b'Insecticide Resistance in Aedes AlbopictusVyom Vyas, Department of BiologyFaculty Sponsor: Dr. Eric Chambers, Department of BiologyAedes albopictus, is one of several species of mosquito capable of transmitting arboviruses such as Denque virus, Chickungunya virus, and Zika virus. The most common way to control Ae. albopictus is by treating it with insecticides, but in doing so, this species can, over a period of\\ time, develop resistance. We are interested in determining the alleles associated with resistance and their frequency in populations of Ae. albopictus found in Lowndes County, GA. We employed a multiplex PCR that can detect two insecticide resistance mutations (V1016G and F1534C) found within the knock-down resistance (kdr) gene. Here we report on the allele frequency of these two mutations in both a natural population of Ae. albopictus as well as in the Tokushima laboratory strain of Ae. albopictus.Distribution of Serotonin and Histamine Immunoreactivity in the Central Nervous System of the Blue CrabGena Cody and Faith Hall, Department of BiologyFaculty Sponsor: Dr. Timothy J. Fort, Department of BiologyThe heart of the blue crab is a simple central pattern generator (CPG)-effector system. The 9 neuron CPG sets the basic rhythm of the heart, which can be modulated by both neuronal (via cardioregulatory fibers) and hormonal signals (via the pericardial organs). Gamma aminobtyric acid (GABA), an inhibitory neurotransmitter, and dopamine, an excitatory neurotransmitter are the neurotransmitters of two of the three cardioregulatory fibers and are both present in the pericardial organs. In this study, we use immunohistochemistry to determine the distribution of two biogenic amines, Serotonin (5-Hydroxytryptamine) and Histamine, in the central nervous system of the blue crab, Callinectes sapidus, in an effort to determine the neurotransmitter present in the third cardioregulatory fiber. Serotonin-like immunoreactivity was observed in fibers throughout the central nervous system. Histamine-like immunoreactivity was observed in the pericardial organs. These distributions suggest possible cardiomodulatory roles for Serotonin and Histamine.17'