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Integrative Biology of insects affecting human life

Final Report Summary - IBIAL (Integrative Biology of insects affecting human life)

IBIAL was carried out by a consortium of five research groups with complementary approaches and expertise (chemical ecology, Neurobiology, behavioural ecology, insect physiology and mathematical modelling) and working with different model systems (social insects, parasitoids, disease vectors). The main goal of this joint-venture was to start a scientif network, in order to develop integrative work on insects that directly affect human societies. this goal was fully atteined. Collaboration included one PhD-thesis co-supervised, one post-doctoral work in Argentina directed by a European partner, several personnel exchanges opening the way to further collaboration proposals.
The impact of the results is particularly high in two areas, fundamental research and pest control. The concrete expression of the results are the articles already published or to be submitted soon, participation in conferences and traiing ESRs anr young ERs. The scientific objectives of the project were to achieve an integrative analysis of the insect behaviour, sensory neurobiology, spatial orientation intra- and interspecific communication, survival strategies and location of resources. The proposed model organisms are triatomine bugs and mosquitoes (haematophagous), parasitoid flies (Mallophora ruficauda) leaf-cutting (Attini) and capenter ants (Camponotus spp.). The constitution of a collaborative network of people having complementary expertise and joining partners from different countries, allowed to tackle general biological questions that allow a better understanding of issues such as biological invasions and parasites transmission. Besides, successful exchanges among the groups opened the way to long-lasting international collaboration. The PhD students (ESR) and postdocs got expertise both in basic and applied research. To complement the training activities, we organised different courses dedicated to ESR and ER in officially incoporated to the PhD traiing programmes of different universities. We expect to continue our collaboration int the future in order to keep on asking interesting scientific questions, and incorporating private partners to the network. This foreseen actions will allow to develop sustainable solutions for actual problems to which the human societies might be confronted.