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Serendipitous science: How an entomologist studying feather lice invented the LouseBuster - a new device for killing head lice

In this talk I provide an example of how basic entomological research can lead to serendipitous applications. Most of the work in my lab concerns the ecology and systematics of feather lice on birds (which I began studying in high school). About a decade ago my students and I discovered that feather lice struggle to survive on birds in arid regions of the country - like Utah - because they tend to die from desiccation when ambient humidity drops below 40%. During the course of this research, my children contracted bad cases of head lice and, like many parents, I experienced the frustration of trying different head lice shampoos that did not work. I decided to explore whether it might be possible to control head lice using desiccation. Over a period of several years my students and I tinkered with methods ranged from chemical desiccants, to electrical heat caps, to rice bags heated in a microwave, to various types of hair dryers and blowers, up to the size of a leaf blower (don't try this at home). Our work led to the invention of the LouseBusterTM, an FDA-cleared, patented medical device that kills head lice and their eggs in a single 30 minute application. The device is currently being used to treat head lice across the United States and in a dozen foreign countries. My story provides one more example of how basic entomological research can yield unanticipated contributions.