UTMB Awarded Two Grants as Part of USDA's New World Screwworm Grand Challenge
Two UTMB research projects have been selected for funding as part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's $105 million New World Screwworm (NWS) Grand Challenge, a funding program designed to safeguard America's livestock and wild animal populations from the devastating impact of screwworm infestation.
Texas leads the nation with more than 12 million head of cattle (14 percent of the nation's beef supply). The cattle industry is currently on high alert following confirmed detections of the flesh-eating New World screwworm crossing into South Texas from Mexico.
The New World screwworm (NWS, Cochliomyia hominivorax) is a parasitic fly native to the Western Hemisphere. It lays eggs in the living tissue of fresh wounds in warm-blooded animals. The larvae (maggots) feed on the host’s flesh, causing severe wounds and often death if untreated. These research programs will be part of a nationwide effort to combat the parasite and protect the U.S. food supply.
Surveillance and Control
The first project will be led by Maureen Laroche, MS, PhD, FRES, in collaboration with Scott Weaver, MS, PhD, two medical entomologists who will focus on developing improved protocols for rearing surrogate fly species and for distinguishing between wild flies and the sterile flies that are being produced and released to reduce screwworm breeding. The goal is to assist with the effectiveness of sterile fly release programs.
In addition, the team will work with East Foundation, South Texas ranchers, and USDA collaborators to gather field data on livestock, wildlife movement, and local environmental conditions to guide targeted effective surveillance and fly release strategies in Texas. These data will help model how NWS could spread further across different areas and aid in preparedness and response activities.
AI-Enabled Rapid Detection System
The second project will be led by Gene Olinger, PhD, director of the Galveston National Laboratory (GNL), and George Babuadze, PhD, assistant professor in the Department of Microbiology & Immunology. This project will use an AI-enabled rapid detection system that can be used in the field along with a specially developed app and Smartphone technology to detect and report the presence of the screwworm on public and private land.
According to Babuadze, "UTMB is leading the next generation of agricultural biosecurity by combining artificial intelligence with laboratory science to detect biological threats faster, protect producers, safeguard the food supply, and strengthen America’s national security.”
The UTMB projects are two of only 40 research efforts that were selected by the USDA for funding out of a pool of 266 research proposals submitted to the USDA Challenge program.
For more information, visit the UTMB Newsroom.