http://comp.uark.edu/~aszalan/Site/Blog/Blog.html Updates on ongoing research at the University of Arkansas Insect Genetics Lab iWeb 2.0.1 http://comp.uark.edu/~aszalan/Site/Blog/Blog_files/lab2.jpg http://comp.uark.edu/~aszalan/Site/Blog/Blog.html http://comp.uark.edu/~aszalan/Site/Blog/Entries/2007/9/11_Bed_bug_forensics.html af705567-de1a-4f85-8a0b-c2bf3ef9cb65 Tue, 11 Sep 2007 07:12:07 -0500 <a href="http://comp.uark.edu/~aszalan/Site/Blog/Entries/2007/9/11_Bed_bug_forensics_files/Cimex_lectularius2.jpg"><img src="http://comp.uark.edu/~aszalan/Site/Blog/Media/Cimex_lectularius2.jpg" style="float:left; padding-right:10px; padding-bottom:10px; width:176px; height:193px;"/></a>Our study on the isolation and characterization of human DNA from bed bugs will be published in the next issue of the <a href="http://entweb.clemson.edu/scesweb/jaue.htm">Journal of Agricultural and Urban Entomology</a>. Here is the Abstract: <br/> The ability to identify individual human hosts based on analyses of blood recovered from hematophagous insects is beneficial for both medical and forensic entomology. Bed bugs, Cimex lectularius L., may have several advantages over other blood-feeding arthropods for forensics since they do not remain on the host after their blood-feeding activity and remain in close proximity to a crime scene. Successful isolation, amplification, and sequencing of human DNA obtained from adult bed bugs, is reported for the first time from this study. Engorged bed bugs were recovered from a human volunteer and from field collected samples from New York, NY and Brazos County, TX. Samples were preserved by drying, stored in 70% ethanol, or freezing at -20C. DNA was extracted from the individual insects and PCR was conducted using short tandem repeat (STR), human mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) hypervariable region (HVR1), and insect mtDNA 16S markers. Amplification of a STR marker used in forensic investigations, D18S51, a HVR1 marker, and an insect mtDNA 16S marker was successful. These results demonstrate that DNA isolated from bed bugs is qualitatively and quantitatively sufficient for DNA typing and could be helpful to identify individuals for forensic analysis.<br/><br/><br/> http://comp.uark.edu/~aszalan/Site/Blog/Entries/2007/9/7_Bed_Bug_Symposium.html 30337cfb-41a1-4937-bc0b-983083549979 Fri, 7 Sep 2007 00:00:00 -0500 <a href="http://comp.uark.edu/~aszalan/Site/Blog/Entries/2007/9/7_Bed_Bug_Symposium_files/DSCN0643.jpg"><img src="http://comp.uark.edu/~aszalan/Site/Blog/Media/DSCN0643.jpg" style="float:left; padding-right:10px; padding-bottom:10px; width:176px; height:132px;"/></a>Our symposium titled ‘<a href="http://esa.confex.com/esa/2007/techprogram/session_5326.htm">Molecular Insights into Bed Bug (Cimex lectularius) Biology</a>’ will take place on Sunday morning, December 9 at the 2007 Annual Meeting of the Entomological Society of America. Talks will include: symbionts in bed bugs; hepatitis B in bed bugs; use of bed bugs for molecular forensics and molecular detection of bed bug blood meals; bed bug population genetics; and bed bug insecticide resistance