Grantee Research Project Results

2022 Progress Report: Development of a Data-Driven Model for Assessing Benefits and Risks of the pgSIT Approach for Ae. aegypti Eradication in Hawaii

EPA Grant Number: R840204
Title: Development of a Data-Driven Model for Assessing Benefits and Risks of the pgSIT Approach for Ae. aegypti Eradication in Hawaii
Investigators: Akbari, Omar , Lee, Yoosook , Marshall, John
Institution: University of California San Diego , University of California - Berkeley , University of Florida
EPA Project Officer: Packard, Benjamin H
Project Period: July 1, 2021 through May 10, 2025
Project Period Covered by this Report: July 1, 2021 through June 30,2022
Project Amount: $749,887
RFA: Assessment Tools for Biotechnology Products (2020) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: Safer Chemicals , Chemical Safety for Sustainability

Objective:

The successful application of a synthetic sterile insect technique (SIT) technology, precision guided SIT (pgSIT), in the Hawaii region could eliminate the Aedes aegypti mosquito vector responsible for dengue outbreaks in the region. This novel technology may also have positive environmental impacts by reducing insecticide or insect growth hormone-based usage that also impacts other native insect taxa in the region. However, before this work makes it to the field, we need a robust, data-driven modeling framework that will accurately predict the outcome of pgSIT release scenarios so we can inform stakeholders involved in approving this product for field use. The objective of this work is to generate data-driven tools and surveillance technologies to predict the behavior of a synthetic pgSIT technology to support technological risk assessments and future field releases.

Progress Summary:

Accurate modeling of pgSIT performance and risk will require evaluation of population connectivity, size, and movement. The genomic data in this objective will be used to generate close-kin genetic methods to infer movement patterns for Ae. aegypti based on landscape genomic data, predict potential resistance to the technology in the population, which will inform the development of a model to assess pgSIT performance in wild populations.

Future Activities:

Continue modifying the SENSR technology for pathogen and transgene identification
Collect mosquito life history parameters for the Hawaii strain.
Obtain samples from some of the other islands to determine the genetic exchange rate between islands.
Collect biotic and abiotic environmental data (meteorological + landscape) and assess the relationship of these variables to the relative density of A. aegypti.
Modeling release scenarios to build confined small-scale field release scenarios.
Risk assessment to address gaps in knowledge for further study.

Journal Articles on this Report : 1 Displayed | Download in RIS Format

Publications Views
Other project views:	All 7 publications	5 publications in selected types	All 5 journal articles

Publications
Type	Citation	Project	Document Sources
Journal Article	Seok S, Jacobsen C, Romero-Weaver A, Want X, Nguyen V. Complete mitogenome sequence of Aedes (Hulecoeteomyia) japonicus japonicus from Hawai'i Island. MITOCHONDRIAL DNA PART B 2023;8(2):64-68	R840204 (2022) R840204 (2023)	Full-text from PubMed Associated PubMed link Full-text: Taylor & Francis - Full Text HTML Exit

Supplemental Keywords:

mosquito control, CRISPR-Cas9 technologies, synthetic biology, risk assessment, modeling, monitoring, Hawaii (HI), entomology, ecology, environmental, genetics, population genetics

Progress and Final Reports:

Original Abstract

The perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.