During border inspections, biosecurity officers often detect individual eggs or egg masses on imported fresh produce. These are often extremely small, and it is difficult to identify by current morphological or molecular tools. To determine biosecurity risk, the department needs to confirm if:
- Whether the eggs are viable, and if so,
- Whether the eggs are from a species of biosecurity concern.
There is currently no practical assay available that can be easily implemented by biosecurity officers at the border to determine the viability of detected specimens. Should eggs be detected at the border, the department will hold the consignment while additional laboratory-based diagnostics are pursued. If the viability of the eggs is uncertain, the department will take a precautionary approach and require management of the consignment.
It is suspected that large numbers of eggs detected at the Australian border on imported fresh horticulture and cut flowers are spider mites of the family Tetranychidae. Understanding what species are represented will allow the department to make informed decisions about biosecurity management.
Aim: This project aims to develop a new and novel method for identifying whether eggs found on fresh produce belong to spider mites of the family Tetranychidae.
Approach: The method is proposed to be biochemical, possibly utilising natural or synthetic antibodies (for example, findings in this project may lead to developing a test that works like a Covid Rapid Antigen Test.)
The approach could include:
- Generating antibodies (natural or synthetic) and testing their reaction to eggs
- Literature review
- Identifying biochemical markers of Tetranychidae eggs
Meet the PhD student for this project
Shimi Jose
I am Shimi Jose, a PhD student at The Australian National University (ANU) working in collaboration with the Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF).
I have a Master of Science in Agriculture majoring in Plant Pathology and a Master of Research, where I worked on developing molecular diagnostic tools for important viruses infecting pulse crops.
In my PhD, I’m aiming to develop natural or synthetic antibody-based tools to identify spider mite (Tetranychidae) eggs found on imported plant produce. Better detection could enable faster, evidence-based biosecurity decisions at the border, and potentially lead to a rapid test concept.
Outside the lab, I enjoy usually camping, gardening, and taking care of pets.
Supervisors and advisors
Associate Professor Simon Williams, The Australian National University.
Professor Wai-Hong Tham, The Australian National University.
Angus Baird, Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry.
Mike Elias, Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry.
Questions? Questions about this project can be directed to Sarah Adams, Chief Operating Officer, at plantbiosecurity@anu.edu.au or +61 459 341 281.