NSF Postdoctoral Fellowship in Biology FY 2010

This action funds an NSF Minority Postdoctoral Research Fellowship for FY 2010. The fellowship supports a research and training plan in a host laboratory for the Fellow who also presents a plan to broaden participation in biology. The title of the research and training plan for this fellowship to Alvaro Romero is 'Sensory ecology of Cimex lectularius: host-seeking behavior.' The host institution for this fellowship is the North Carolina State University and the sponsoring scientist is Professor Coby Schal.

Infestations of the bed bug, Cimex lecturarius L., are spreading at an alarming rate in the USA, occurring across all social and economic groups. The presence of this blood-sucking insect can severely reduce the quality of life, making it one of today's most challenging indoor pests. There are no effective and safe chemical controls; the insect has developed resistance to the group of insecticides commonly used for control; and this situation won't change until we gain an understanding of its biology and behavior. Traps for capture and monitoring are not effective because they have been developed based on generalizations from host cues detected by other hematophagous insects (e.g., mosquitoes). This research identifies semiochemicals and other host cues that are specifically detected by bed bugs as well as environmental factors that affect the host parasite interaction. In addition to new information on an unusual biological system, this research has practical implications.

Training goals include acquiring new skills in chemical ecology, sensory biology, behavioral techniques, and urban entomology. Formal and informal teaching also expands the Fellow's ability to effectively communicate with peers, workers in other disciplines, and general audiences. Broader impacts include educational outreach to affected communities. 'Do-it-yourself' efforts to remediate infestations lead to overexposure to insecticides and associated health risks and perpetuation of the infestations, with the subsequent risk of spread of bed bugs to uninfested areas. Targeted communities, who have already established infestation task forces, directly benefit from this research and training plan by receiving first-hand information of the results of the research, as well as educational materials and online resources for the identification, biology, and means to prevent and reduce the insect's spread.