The latest research stories from PEARG

What 10 days of student placement with PEARG has taught me by Adrienne Franks When a hobby entomologist looks for a laboratory technician student placement, Pest and Environmental Adaptation Research Group (PEARG) was simply the best choice. As I wrapped up my Diploma of Laboratory Technology, I was excited to join PEARG for a busy […]

Alex Gill Nicholas Bell and Professor Ary Hoffmann Aphids. You might stumble across them in your backyard, snacking on your veggie patch, in fields and orchards where crops are grown and even along roadsides. But this group of sap-sucking bugs are among the most economically damaging pest insects globally. Aphids, like these Green peach aphids, […]

ORIGINAL ARTICLE BY Eelemarni Close-Brown PUBLISHED Mon 23 Jun 2025 — READ AT THE GUARDIAN WEBSITE HERE all content in this article is Courtesy of Guardian News & Media Ltd. ‘For most of the ones I feed, I just feel a little sensation,’ says the University of Melbourne medical entomologist. Mosquito colony feeds on blood […]

By blurring the lines between indoor and outdoor spaces, modern homes often invite mosquitoes. But there are ways to prevent them and the diseases they carry By Dr Véronique Paris, Nick Bell and Professor Ary Hoffmann, University of Melbourne A casual scroll through the real estate ads of suburban Melbourne reveals a popular feature: modern […]

Ary Hoffmann, The University of Melbourne and Caitlyn Perry, The University of Melbourne The common fruit fly (Drosophila melanogaster), more correctly called the vinegar fly, is a frequent visitor to ripe fruit in households around the world, where it often deposits eggs on rotting flesh without being noticed. We have probably all consumed different body […]

Perran was recently featured on ABC’s Gardening Australia ‘My Garden Path’ segment. Check it out: LINK

Author – Daniel Oppermann – undergraduate student, RMIT As an undergraduate student in a STEM degree, I had no idea what to expect from the workplace as I have no prior industry experience. I was nervous to begin my 2 week work experience program at the Pest & Environmental Adaptation Research Group (PEARG) in the […]

Grains and horticulture join forces to fight pest insects November 19, 2024Grains and horticulture join forces to fight pest insectsA groundbreaking new $24.79 million project is poised to revolutionise pest management for Australian grain and vegetable growers.  This initiative is a crucial step in preparing these key food production industries to reduce reliance on broad-spectrum […]

By Ann Stocker Michael Ashburner died last year at the age of 81. Most researchers know his 12-volume collection on the Genetics and Biology of Drosophila and his encyclopedic “Drosophila A Laboratory Handbook” with its accompanying Laboratory Manual. Michael was not just interested in his own work. He was passionate about genetics as a whole […]

Dr Véronique Paris, Dr Peter Mee, and Nicholas Bell Knowing that mosquitoes are involved in the transmission of the Buruli ulcer in Victoria is a breakthrough, but we need to work out what happens next to tackle the disease Understanding how infectious diseases spread is crucial for developing effective prevention and control strategies, especially for […]

This blog was originally shared on the Ecology & Evolution ‘research community: read it here – https://communities.springernature.com/posts/mosquito-stowaways-repeatedly-spread-new-insecticide-resistance-mutations-across-the-world Original research paper can be found at Nature Communications here: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-024-49792-y Aedes mosquitoes are some of the deadliest animals on the planet. Two species in particular, Aedes aegypti (yellow fever mosquito) and Aedes albopictus (Asian tiger mosquito), have […]

I have a passion for playing mad scientist with pesticides, all in the name of making agricultural pest control safer and more sustainable. If you’re fond of growing roses, you’re probably familiar with the frustrating critters that invade them in your garden. The critters, in this case aphids, are unfortunately fond of your roses, along […]

Dr Perran Stott-Ross and Holly Hyojung Kang This article was first published on Pursuit. Read the original article. Mosquitoes are some of the most effective hunters on the planet. They can track you down at great distance by sniffing out the air you breathe. Once they find exposed skin, they use their needle-like proboscises to […]

By Miriama Pekľanská As my stay comes to an end, I would like to share a few words about myself and how I fulfilled my dream of coming to Australia to complete my three-month PhD internship with the Pest & Environmental Adaptation Research Group (PEARG). I am from a little village near the beautiful city […]