Partners work to combat the New World Screwworm
The Office of Radiological Security of the Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration has partnered with Texas A&M University to fight the New World Screwworm (NWS), a devastating pest that damages—and sometimes kills—livestock, wildlife, pets, and humans.
According to ORS, the concern grew last week as the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced that NWS had been found less than 75 miles from the U.S. border near one of the most heavily trafficked commercial thoroughfares in the world.
Teamwork: The NNSA partnered with Texas A&M’s National Center for Electron Beam Research (NCEBR) to advance the Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) using electron beam (eBeam) technology in place of radioactive cobalt. SIT prevents the spread of the NWS by releasing sterilized male screwworms to halt reproduction and reduce their population.
The ORS’s mission includes preventing the misuse of highly radioactive materials and promoting alternatives like eBeam devices, which eliminates the need for radioactive sources. The collaboration enhances radiological security best practices nationwide, thus strengthening national security, the ORS noted.
“Our mission-driven partnership with Texas A&M is essential to advancing American innovation in eBeam applications and enhancing our national security,” said ORS director Kristin Hirsch. “With the support of Texas A&M AgriLife experts, the NNSA is able to help combat the spread of the NWS, building stronger food systems and safer communities across the country.”
The plan: U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins recently announced a new NWS fly dispersal facility in Texas and a five-pronged plan for eradicating the pest. The plan includes the USDA pursuing innovative research, such as eBeam and other technologies.
Because the NWS has recently reemerged as a threat, the NNSA’s longstanding partnership with Texas A&M is crucial for leveraging academic expertise to combat it and other emerging national security challenges.
A better way: Currently, SIT relies on cobalt-60 gamma sterilization, but Co-60 carries radiological security risks. So, the NNSA, the NCEBR, and Texas A&M’s Department of Entomology have worked to find replacement methods. Through modeling studies sponsored by the NNSA and conducted by Texas A&M since 2023, researchers identified eBeam technology as a viable alternative and are working to make it available to the USDA to combat the threat.
The NNSA has been collaborating on the development of an eBeam system to be used for chemical remediation, another area where Co-60 use could become a risk. With the screwworm bearing down on the United States, the NNSA is repurposing the technology toward NWS response and accelerating development to make eBeam available to the USDA by early 2026.
Once integrated into a rearing facility, it could create over 100 million sterile flies in 24 hours. It’s a big improvement over the Co-60 technique, which can take a week to do the same amount. It would be a game-changer in NWS response, the ORS stressed.
Quotable: “This collaboration with NNSA enables Texas A&M AgriLife to contribute innovative agriculture research that is essential to our nation’s food security,” said Suresh Pillai, director of the NCEBR at Texas A&M. “We are proud to support NNSA in their mission to enhance the security of the United States.”
Christine Bent, assistant deputy administrator for Global Material Security, said that the “NNSA is determined to protect America’s agriculture industry in the face of emerging challenges. Through the strength of our partnership with Texas A&M, along with other academic, government, and business partnerships, NNSA works to protect our farms, our food, and our nation.”
About: The ORS, within the NNSA’s Office of Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation, enhances U.S. and global security by eliminating disused high-activity radioactive material and preventing its acquisition by adversaries.
