Roadmap for nematode control strategies

Identify the genetic background and expression of key biological processes of nematodes, AR and the influence of environmental cues that may influence those mechanisms.

Some knowledge of extent of genetic variation within and between nematode populations but limited knowledge of how these map to expressed traits relevant to control.
Genetic basis of resistance to some anthelmintic drug classes, e.g. ivermectin in nematodes, is not currently understood.
For trematodes, complex genetics (ploidy) make these relationships even more difficult to determine.
Consequence of genetic changes for parasite fitness (e.g. fitness costs of resistance; compensatory mutations) not known.

Evaluate the expression of genes from parasites exposed to different stressors (i.e. xenobiotics, plant materials, immune response, anthelmintics etc.).
High throughput genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics and metabolomics to identify influence of different stressors.
Use new data, e.g. on plant-based therapies, as sources of possible xenobiotics to test adaptation and its genetic basis.
A world-wide harmonized effort to collect nematodes of interest from different hosts and environments exposed to known conditions (stressors) to biobank a source of reference material for subsequent genomic analysis.

Create consortia for collaboration enabling collection, curation and access to characterised nematode isolates for complementary genetic analysis, using new methodologies as they become available.
Create the necessary state-of-the-art hardware and software to analyse large databases, dependent on ongoing rapid advances in molecular biology and bioinformatics.

Some knowledge of extent of genetic variation within and between nematode populations but limited knowledge of how these map to expressed traits relevant to control.
Some knowledge of the genetic basis of resistance to bencimidazol resistance
Available “omics” and future developments can be crucial to develop this area of work.