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  • Vector Kolymbari Meeting, Crete, Greece, July 13–18, 2024.

The Kolymbari vector meeting is a major biennial international scientific conference focused on the biology, ecology, and control of disease vectors, particularly mosquitoes and other arthropods of medical and agricultural importance. Bringing together a global community of researchers, public health experts, and stakeholders, the meeting serves as a forum for presenting cutting-edge research on vector-borne diseases such as malaria, dengue, and West Nile virus, alongside emerging challenges linked to climate change and globalisation. Core themes include molecular and population biology of vectors, host–pathogen interactions, insect behaviour and chemical ecology, and the development of innovative control strategies including both traditional and genetic biocontrol methodologies (e.g. gene drives), novel attractants, and integrated vector management approaches. The conference is also notable for its emphasis on interdisciplinary collaboration and translation of fundamental research into practical solutions, fostering discussion on experimental design, field implementation, and policy considerations in vector control. The MicroBioPest group sent both Drs Martyn Wood and Juan Silva to present posters on the MicroBioPest project in order to publicize the project and our findings to a large audience of scientists, industry and stakeholders with the intent of forming productive networks.

The poster presented by the post-doctoral researcher Juan Silva (Characterization of bacterial isolates as biopesticides using heat-inactivation preparations in Culex pipiens molestus.) aimed at screening bacterial isolates for their potential against mosquito larvae. From a total of 1,709 isolates obtained from environmental samples, 750 were screened as live preparations against larvae of Culex pipiens molestus. From these, 109 isolates caused 100% larval mortality within seven days, with 37 isolates achieving it within three days. Taxonomic identification based on 16S rRNA sequencing revealed that the 109 isolates belonged to 37 bacterial genera, with Pseudomonas being the most abundant. Subsequent bioassays used heat-inactivated preparations to identify isolates producing heat-stable compounds. Bioassays with the 37 isolates revealed 5 isolates resulting in higher larval mortality. Bioassays to identify the source of toxins suggested that insecticidal activity was associated to cell components rather than secreted metabolites in the culture medium.

The poster presented by Dr. Martyn J. Wood focused on the discovery and screening of novel bacterial isolates for mosquitocidal activity against Culex pipiens molestus larvae. From a large environmental library generated in Crete, >700 live isolates were screened, of which 108 caused 100% mortality within seven days and 37 achieved this within three days. These 37 isolates were further evaluated using sonicated and solvent-extracted preparations, revealing several highly active strains (notably OTN1-C11, OTN72-C2, and OTN78-C5) that maintained strong efficacy, often achieving near-complete mortality within 24–48 hours. Extraction assays indicated that both extracellular non-polar compounds (in n-hexane fractions) and intracellular polar compounds (in ethyl acetate extracts) contribute to larvicidal activity, with different isolates seemingly producing the insecticidal actives in different locations; cellular components or within the supernatant only. Furthermore, clear differentiation between isolates could be seen in terms of the blend of polar and non-polar compounds; or lack of duality; causing insecticidal activity.

Last modified on Monday, 30 March 2026 11:27

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