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| − | <h1>Description</h1>
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| − | <p>Our focus this year is fighting <b>bed bugs</b>, worldwide invasive pests, that are invading homes and biting humans for their blood. These tiny bugs became harmful from the moment humans made caves their homes, as the original hosts of bed bugs were bats. Nowadays humans don’t live in caves, but this temporary troglodyte dwelling came with a cost: fighting against an insect addicted to human blood. While their bite usually doesn’t transmit any disease, it still induces serious dermatological and allergy issues.<br>
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| − | <p>We aim to find an efficient solution for removing bed bugs from infested living spaces. Our strategy consists of two integrated parts: using <b>pheromones</b> as a chemical lure that can attract bed bugs into a trap where they will be eliminated using <b><i>Beauveria bassiana</i></b>, a highly virulent fungus to bed bugs, but safe for humans.<br>
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| − | We want to elaborate an attractive lethal trap. For that, we need:<br>
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| − | <li> Enhanced <b><i>Beauveria bassiana</i></b>: Overexpressing chitinase and lipase proteins to increase the fungus' virulence.</li>
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| − | <li> Produce <b>pheromones</b> in <i>E. coli</i> for the attractive action.</li>
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| − | <h3>What is our plan ?</h3><br>
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| − | <li>To elaborate our trap, we are going to use the biological properties of an entomopathogenic fungus <b><i>Beauveria bassiana</i></b>.
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| − | It was first used as a way of fight against insects in agriculture in Canada, and later on, all over the world.</li><br>
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| − | <li>The use of pesticides, such as chlorpyrifos is authorized in the European Union in any knowledge of the very numerous risks of toxicity incurred for the consumers of products of vegetable origin, by adding more the risks for mammals, birds, aquatic animals, and bees. Moreover, researchers are trying to find an eco-friendly and natural method to fight bed bugs. Thus, using <b><i>Beauveria bassiana</i></b> side to side with pheromones is one highly biological fight method.<br>
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| − | <li>The fungus can easily penetrate bed bug's exoskeleton: the cuticle. Once inside the insect's hemolymph, the fungus feeds and multiplies, causing its death. Our objective is to enhance the fungus so that it is highly virulent for bed bugs. We want to reduce the lethal doses and break the bugs. Furthermore, the excessive use of insecticides thickened the bed bug's cuticle. As a result, pest control companies are obliged to increase the insecticides' doses.</li><br>
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| − | <li>The pheromones that we plan to use, are chemical molecules produced by the bugs. They use them to navigate and find their shelters.</li><br>
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| − | <h3>Inspiration</h3>
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| − | <p>We used some papers to elaborate our plan </p>
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| − | <li><a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022201112001152">A preliminary evaluation of the potential of Beauveria bassiana for bed bug control</a></li>
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| − | <li><a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214030115300018">Engineering Escherichia coli for renewable benzyl alcohol production</a></li>
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