Objective This proposal responds to an urgent need to increase agricultural production by improving monitoring and control of animal diseases. This will be achieved through development of a new tool for capturing biting midges: vectors of Bluetongue and Schmallenberg disease which threaten food production across Europe. The key deliverable will be a lure that uses odours isolated from manure and urine to attract midges to a non-powered trap. This represents a major advance from the state of the art, as there is currently no suitable tool for sustainable, wide-spread monitoring of biting midges. The project is an international collaboration between a highly-talented researcher (Dr Daniel Bray, Keele University, UK) and a world-class scientist (Prof. Rickard Ignell, SLU, Sweden), which will draw on the expertise of an SME to determine how this innovation can be marketed to achieve maximum benefit across Europe.Through training and research, the project will: (a) advance the fellow’s skills in entomology through engagement with an interdisciplinary project team (b) improve the fellow’s capacity to lead research projects targeting insect disease vectors (c) produce a cost-effective trap for sustainable monitoring of biting midges (d) foster collaboration between academia and industry through translational research (e) allow the fellow to carry out a placement in industry, to understand how to work in this sector and gain entrepreneurial skills and (f) implement outreach activities which will disseminate our results to those that need them.Greater interaction with SMEs and meeting the societal challenge of sustainable food production are key aims of the Europe 2020 programme addressed by this proposal. The training and networking opportunities will advance the researcher towards his career goal of obtaining an independent position in integrated pest management, and enhance the capacity of the ERA to conduct world-leading agricultural and entomological research. Fields of science agricultural sciencesagriculture, forestry, and fisheriesagricultureagronomyplant protectionagricultural sciencesagriculture, forestry, and fisheriesagriculturesustainable agriculturenatural sciencesbiological scienceszoologyentomology Programme(s) FP7-PEOPLE - Specific programme "People" implementing the Seventh Framework Programme of the European Community for research, technological development and demonstration activities (2007 to 2013) Topic(s) FP7-PEOPLE-2013-IEF - Marie-Curie Action: "Intra-European fellowships for career development" Call for proposal FP7-PEOPLE-2013-IEF See other projects for this call Funding Scheme MC-IEF - Intra-European Fellowships (IEF) Coordinator SVERIGES LANTBRUKSUNIVERSITET EU contribution € 266 599,60 Address ALMAS ALLE 8 750 07 Uppsala Sweden See on map Region Östra Sverige Östra Mellansverige Uppsala län Activity type Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Administrative Contact Rickard Ignell (Prof.) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Total cost No data
