This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies. Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Texas A&M AgriLife Research scientists have achieved early success using electron beam, or eBeam, technology for the sterile insect technique, or SIT, against New World screwworm flies. New World screwworm, Cochliomyia hominivorax, is a pest that has drawn renewed national attention as Texas and U.S. agencies work with Texas A&M AgriLife to keep it from spreading further into the country and impacting livestock and wildlife.
A large New World screwworm outbreak in Texas could cost the state's cattle industry an estimated $2.1 billion and threaten its $9 billion hunting and wildlife industry, according to Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service economist estimates. SIT is a proven New World screwworm control method in which large numbers of sterilized male flies are released into the wild. Because females mate only once, pairing them with sterile males means their eggs never hatch, suppressing wild populations.
Traditional SIT methods expose pupae to radioactive isotopes, including cobalt-60. eBeam uses commercial electricity to generate high-energy electron beams—no radioactivity required. Using eBeam technology removes safety, security, cost and logistical burdens that come with handling a radioactive material like cobalt-60. Beam strength and exposure time are adjusted for each application.
The technology has been used for decades for various applications, including sterilizing medical equipment and imported produce and spices, and eliminating environmental pollution. The progress toward adding an innovative tool in the fight against New World screwworm is the product of two research disciplines joining forces: food processing and entomology. The collaborative team includes Suresh Pillai, Ph.D., director of the National Center for Electron Beam Research at Texas A&M University, AgriLife Research scientist and professor in the Department of Food Science and Technology, Bryan-College Station; and Aaron Tarone, Ph.D., AgriLife Research scientist and professor, and Keyan Zhu-Salzman, Ph.D., AgriLife Research entomologist and professor, both in the Department of Entomology.
The team combined eBeam engineering with entomological expertise to test a range of electron beam doses on New World screwworm pupae. Pillai's team handled the eBeam dosing and logistics, applying the technology across a range of doses for multiple rounds of testing on the pupae. Tarone's team then took over the biological side, dissecting and examining adult flies under a microscope.
His team assessed the flies' reproductive capabilities and confirmed they were able to fly and complete their life cycles, with sterility left as the only effect of the treatment. After extensive testing, the team is confident eBeam can effectively sterilize male flies without relying on high-activity radioactive material. The collaboration also turned up an added advantage: eBeam can cut the sterilization process down to seconds compared to cobalt-60, which takes minutes, Tarone said.
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