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Pack Ambition Recherche - Projet SymBed (2020-2025)
The aim of this project is to study the interactions between bedbugs and their obligate bacteria Wolbachia, in order to break the symbiotic association and thus control bedbug populations using pesticide-free methods.
Bedbugs have contaminated more than 400,000 sites in France in 2018, and these infestations are constantly increasing. The presence of bedbugs is an economic issue for the tourism industry, but above all a public health issue: bite reactions can cause anaphylactic reactions, and the psychological impact linked to their presence is considered as serious. Current control strategies rely mainly on the use of systemic chemical pesticides, which induce resistance and are toxic to non-target organisms. There is therefore an urgent need to develop alternative, specific and environmentally friendly methods to control populations of these insect pests.
As the bedbug is dependent on a bacterium of the genus Wolbachia for its development and reproduction (obligatory symbiosis), we propose as a new way of control to break this symbiotic association. An antibiotic treatment would eliminate the symbiont, but would also have a potential impact against other insects, and would be an additional source of the exposome. Here we wish to finely study bedbug / Wolbachia interactions to identify specific mechanisms for regulating bacterial density and the bedbug dependence on its obligate symbiote. This research will be supported by the Scientific Breakthrough 'Micro-be-have' project (IDEXLyon) and facilitated by the use of Symbiotron, a confined infrastructure for the study of insect pests. We will then develop a prototype of a specific control method, based on a disruption of the mechanisms involved in maintaining symbiosis, which will be transferable to the field by our partner IZInovation. Being a specialist in public hygiene at the European level and a scientific and technical expert, IZInovation guarantees us a transfer of knowledge and a rapid implementation of biological control methods. This proof of concept of the disruption of the symbiotic relationship in the fight against insects will open the way to technology transfer to other crop pests or vectors of infectious diseases.
PI: Natacha Kremer (LBBE)
Collaborations : BF2I, IZInovation
As the bedbug is dependent on a bacterium of the genus Wolbachia for its development and reproduction (obligatory symbiosis), we propose as a new way of control to break this symbiotic association. An antibiotic treatment would eliminate the symbiont, but would also have a potential impact against other insects, and would be an additional source of the exposome. Here we wish to finely study bedbug / Wolbachia interactions to identify specific mechanisms for regulating bacterial density and the bedbug dependence on its obligate symbiote. This research will be supported by the Scientific Breakthrough 'Micro-be-have' project (IDEXLyon) and facilitated by the use of Symbiotron, a confined infrastructure for the study of insect pests. We will then develop a prototype of a specific control method, based on a disruption of the mechanisms involved in maintaining symbiosis, which will be transferable to the field by our partner IZInovation. Being a specialist in public hygiene at the European level and a scientific and technical expert, IZInovation guarantees us a transfer of knowledge and a rapid implementation of biological control methods. This proof of concept of the disruption of the symbiotic relationship in the fight against insects will open the way to technology transfer to other crop pests or vectors of infectious diseases.
PI: Natacha Kremer (LBBE)
Collaborations : BF2I, IZInovation
