UCR to cosponsor workshop to discuss latest genetic research on invertebrates

"We expect 110 scientists from around the world to attend the workshop," said Peter Atkinson, associate professor of entomology at UC Riverside. "We will discuss research on genetics and insect genomics and study ways to genetically manipulate insects that are pests -- for example, mosquitoes, fruitfiles, and moths -- with the aim of furthering our knowledge about controlling the population of these pests."

The keynote address -- "Transgenic control of insect pests: promise, peril, politics" -- will be given by Daniel Hartl, Higgins Professor of Biology in the department of organismic and evolutionary biology at Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass., whose research interests include molecular genetics, molecular evolution, and population genetics.

More than 50 scientific papers will be presented at the workshop. Some of the topics for discussion include 'Anopheles gambiae: from the genome to the population,' 'The Honey bee genome project,' 'Transgenesis and reverse genetics of mosquito innate immunity,' and 'Ecological challenges to the application of transgenic mosquitoes for disease control.' The workshop will address the control of mosquito-borne diseases and the interruption of malaria transmission by genetic manipulation of anopheline mosquitoes. Research on the housefly, the Mediterranean fruitfly, ladybird beetles, and silkworms will also be discussed.

The workshop is being organized by Alfred Handler from the USDA -- Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS), Peter Atkinson and Alex Raikhel from UC Riverside with help from Carol Lerner from the UC Riverside CNAS Dean's Office. It is being supported by the USDA-ARS, the USDA-CRESS National Research Initiative, the UC Center for Invasive Species Research and CNAS at UC Riverside.

The University of California's entomological research in Southern California dates back to 1906. Over the years, the UC Riverside Department of Entomology has excelled in virtually all phases of entomological research and developed a scope of expertise unmatched by any other entomology department in the country. Today, the UC Riverside campus is on the cutting edge of advanced entomological research and features a unique new Insectary and Quarantine facility that permits the safe study of exotic organisms from around the world.

The University of California, Riverside offers undergraduate and graduate education to nearly 16,000 students and has a projected enrollment of 21,000 students by 2010. It is the fastest growing and most ethnically diverse campus of the preeminent ten-campus University of California system, the largest public research university system in the world. The picturesque 1,200-acre campus is located at the foot of the Box Springs Mountains near downtown Riverside in Southern California. More information about UC Riverside is available at www.ucr.edu or by calling 909-787-5185. For a listing of faculty experts on a variety of topics, please visit http://mmr.ucr.edu/experts/.