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Student 10-Minute Presentation Competition

Physiology, Biochemistry, and Toxicology

Student Competition

Student

Grad 10-min Competition: PBT, General

Rearing conditions alter host and microbial detoxification pathways in the coffee berry borer (Hypothenemus hampei) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae)

Monday, November 10, 2025
11:18 AM - 11:30 AM Pacific
Location: Oregon Convention Center, F152, OCC
Oral Presentation Student Competition
The coffee berry borer (Hypothenemus hampei, CBB) is the most destructive insect pest of coffee globally. Our previous work demonstrated that the CBB microbiome plays a key role in enabling the insect to tolerate toxic levels of caffeine. However, the effects of varying caffeine levels and artificial diets on CBB and its microbiome remain unclear. Here, we compared wild CBB collected from Coffea arabica (20 mg/g caffeine) and Coffea canephora (30 mg/g) with lab-reared colonies maintained on six diet treatments that varied in caffeine concentration (2, 10, and 20 mg/g) and in the presence or absence of antimicrobial agents. Standard lab diets typically contain only 2 mg/g caffeine and antimicrobials, which may alter microbiome composition. We quantified microbial load using 16S rRNA gene qPCR and conducted metagenomic and metatranscriptomic analyses on adult female beetles. Lab-reared CBB showed significantly reduced microbial loads compared to wild individuals. Functional analyses revealed the upregulation of host detoxification genes, including cytochrome P450s, glutathione transferases, and oxidoreductases, in response to high-caffeine diets. Microbial gene expression also increased in response to elevated caffeine and antimicrobial exposure, with enhanced expression of antimicrobial resistance genes and detoxification pathways. These responses were primarily driven by Pseudomonas spp., previously identified as keystone members of the CBB microbiome. These findings underscore the critical role of diet composition in shaping both host and microbiome responses. They also highlight the limitations of artificial diets in microbiome-focused studies and the importance of mimicking natural diets to understand host-microbe interactions in pest insects.