Insects as Chemical Sensors: Detection of Chemical Warfare Agent Simulants and Hydrolysis Products in the Blow Fly Using LC-MS/MS.

In this work, blow flies were investigated as environmental chemical sample collectors following a chemical warfare attack (CWA). Blow flies sample the environment as they search for water and food sources and can be trapped from kilometers away using baited traps. Three species of blow flies were exposed to CWA simulants to determine the persistence and detectability of these compounds under varying environmental conditions.

Simultaneous quantitation of five triazole anti-fungal agents by paper spray-mass spectrometry.

Background Invasive fungal disease is a life-threatening condition that can be challenging to treat due to pathogen resistance, drug toxicity, and therapeutic failure secondary to suboptimal drug concentrations. Frequent therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) is required for some anti-fungal agents to overcome these issues. Unfortunately, TDM at the institutional level is difficult, and samples are often sent to a commercial reference laboratory for analysis.

Female Blow Flies As Vertebrate Resource Indicators.

Rapid vertebrate diversity evaluation is invaluable for monitoring changing ecosystems worldwide. Wild blow flies naturally recover DNA and chemical signatures from animal carcasses and feces. We demonstrate the power of blow flies as biodiversity monitors through sampling of flies in three environments with varying human influences: Indianapolis, IN and two national parks (the Great Smoky Mountains and Yellowstone).