SBIR Phase I: A Paradigm Shift in Vector Control: Targeted Larvicides

这个小企业创新研究第一阶段项目的更广泛的影响/商业潜力将是对危险蚊子的控制方面的重大改进，这些蚊子会向人类传播严重的疾病，包括寨卡热、疟疾、脑炎、基孔肯雅热和登革热。该项目将生产一种针对生活在水中的有害蚊子幼虫的新型杀虫剂。这种杀虫剂与一种有效的诱饵相结合，可以产生有效的诱杀站，只针对有害的蚊子物种。一种高效、廉价、安全的杀灭蚊子幼虫的产品将改善公众健康，因为它将极大地减少能够感染人类疾病的成年蚊子的数量。该产品将保护非目标物种，不会污染水中的毒素。该项目采用了几项新技术，这些技术也适用于未来对其他害虫物种的控制，包括一种新的设计系统，以生产吸引蚊子幼虫到诱饵站的诱饵，一种在不损害其他物种的情况下杀死昆虫幼虫的新方法，以及一种新的控制产品包装方法。讨论的产品和方法是新的，满足了几个国家未得到满足的健康和安全需求，预计将有广泛的市场吸引力。这一阶段研究项目的技术目标是为埃及伊蚊和其他有害蚊子的水生幼虫提供新的引诱剂，并将这些诱饵与一种新的杀虫剂结合起来，在不用杀虫剂污染水体或伤害非目标物种的情况下根除目标幼虫。蚊子？S的范围正在扩大，传统的控制方法正变得有问题。一个有效的诱杀装置将避免大范围杀虫剂的广泛传播，并保护环境、有益物种和人类。然而，这种装置需要一种有效的引诱剂来选择性地引诱蚊子幼虫，以及一种不会伤害非目标物种或污染水的有效但选择性的杀虫剂。因此，这些都是本项目的重点。该项目结合了几种新的方法来开发一种微胶囊纳米颗粒，这种纳米颗粒将作为靶向杀虫剂发挥作用。为了达到规定的目标，强烈吸引蚊子幼虫的化合物将与一种无毒的聚合物杀虫剂结合在一起，这种杀虫剂只有在幼虫摄取时才有效。预计的最终产品是一种诱杀埃及伊蚊幼虫的装置，它将允许从广谱杀虫剂转向更有针对性、更负责任的控制方法。这些平台技术在未来也适用于其他物种。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project will be a significant improvement in the control of dangerous mosquitoes that transmit serious diseases to humans, including Zika fever, malaria, encephalitis, chikungunya, and dengue fever. This project will generate a novel larvicide directed against the larvae of harmful mosquitoes that live in water. The larvicide is combined with an efficient lure to generate effective bait-and-kill stations that will target only harmful mosquito species. An efficient, inexpensive, safe product to kill mosquito larvae will improve public health since it will greatly reduce the number of adult mosquitoes capable of infecting humans with diseases. The product will protect non-target species and will not contaminate the water with toxins. This project incorporates several new technologies that are also applicable to the future control of other insect pest species, including a novel design system to produce lures that attract mosquito larvae to bait stations, a new method to kill insect larvae while leaving other species unharmed, and a new method to package the control product. The product and the methods discussed are new, address unmet health and safety needs in several countries, and are expected to have widespread market appeal.The technical objectives in this Phase I research project are focused on providing novel attractants for the aquatic larvae of Aedes aegypti and other harmful mosquitos, and combining these lures with a novel larvicide that will eradicate the targeted larvae without contaminating the water column with insecticide or harming non-target species. The mosquito?s range is expanding and traditional control methods are becoming problematic. An effective bait-and-kill device would avoid the wide dispersal of broad-range insecticides and protect the environment, beneficial species, and humans. However, this device requires an efficient attractant to selectively lure mosquito larvae and an effectual, yet selective, larvicide that will not harm non-target species or contaminate the water. These are therefore the foci of this project. This project incorporates several novel approaches to develop a microencapsulated nanoparticle that will function as a targeted larvicide. To achieve the stated goals, compounds that strongly attract mosquito larvae will be combined with a nonpoisonous polymer larvicide that is active only uponingestion by the larvae. The anticipated end product is a bait-and-kill device for A. aegypti larvae that would allow a shift away from broad-spectrum insecticides to a more targeted, responsible control methodology. The platform technologies are applicable to other species in the future.