BATON ROUGE — LSU professors have received a $550,000 grant to continue their research on a project that could bring affordable and effective insect repellent to the masses that would drastically decrease Lyme disease, malaria and West Nile virus cases around the world.

The grant will fund research into the use of nootkatone, an FDA-approved organic compound found in grapefruit skin and Alaska yellow cedar trees that is a natural deterrent for many insects, including the deer tick responsible for Lyme disease.

A 2024 CDC report states that there were 62,551 Lyme disease cases in 2022. Recent estimates using new data collection methods suggest approximately 476,000 people may be diagnosed with Lyme disease each year in the U.S.

In other words, disease-causing insects are not going anywhere.

The LSU researchers propose decreasing the cost of the nootkatone synthesis, making any products made with the compound affordable to the general public, a press release read. 

According to Roger Laine, one of the professors behind the project, there have been few insect repellents on the market since DEET, which is found in most insect repellent sprays and creams currently available. The new repellent would actually be more effective and more efficient than DEET.

The repellent is not new but its commercial applications would be. The project the grant funds will drastically lower its production cost.

“Nootkatone costs $2,500/kg, which is too costly for insect repellent,” Laine said. “It should be $200-$300/kg, then you can add it to lotions and sunscreens."

According to an LSU release, this will be the largest National Science Foundation Partnership for Innovation grant the university has ever seen.