The next generation of pest management is increasingly shaped by biotechnological innovations such as double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) and peptide-based pesticides. Unlike conventional chemical pesticides, which often act broadly across species, dsRNA functions through RNA interference (RNAi), a naturally occurring cellular mechanism that silences specific essential genes in target organisms leading to death. For example, the product Calantha, approved for use in the USA, downregulates the expression of essential genes in the Colorado Potato Beetle. Similarly, peptide pesticides can be engineered to disrupt precise physiological pathways in target organisms by acting on specific biological pathways. These technologies offer high specificity with reduced off-target effects, in theory leading to better environmental outcomes.
However, ecosystems are more than just the target organisms that these technologies are specifically designed to control. They are complex networks of interacting species, including the diverse microbial communities that actively drive essential ecological functions. For microbes, the complex and interacting communities are referred to as microbiomes. My research focuses on two types of microbiomes in the environment, free living soil microbiomes and host associated invertebrate gut microbiomes. Both play an essential role in many of the important functions in our environment. For example, soil microbiomes regulate nutrient cycling, organic matter decomposition, and plant health, while gut microbiomes influence digestion, immunity, and development in invertebrates including pollinators. These microbial assemblages are central to ecological balance. Disturbances that alter microbiome composition such as exposure to broad-spectrum chemical pesticides can ripple across trophic levels, reshaping species interactions and impairing ecosystem functions.
Traditional chemical pesticides are well documented to shift soil microbial diversity and disrupt gut microbial communities in non-target organisms. Such alterations may compromise nutrient turnover in soils or weaken host immunity or gut physiology and metabolism in beneficial insects. In contrast, the high specificity of dsRNA and peptide-based pesticides is likely to reduce collateral impacts on non-target microbes. This is because these technologies are designed to act on defined genetic or molecular targets, which may leave surrounding microbial communities comparatively intact. Greater microbiome stability could, in turn, support more resilient soil processes and maintain the health and immune competence of invertebrates.
My research aims to untangle these indirect, community-level responses to dsRNA and peptide pesticides on non-target organisms using different exposure scenarios from laboratory studies to complex yet controlled mesocosm experiments. By identifying how these targeted technologies reshape microbial networks and species interactions, my work will aim to clarify whether biotechnological precision can help increase ecological stability. Understanding these dynamics is essential for ensuring that the next generation of pest control not only reduces chemical inputs but also safeguard ecosystem functioning and long-term agricultural sustainability.