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College of Agriculture and Life Sciences

North Carolina State University

Center for Integrated Pest Management

Report Year: 2016

Date Submitted: January 30, 2017

Name: Herma Pierre

Title: Research Associate

Faculty Activity Report

·  January

o  Conducted a literature search on the compound putrescine (used along with ammonium acetate and trimethylamine as an attractant for Mediterranean fruit flies)

o  Performed maintenance and troubleshooting of an ultra-high performance liquid chromatograph coupled with a heated electrospray ionizer linear ion-trap mass spectrometer (UPLC-HESI-MS)

o  Began operation of and reading of troubleshooting manuals for the following instruments:

§  Metrohm 850 Professional IC (ion chromatograph)

§  Agilent 6890N GC-FID (gas chromatograph coupled with a flame ionization detector)

§  Agilent 5975 Series GC-MS/FID (gas chromatograph coupled with a mass spectrometer/flame ionization detector)

§  Milton Roy ABBE-3L Refractometer

o  Method development and method validation of the following:

§  2-component biolure (putrescine/ammonium acetate)

§  3-component biolure (putrescine/ammonium acetate/trimethylamine)

o  Attended a webinar on ways to improve sample preparation

o  Attended the NCSU new employee orientation

o  Started working a working plan for the fruit fly lure longevity determination project, a coordinated effort between APHIS labs in Florida, Hawai’i, Texas, and Guatemala

o  Quality assurance testing of trimedlure lure plugs

·  February

o  Performed routine LC-MS maintenance and troubleshooting

o  Drafted standard operating procedures for the following:

§  2-component biolure (putrescine/ammonium acetate)

§  3-component biolure (putrescine/ammonium acetate/trimethylamine)

o  Continued reading operation and troubleshooting manuals for the following instruments:

§  Metrohm 850 Professional IC (ion chromatograph)

§  Agilent 6890N GC-FID (gas chromatograph coupled with a flame ionization detector)

§  Agilent 5975 Series GC-MS/FID (gas chromatograph coupled with a mass spectrometer/flame ionization detector)

§  Milton Roy ABBE-3L Refractometer

o  Quality assurance testing of trimedlure lure plugs

o  Participated in the USDA-ARS-SHRS “Community Day”

§  Set up tables and spoke with residents of the community about what APHIS is about and what they do

o  Began statistical groundwork for the fruit fly lure longevity determination project:

§  Read through meeting notes

§  Wrote up synopses of various meetings concerning the effort

§  Contacted the project’s Florida point of contact (David Dean, Entomologist) to get a better understanding of the goals of this project

§  Using the statistical software G*Power, determined the minimum sample size needed to achieve a power of 0.9 or higher

§  Determined that the data generated would be analyzed via a one-way repeated measures ANOVA

o  Troubleshooting of GC-FID

·  March

o  Quality assurance testing of trimedlure lure plugs

o  Quality assurance testing of technical standards of cue-lure and methyl eugenol

o  Performed maintenance and troubleshooting of an ultra-high performance liquid chromatograph coupled with a heated electrospray ionizer linear ion-trap mass spectrometer (UPLC-HESI-MS)

o  Continued working on lure longevity project working plan

o  Started method development of the following:

§  Methyl eugenol wafer lure

§  Cue-lure plug lure

§  Dichlorvos (DDVP) insecticidal strips

·  April

o  Completed method development and method validation of the following:

§  Methyl eugenol wafer lure

§  Dichlorvos (DDVP) insecticidal strips

o  Began analyzing weathered 3 component biolures from Hawai’i

o  Troubleshooting and maintenance of the Metrohm 850 Professional IC

o  Performed maintenance and troubleshooting of an ultra-high performance liquid chromatograph coupled with a heated electrospray ionizer linear ion-trap mass spectrometer (UPLC-HESI-MS)

o  Attended a webinar on the understanding of mass spectrometry

o  Reviewed statistics notes

o  Participated in lab tours for local college students (Broward College)

o  Began reading a book on the chemical ecology of insects

o  Began reading a book on plant volatile analysis

o  Attended a fruit fly teleconference

·  May

o  Quality assurance testing of technical standards of cue-lure and methyl eugenol

o  Began method development of cade oil

o  Made corrections to the method validation data of methyl eugenol

o  Troubleshooting and maintenance of the Metrohm 850 Professional IC

o  Began analyzing weathered 3 component biolures from Hawai’i

o  Began reviewing literature on bonsai trees for potential project

o  Completed method development and method validation of the following:

§  Latilure technical standard

o  Drafted standard operating procedures for the following:

§  Latilure technical standard

§  Methyl eugenol wafer lure

§  Cue-lure plug lure

o  Began preparations to visit site and meet with scientists coordinating the fruit fly lure longevity project

·  June

o  Began processing Florida samples for the fruit fly lure longevity study

o  Began making edits to the following drafted SOPs:

§  Latilure technical standard

§  Methyl eugenol wafer lure

§  Cue-lure plug lure

§  Dichlorvos (DDVP) insecticidal strips

§  2-component biolure (putrescine/ammonium acetate)

§  3-component biolure (putrescine/ammonium acetate/trimethylamine)

o  Visited the field testing site and sterile male fruit fly insect release facility and met with scientists coordinating the fruit fly lure longevity project

·  July

o  Made corrections to drafted SOP-110 (Analysis of Fruit Fly Solid Lure for Ammonium Acetate, Putrescine, and Trimethylamine Content)

o  Continued processing samples for Florida (Palmetto) Fruit Fly Lure Longevity Study

o  Performed routine maintenance of LC-MS system

o  Began analyzing the TML technical standard used in Florida (Palmetto) Fruit Fly Lure Longevity Study (FFFLS).

