A Borate Gut Punch to the Termites!

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!