIES. THIS ALLOWS HOST INSECTS TO UTILIZE NOVEL MICROBES THAT ARE BETTER SUITED FOR THE LOCAL ENVIRONMENT DUE TO THE HIGH GENETIC MUTATION RATES FOUND IN ENVIRONMENTAL BACTERIA. THIS WORK FOCUSES ON UNDERSTANDING HOW THERMALLY TOLERANT CABALLERONIA (BACTERIAL) STRAINS CAN CONTRIBUTE TO SHIFTS IN HOST VECTORING CAPACITY. USING THE AGRICULTURAL PEST ANASA TRISTIS, AND SOLE VECTOR OF THE PHYTOPATHOGENIC LINEAGE OF SERRATIA MARCESCENS, I WILL 1) DETERMINE WHETHER CABALLERONIA STRAINS WITH VARYING THERMAL OPTIMA DIFFERENTIALLY ALTER HOST THERMAL TOLERANCE, 2) DETERMINE WHETHER ENVIRONMENTAL TEMPERATURE AFFECTS SERRATIA TITER IN A. TRISTIS, AND 3) ASSESS WHETHER TEMPERATURE INFLUENCES DISEASE TRANSMISSION RATES TO CUCURBITS.

University Of Texas At Arlington, Arlington TX

Investigators