o  Contacted the EPA and Clorox company to get information on adding acids to Clorox bleach

o  Conducted background research on the thermodynamic properties of each component of the 3-component biolure, particularly heat of vaporization, vapor pressure, and boiling point.

o  Used the Clausius-Clapeyron equation to estimate the heat of vaporization of each component of the 3-component biolure over a range of temperatures and vapor pressures.

o  Began statistical analysis of Florida (Palmetto) Fruit Fly Lure Longevity Study data

·  August

o  SOP-110 (Analysis of Fruit Fly Solid Lure for Ammonium Acetate, Putrescine, and Trimethylamine Content) signed in put in circulation

o  Continued processing samples for FFFLS

o  Began processing samples for Trial #2 of FFFLS

o  Performed routine maintenance of LC-MS system

o  Reported out the total content results of the Hawai’i 3-component biolure weathering to Todd Shelly

o  Had a phone call/meeting with David Dean about results of the lure longevity study and the potential direction that the controlled study will go

o  Completed the analysis of the 2g/3g TML Hawai’i weathering study. Reported results to Todd Shelly.

o  Reported out unofficial results for FFFLS to David Dean

o  Continued statistical analysis of FFFLS.

o  Began statistical analysis of total content results of the Hawai’i 3-component biolure weathering study

·  September

o  Continued processing samples for FFFLS (trials #1 and #2)

o  Completed the chemical analysis of the 2g TML plugs of the FFFLS

o  Began researching ideal gas law

o  Researched chemical and physical properties of methyl bromide and carbon dioxide

o  Researched different analytical techniques used to validate methyl bromide

o  Continued analyzing the TML technical standard used in Florida (Palmetto) Fruit Fly Lure Longevity Study

o  Began learning Spanish using Mango Languages website available through USDA-APHIS

o  Attended a methyl bromide/fumiscope/spectros teleconference meeting

o  Continued statistical analysis of total content results for FFFLS

§  Tukey-Kramer Post-Hoc Analysis

§  Determined best transformation to use for TML to have a normal distribution: the natural log transformation.

o  Researched cade oil and solanum fruit fly for method development purposes

o  Attended FFFLS meeting to talk about the progress of the study and the next steps

o  Completed a detailed summary report for the fruit fly group as well as a detailed report for a draft manuscript for a future publication of the findings

o  Began training for methyl bromide project transfer to me.

o  Ion chromatograph troubleshooting

o  Conducted a consultation/training at local university, Florida International University, on Agilent 1100 Series HPLC operation and maintenance

o  Attended webinar on essential oil chemistry and extreme weather

·  October

o  Statistical analysis of 3-component lure data compiled for FFFLS up until this point

o  Continued methyl bromide project transfer training

o  Conducted a consultation/training at local university, Florida International University, on Agilent 1100 Series HPLC operation and maintenance

o  Started learning how to use Microsoft Access to create databases

o  Continued learning Spanish through Mango languages

o  Studied PPQ Treatment Manual Section 2 (methyl bromide treatments)

o  Conducted literature reviews of LC and GC troubleshooting as well as chromatographic theory

o  Drafted SOP for methyl bromide project based on information given and processes learned up until this point

o  Completed defensive driving course

·  November

o  Conducted literature review of ion chromatography

o  Attended a methyl bromide monitor meeting

o  Researched isobutane (potential use for verification of methyl bromide monitors)

o  Continued learning Spanish through Mango languages

o  Studied PPQ Treatment Manual Section 5 (methyl bromide monitor equipment)

o  Cade oil verification method development

§  Researched various synergists’ chemical and physical properties

§  Began developing a method on GC-MS for identification and qualitative analysis of previously identified synergists in cade oil

o  Reviewed TML summary report compiled by all parties involved (myself and an entomologist)

o  Began method development for methyl bromide monitor study

§  Literature search, etc.

·  December

o  Continued literature review of methyl bromide sampling and analysis

o  Registered for Gerstel training (GC-MS)

o  Training on new Gerstel additions to GC-MS by field service representative

o  Methyl bromide monitor study method development continued

o  Contacted Matheson Gas Company to verify findings from method development were correct

o  Methyl bromide chemistry meeting with Senior Analytical Chemist

Plan of Work

  1. Complete the methyl bromide project method development. A method is currently being developed to better verify the calibration of field instruments used to monitor methyl bromide concentrations. The objective is to complete this project by June 2017.
  2. Continue collaborative work with CPHST scientists on fruit fly work. Last year, the collaboration was a successful one. My goal is to be a part of the process of developing stronger ties with other scientists working on fruit fly population mitigation. With these stronger ties, CPHST will be able to address field issues with an even greater efficiency.
  3. Gerstel Training. The company Gerstel has developed several different apparatus that couples with Agilent instruments (i.e. GC-MS), several of which allows for greater analytical capabilities in volatile and semi-volatile compound analysis. If successfully completed, the Gerstel Training in March 2017 will allow for a comprehensive knowledge of all the uses of the different apparatus coupled with the GC-MS in the lab as well as technical application capabilities.
  4. Continue Method Development Work. A main goal for the next 1-2 years is to continue developing and validating methods. The equipment in the lab will allow for an array of methods to be developed, especially for volatile and semi-volatile compounds.
  5. Work with CPHST scientists to resolve problems encountered in the field. For the next few years it would be amazing to be able to work with other scientists throughout the US as well as different regions in the world to resolve issues seen in the field. The fruit fly project that was partially completed in 2016 allowed a small glimpse into what that could be like. It was an awesome experience.