The Australian plague locust (Chortoicetes terminifera) is a significant and insidious agricultural pest that causes severe damage to pasture and crops during outbreaks.
Locusts can exist in two different behavioural states – solitary and gregarious. When population density is high, solitary locusts under a significant physiological and behavioural change to become gregarious. In the gregarious phase locusts can congregate in the millions and form dense juvenile hopper bands that march across landscapes consuming plants and fledging into flying adult swarms.
Little is known about the transcriptional mechanisms underlying the phase changes of the Australian plague locust. Greater understanding of the key genes involved in the transition between solitary and gregarious phases is important for the development of innovative and effective control strategies.
Aim: This PhD project aims to investigate the transcriptional profile divergences between solitary and gregarious phases of Australian Plague Locust and identify key genes and pathways that can be targeted for the development of control strategies.
Meet the PhD student for this project
Alphonsa Baby
Hi, I am Alphonsa Baby, a PhD student at James Cook University (JCU), working in collaboration with the Australian Plague Locust Commission (APLC) and the Plant Innovation Centre (PIC) in the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF).
I completed my Erasmus Mundus Joint Master’s Degree in Plant Health in Sustainable Cropping Systems(2022-2024) at the Universitat Politècnica de València (Spain) and the University of Padua (Italy). From learning the fundamentals of entomology during my bachelor’s degree to exploring functional genomics through my master’s thesis, my academic journey has been one of deepening curiosity and growing admiration for insect science.
As a young researcher, I aspire to specialize in functional genomics and gene-targeting strategies for sustainable pest management. Outside academia, you’ll usually find me cycling, travelling, and exploring.
Approach
The genome assembly of Australian Plague Locust is currently being progressed. In parallel, the proposed PhD will focus on transcriptomic (RNA-Seq) studies to identify the key genes that can be targeted for the development of control strategies. Approaches may include:
- Literature review
- Fieldwork to collect locusts in the wild
- Rearing locusts for experimental work
- Maintaining locust colonies and triggering phase change from the solitary to gregarious phase
- RNA-Seq analysis to identify the differentially expressed genes between solitary and gregarious phases
- Bioinformatic analysis to identify key genes and pathways that can be targeted for the development of effective control strategies that prevent phase change
Supervisors and advisors
Dena Francis, James Cook University.
Con Goletsos, Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry.
Shamila Abeynayake, 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.