Tracking Tiny Messages: Studying exogenous mRNA Stability in an Insect Pest
- Beschreibung
The Colorado potato beetle is one of the most destructive insect pests affecting potato crops worldwide. This project aims to investigate the stability and functionality of in-house formulated mRNA molecules inside the beetle to explore their potential use in novel pest management strategies.
Our preliminary data indicate that the formulated mRNA remains relatively stable inside the larvae. You will study how long the delivered mRNA remains stable in the insect body, whether it distributes systemically across different organs, and if it can be translated into functional protein. The project involves both oral feeding and microinjection-based delivery experiments, followed by molecular analyses to assess mRNA persistence and translation efficiency.
Students will gain hands-on experience in RNA extraction and purification from insect tissues, qRT-PCR for gene expression analysis, insect dissections, and protein detection using spectrophotometric and biochemical assays. This project offers an excellent opportunity to develop molecular biology and analytical skills while contributing to innovative research in insect molecular physiology and RNA-based pest control.
- Beschreibung des interdisziplinären Teils des Projekts
- The project integrates molecular biology, entomology, and biotechnology. It links RNA biology with insect physiology and biochemical analysis to develop innovative molecular tools for pest management.
- Projektzeitraum
- Wintersemester 2025/2026
- Bewerbungszeitraum
- 13. bis 27.10.2025
- Durchführung
- nach Absprache
- Details zu Projektzeitraum und Durchführung
The project can be carried out either as a block module or over a semester, depending on the student’s availability and study schedule. The exact timeline and workload will be arranged individually.
- Studienfach
-
Agrarbiologie
Bioeconomy
Biologie
Biotechnologiy
Crop Sciences
Environmental Protection and Agricultural Food Production
Food Biotechnology
Food Science and Engineering
Food Science and Technology
Lebensmittelwissenschaft und Biotechnologie
Medizinische Ernährungswissenschaft
Molekulare Ernährungswissenschaft
Nachhaltige Biobasierte Technologien - Betreuende
- Venkata Partha Sarathi Amineni
- Institut
- Institut für Phytomedizin (360) (360)
- Sprache
- englisch
- Teilnehmendenanzahl
- min. 1, max. 1
- Arbeitsaufwand
-
ca. 150 Stunden pro Teilnehmende:r
| 5
ECTS-Punkte
Arbeitsaufwand (Stunden und ggf. ECTS) sind ungefähre Angaben. Die tatsächlich vergebenen ECTS-Punkte ergeben sich aus der tatsächlich geleisteten Arbeit.
- Für dieses Projekt ist ein Motivationsschreiben des Studierenden erforderlich
- Projektart
- experimentell
- Lernziele
-
Die Teilnehmende lernen in diesem Projekt:
After completing the project, students will be able to:
- describe the principles of mRNA stability and translation in insects.
- apply molecular biology techniques such as RNA extraction, qRT-PCR, and protein quantification.
- analyze mRNA distribution and degradation across different organs and time points.
- evaluate experimental data in the context of mRNA stability and its potential use in RNA-based pest control.
- develop their own hypotheses and experimental approaches to improve RNA formulations or detection methods.
- Anmerkungen für Studierende
This project is well-suited for motivated Bachelor’s or Master’s students with an interest in molecular biology, biotechnology, or entomology. Prior experience in molecular lab work is helpful but not mandatory, training will be provided. The project can be adapted based on the student’s background and time availability, and may be carried out as a block or semester project.
- Schlagworte
- mRNA stability, Colorado potato beetle, RNA delivery, gene expression, qRT-PCR, protein translation, RNA-based pest control