Waging war on Australia's nastiest parasite: Scientists map blowfly genome
Date: 8.7.2015
This blowfly is responsible for about $280 million in losses to Australia's sheep industry each year from flystrike.
All 14,544 genes of the blowfly (Lucilia cuprina) were identified by the international research team, led by the University of Melbourne. Around 2000 genes not seen before in any other organism were discovered. These genes can now be investigated as potential drug and vaccine targets.
The research, published today in Nature Communications, provides insights into the fly's molecular biology, how it interacts with the sheep's biology and, importantly, shows its potential to develop insecticide resistance.
Blowfly maggots live on the skin of sheep and invade open wounds, where they feed on tissue and cause severe skin disease, known as myiasis or flystrike. It is an aggressive and notoriously difficult pest to control.
Lead researcher on the project, Dr. Clare Anstead, of the University of Melbourne Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, said the genome map has 'limitless potential' for fighting the blowfly at home and abroad.
"Lucilia is a beautiful name, but it is an extremely nasty parasite. The sheep is literally eaten alive. It's horrific. The Lucilia species are responsible for more than 90 percent of flystrike in Australia and New Zealand," Anstead said.
