Publications by authors named "Raed Bouafoura"

The Colorado potato beetle (Leptinotarsa decemlineata (Say)) is an insect pest that threatens potato crops. Multiple options exist to limit the impact of this pest even though insecticides remain a primary option for its control. Insecticide resistance has been reported in Colorado potato beetles and a better understanding of the molecular players underlying such process is of utmost importance to optimize the tools used to mitigate the impact of this insect.

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The Colorado potato beetle ( (Say)) is known for its capacity to cause significant damages to potato crops worldwide. Multiple approaches have been considered to limit its spread including the use of a diverse arsenal of insecticides. Unfortunately, this insect frequently develops resistance towards these compounds.

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Various approaches based on RNA interference (RNAi) have garnered significant attention in the field of insect pest management in recent years. For example, the use of double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) has notably been investigated to target transcripts of interest with relevance to insecticide resistance in multiple pests and has emerged as a potential tool to be deployed in agricultural fields in the near future. A careful characterization of a given dsRNA in a laboratory setting, including the assessment of dsRNA-mediated molecular and phenotypical changes observed in the targeted pest upon dsRNA exposure, is nevertheless essential prior to its use in field-based study.

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