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The Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology
Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment
The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Microbiology of fruit flies
It is commonly though of multicellular organisms as biological units, or as populations composed of individuals. However, most (if not all) bear associated bacterial communities that perform functions essential for their well being – or in other terms functions that may impact upon their fitness. Insects are practical models to study such interactions as they are small, numerous and may sustain less complex bacterial communities than larger organisms. Moreover, certain insects, like Ceratitis capitata, the Mediterranean fruit fly, are important pests. The medfly is ubiquitous, and as its larva grows within fruits, it causes major damage to the fruit industry. The laboratory has a close collaboration with that of Boaz Yuval from the Department of Entomology at the Faculty, and together, we are investigating the structure, the functions and the impact of the medfly's gut bacterial populations on fitness.
Our aims are multiple, and include basic as well as applied studies. We use a polyphasic approach that includes the isolation and the characterization of medfly gut bacteria and the direct analysis of total gut DNA with molecular markers to examine the structure and the functions of gut bacterial populations. We also examine the impact of gut bacteria on life history parameters and ultimately on the fly's fitness. Our research also aims at improving existing schemes and finding new ways of combating this pest.
