Develop new molecular methods for comprehensive and rapid fruit fly diagnosis

Rapid and accurate identification of fruit flies found in imported produce or following incursions is critical to prevent the establishment of these and other exotic fruit fly species that would cause very significant harm to Australian producers and exporters. We will evaluate DNA biochips and loop-mediated Isothermal amplification (LAMP) as new technologies for rapid, economical and reliable identification of fruit fly pest species. These new technologies will be compared with the existing standard techniques in terms of time, accuracy, ease of operation and cost.