2009 Annual Report 1a.Objectives (from AD-416) The goals of the proposed research are to develop new functional genomic resources for the fire ant Solenopsis invicta and to employ these resources to examine biological traits that are simultaneously important for understanding its basic biology and identifying genes and gene networks that are potential targets for its biological control. 1b.Approach (from AD-416) 1) Large-scale EST studies will be performed to significantly increase the breadth and depth of transcriptome coverage using both 454 pyrosequencing as well as traditional Sanger sequencing technology. 2) An oligo microarray platform (Agilent) will be developed for gene expression studies using the EST sequence data. 3) A platform for screening SNPs will be developed using Illumina technology for population genomic and linkage studies. 4) Integrated physical and genetic maps will be generated for S. invicta, which are essential for linking phenotypic traits to the responsible genetic variation. 5) A web-based platform will be developed integrating these data in an easily accessible format. 3.Progress Report This project is related to Objective 7 of this in-house project: Identify vulnerable genes involved in critical biological functions (e.g., apoptotic, metabolic, regulation, immunity), with the ultimate goal of developing gene-targeting methodologies using RNA interference for species-specific, biologically-based control of Imported Fire Ants. The goal of this project is to develop new functional genomic resources for the fire ant S. invicta. This project was initiated only very recently. Thus, no progress on project has been made at this point. Progress was continuously monitored through direct interactions with staff.