George Tsiamis of the Department of Environmental Engineering at the University of Patras is one of the principal investigators involved in the REACT project. In April 2023, he visited Citrus Research International (CRI) in South Africa, another REACT partner. The purpose of the field trip was to collect samples of Bactrocera dorsalis in order to study the microbiome of the species.

“With the assistance of Dr Aruna Manrakhan we were able to initiate a culture-dependent approach using natural and laboratory populations and also collect samples that will be analyzed using the MinION platform. In addition to the sampling, I also visited the CRI center to learn more about their research on citrus pests and diseases. I had the opportunity to meet with several researchers and scientists, and we discussed the potential for collaboration between our organizations. Overall, the trip to South Africa was a success. I was able to collect valuable samples of Bactrocera dorsalis and to make important connections with researchers at CRI.”