Innovations in Military Products Development: USDA Research Insights

1. Found in Translation: How USDA Research Develops Products for the Military Daniel Strickman National Program Leader Veterinary, Medical, and Urban Entomology Director, Overseas Biological Control Laboratories USDA Agricultural Research Service

2. Realistic • realistic adj. 1. of, having to do with, or in the style of, realism or realists 2. tending to face facts; practical rather than visionary • Disadvantages • Takes second order reasoning to reach new solutions • Implies that no other solution possible • So very few things actually are realistic • Imperfect is the enemy of the good • Desired because: • Implies immediate solution • Avoids wasted time and resources • Always looks good on an evaluation or report

3. Futuristic • futuristic adj. of or having to do with the future or futurism • Disadvantages • Holds out promise of something better without delivering • Delayed solution to immediate problem • Encourages deception because new ideas seldom work • Perfect is the enemy of the good • Desired because • Builds on cultural bias for change and new solutions • Perceived as portal to new “black box” technologies • Sometimes produces a dramatic improvement • Sounds like something smart people do

4. The Trouble with the Future • It’s always in the future • Only predictable in hindsight • Never arrives • It’s inevitable • We never stop moving toward it • Consequences cannot be avoided

5. King Canute had a point

6. USDA ARS realistic FUTURISTIC • Matrix management • Area Offices for administration • Office of National Programs for scientific direction • Importance of impact • Patents • Products • Information • Office of Technology Transfer • Logo: “Solving Problems for American Agriculture”

7. History • Eradication of cattle fever tick • Taxonomy of American mosquitoes • Eradication of screwworm fly • DDT for protection of the military • Clothing repellents to prevent scrub typhus • Aerosol can insecticide • DEET • ULV • Permethrin treatment of uniforms

8. Recent Inventions for Licensing • Natural Mosquito and Tick Repellent • Promising Biopesticide for Fire Ant Control • Improved Technique for Protecting and Treating Deer Against Ticks • New Method for Controlling Subterranean Termites • New Method for Developing Molecular Pesticides • Environmentally Safe Mosquito Attractant • Technologies to Control Subterranean Termites • New Water-Resistant Ant Bait • Method to Prepare a Natural Mosquito and Tick Repellent from Pine Oil • New Organic Pest Control for Flies and Ticks • Arthropod-Repelling Compounds • Portable Deer Lift • Technology to Help Develop Vaccines for Protecting Cattle Against Scabies • Repellents for Ants • Biological Control for Mosquitoes and Other Insects • Device and Method for Application of Collars to Animals • Repellent for Ants

9. Repellents (DWFP + ARS $$)

10. Ticks (non-DWFP)

11. Insecticides (ARS + DWFP $$)

12. Application (DWFP + ARS $$)

13. The Virtual Laboratory • Systematic approach • Innovation • Discovery • Evaluation • Industrial partnerships • Regulation • Partnership between laboratories • IIBBL: Invasive Insect Biocontrol and Behavior Lab, Beltsville • CMAVE: Mosquito and Fly Research Unit, Gainesville • NPURU: Natural Products Utilization Research Unit, Oxford • AWPMRU: Area Wide Pest Management Research Unit, College Station • KBUSLIRL: Knipling-Bushland US Livestock Insect Research Lab, Kerrville • External partnership • Industry • Universities • Other government agencies

14. Questions?