Dr. John Law and his colleagues at the University of Arizona will establish a Biological Research Center for Insect Science (CIS). The CIS will aim research at 1) discovering new aspects of insect biology that will aid in the design of biorational methods for controlling insects; 2) development of model systems using insects that will yield fundamental knowledge useful in the study of mammalian systems; and 3) searching for new useful products and processes from insects. Programs will include research, training, education and outreach, with a strong emphasis on molecularly-oriented interdisciplinary research. The CIS will sponsor meetings and symposia in insect science, and have strong international linkages. An industrial associates program will facilitate technology transfer. Individual projects will include research on insect: cuticle structure and function, digestion and nutrition, proteins and hormones, endocrine systems, reproductive systems and central nervous systems. Other studies will focus on molecular, sensory, behavioral and ecological factors in insect-plant interactions; insect communication and behavior; insecticide action; caste differentiation in social insects; and insect population biology, systematics and evolution. Through the results of its research and training programs, the CIS should have a worldwide impact on fundamental and applied biology. Insects share co-dominance of the biosphere with humans. The relationship ranges from competitive to cooperative, as they compete for resources, carry disease, pollinate plants, and process organic wastes. The importance of understanding insect biology was brought out as some chemical pesticides were abandoned for social and environmental concerns, and as the effectiveness of others decreased when resistant strains developed. In fact, much of our knowledge of insects derives from studies of one organism, the common fruit fly Drosophila, which has been exploited for decades in the study of genetics and animal development. The remarkable new experimental tools provided by recent advances in biochemistry and molecular biology now allow new approaches to the study of fundamental aspects of the biology of many other insects. Besides contributing to the development of new agents and strategies for pest control, such studies should provide a wealth of information on genetics, social behavior, animal development, and nervous system function. To this end, the CIS will provide multidisciplinary research and education programs on insect science. This center will be built on a strong base of existing faculty and will coordinate with an existing Biotechnology Center to expand collaborative efforts in basic research, to train present and future scientists, and, in collaboration with industry, to probe the potential uses of insects in applied research.
