Entomological Laboratory

The Biosafety Level 3 (BL3) Laboratory ofthe Medical and VeterinaryEntomology Dept. at the C.A.A. G. Nicoli was designed in accordance with guidelines of the Italian Ministry of Health.

This facility has special engineering and containment features that allow investigators to work safely with known or possible human pathogens classified at level 3 (Allegato XII, 626/94) transmitted by mosquitoes, that have high risks for the lab personnel but low risks for the community.

Entry to the BL-3 Laboratory is restricted to individuals who have obtained prior approval. The Lab is equipped with three climate chambers that allow to control essential parameters (temperature, humidity and lighting) for mosquitoes rearing such as Culex pipiens molestus (Common Mosquito) and Aedes albopictus (Tiger Mosquito). The mosquitoes rearing includes all the stages of the biological cycle (egg-larva- pupa-adult) and no alive animals are used for the blood feeding. Before going outside, the air inside the lab passes through a filter in order to prevent the accidentally exit of mosquitoes.

Laboratory Equipment and Scientific Instruments

The devices used to assist in experimentation, research, or other laboratory activities are:

• Biological safety extractor hood (Horizontal laminar flow bench)
• Autoclave
• Electric balance (0,001/0,01 g precision)

Recently, in December 2011, the Centro Agricoltura Ambiente “G. Nicoli "has been designated as Collaborating Centre of the International Atomic Energy Agency, IAEA, Vienna.
An IAEA Collaborating Centre is a scientific institution which assists the Agency in implementing its program (Regular Budget Programme) through research, development and training in relevant nuclear technologies.

Designation as a Collaborating Centre is a public recognition of the work and the internationally scientific role that the institution cover in a specified field and as an expression of strong collaboration by the Agency.

The work project defined in agreement with IAEA will be carried out over 4 years and will cover the development and validation of technologies and methods for the application of the sterile insect technique (SIT) against Aedes mosquitoes. These activities are framed within the IAEA-NAFA Project 2.1.1.4 for the evaluation and development of the SIT techniques for the control of diseases transmitted by mosquitoes.

The overall objective of the collaboration is to further develop and improve the SIT technology for Aedes mosquitoes including quality control methods, field testing of the developed methods and strategies validation under natural field conditions.