FA0701 - Arthropod Symbiosis: From Fundamental Studies to Pest and Disease Management

Pest and disease management poses significant challenges for the medical and agricultural communities. In addition, public concern over pesticide use and more stringent environmental regulations creates the need for new technologies. Bacterial symbiosis is prevalent in arthropods that can be devastating pests and efficient disease vectors. One new approach to control arthropod pest populations or to reduce vector competence is by symbiont-based control strategies (SCS) that are environmentally friendly and may replace chemical control methods. Research on symbiosis is an interdisciplinary subject requiring methods and protocols from various fields. It is therefore essential to coordinate the actions of EU groups working on symbiosis. To achieve this goal, the Action propose to establish a COST network which will bring together all European leading teams in this field. The network will cooperate in the form of five working groups (WGs): Arthropod Symbiont Diversity (WG1), Arthropod-Symbiont Metagenomes (WG2), Host-Symbiont Interactions (WG3), Symbiont-Based Control Strategies (WG4) and Ethical, Regulatory and Commercial Aspects of SCS (WG5). The initiative will be managed in a way that will insure maximum interactions and its successful implementation will put the EU at the forefront of both basic and applied research in the area of arthropod symbiosis.

Keywords: symbiosis, arthropod symbiont diversity, arthropod pests and disease vectors, symbiont-based control strategies, metagenomics.