Research interests

• Insecticide resistance management in cotton pests
• Insecticide resistance monitoring
• Biochemical mechanisms of insecticide resistance
• Cotton Bollworm and Silverleaf whitefly

Background

Robin Gunning is a Principal Research Scientist with the New South Wales Department of Primary Industries, based at the Tamworth Agricultural Institute. She joined the NSW Department of Agriculture* in 1979. Dr Gunning has some 25 years experience in the management of insecticide resistance in Australian agriculture. Dr Gunning has specialised in insecticide resistance management and is a world authority on insecticide resistance mechanisms in insects and insecticide resistance detection techniques. Current research involves understanding the mechanisms of insecticide synergism and biochemical mechanisms of insecticide resistance, in particular the binding of synthetic insecticides and Bacillus thuringiensis toxin proteins to esterase iso-enzymes. Dr Gunning’s research has resulted in some 50 refereed publications and she has been the recipient of a number of awards.

Dr Gunning was a member NSW Scientific Committee (established under the Threatened Species Conservation Act, 1995) for 7 years.

*NSW Department of Primary Industries was formed on July 1, 2004 through an amalgamation of NSW Agriculture, NSW Fisheries, State Forests of NSW and the NSW Department of Mineral Resources.

Qualifications

• B.A. University of New South Wales, 1970
• B.Sc. (Honours  Class 1 in Zoology), University of New South Wales, 1975
• Ph.D. University of New South Wales, 1981
• Advanced Diploma of Arts, University of New England, 2006

Current projects

• Improving the efficacy of transgenic cottons
• Mechanisms of resistance to Bt  toxins in Helicoverpa armigera
• Insecticide resistance management in the silverleaf whitefly
• Pyrethrum in field crop agriculture
• Temporal synergism

Recent Publications

Bingham G, Gunning RV, Gorman K, Field LM and Moores GD (2007) Temporal synergism by microencapsulation of piperonyl butoxide and ?-cypermethrin overcomes insecticide resistance in crop pests Pest Management Science 63: 276 – 281.

Gunning RV, Moores GD, Jewess P, Boyes AL, Devonshire AL and Khambay BPS (2007)  Use of pyrethroid analogues to identify key structural features for enhanced-esterase resistance in Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae). Pest Management Science 63).

Young SJ, Gunning RV and Moores GD (2006) – Effects of pre-treatment with piperonyl butoxide on pyrethroid efficacy against insecticide resistant Helicoverpa armigera (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) and Bemisia tabaci (Sternorrhyncha: Aleyrodidae) Pest Management Science 62: 114 – 119.

Gunning RV, Nicholson IC, Kemp FC, Borzatta V, Cottage ELA, Field LM and Moores GD (2006) Piperonyl butoxide, restores the efficacy of Bacillus thuringiensis toxin in transgenic cotton against resistant Helicoverpa armigera. Biopesticides International 2: 129 - 136.

Young SJ, Gunning RV and Moores GD (2005) The effect of piperonyl butoxide on pyrethroid-resistance–associated esterases in Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae). Pest Mangement Science, 61, 397 – 401.

Gunning RV, Dang HT, Kemp FC, Nicholson IC and Moores GD (2005) New Resistance mechanism in Helicoverpa armigera threatens transgenic crops expressing Bacillus thuringiensis Cry1Ac toxin. Applied and Environmental Microbiology. 71, 2558 – 2563.

Moores GD, Bingham GV and Gunning RV (2005) – Use of temporal synergism to overcome insecticide resistance. Outlooks on Pest Management 16, 7 – 9.

Patents

Gunning RV and Moores GD (2003) Method and Composition for Combating Pesticide Resistance UK patent no. 0309773.0, PCT/GB2003/001861, Australian Patent no. 2003240992 2007; South African patent no. 2004/8609; New Zealand patent no. 536204.

Professional associations and activities

• Australian Entomological Society
• Entomological Society of America
• American Society for Microbiology
• Convenor Conservation Committee, Australian Entomological Society.

Fields of Research

• 140208 Health Economics
• 070308 Crop and Pasture Protection (Pests, Diseases and Weeds)

Australian and New Zealand Standard Research Classification (ANZSRC)

Keyword/phrase list of research interests

• Entomology
• insecticide resistance
• resistance mechanisms