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A Borate Gut Punch to the Termites!

Writer's picture: Aram MikaelyanAram Mikaelyan

I’m excited to share our latest publication in the Journal of Economic Entomology: 



Lethal disruption of the bacterial gut community in Eastern subterranean termite caused by boric acid. 🎉


This study, led by two incredible former lab members - Aaron Ashbrook and Melbert Schwarz, dives into how boric acid disrupts the gut microbiome of Reticulitermes flavipes, a major wood-destroying pest. We found that boric acid not only increases termite mortality in a dose-dependent manner but also causes gut dysbiosis🌪️, significantly shifting the bacterial community and impacting termite health. 😷 


Check it out here: https://lnkd.in/eSefyXkK


Big congratulations to Aaron, Melbert, and our whole team! Special thanks to our funders, especially Bayer | Crop Science, for supporting this important work!

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Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology
3312 Gardner Hall, 100 Pilsbury Circle
North Carolina State University
Email: amikael@ncsu.edu

© Aram Mikaelyan 2023. Some rights reserved.

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