Brazil develops bioinsecticide against dengue fever mosquito

[Shiloh]

Source: http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-04/04/content_7919527.htm

Brazil develops bioinsecticide against dengue fever mosquito
www.chinaview.cn 2008-04-04 18:46:04

RIO DE JANEIRO, April 3 (Xinhua) -- A Brazilian company has developed a new bioinsecticide against mosquitoes spreading dengue fever, the Ministry of Science and Technology said Thursday.

Agrobio, a private company hosting a business incubator at the Federal Rural University of Rio de Janeiro, developed a new biological insecticide that showed in lab tests to be effective against the Aedes Aegypti, the mosquito transmitting dengue and yellow fever viruses, the ministry said on its website.

This bioinsecticide was developed from Bacillus thuringiensis, a species of bacteria isolated from the Aedes Aegypti mosquito's larvae. The bacteria could be induced to produce a toxin to stop the larva developing into pupa, a stage of the insect's life cycle before the emergence of an adult mosquito.

According to the researchers developing this bioinsecticide, the most important aspect of their study is the bacteria used in the product were extracted from the mosquitoes in Rio, taking into consideration the local environment.

The researchers hope to get a special license to use the bioinsecticide experimentally. It is expected to take a further six months to one year for the company to get a license from the Agriculture Ministry for common use.

Some 57,010 people have been infected in a Dengue fever epidemic in the state of Rio, with 67 fatalities recorded so far, in the biggest outbreak since 2001.

 

[FrenchieGirl]

Re: Brazil develops bioinsecticide against dengue fever mosquito

This bioinsecticide was developed from Bacillus thuringiensis, a species of bacteria isolated from the Aedes Aegypti mosquito's larvae. The bacteria could be induced to produce a toxin to stop the larva developing into pupa, a stage of the insect's life cycle before the emergence of an adult mosquito.

According to the researchers developing this bioinsecticide, the most important aspect of their study is the bacteria used in the product were extracted from the mosquitoes in Rio, taking into consideration the local environment.

Information on Bacillus thuringiensis, from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bacillus_thuringiensis

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....Upon sporulation, B. thuringiensis forms crystals of proteinaceous insecticidal δ-endotoxins (Cry toxins: Bacillus thuringiensis Toxin Nomenclature) which are encoded by cry genes. Cry toxins have specific activities against species of the orders Lepidoptera (Moths and Butterflies), Diptera (Flies and Mosquitoes) and Coleoptera (Beetles). Thus, B. thuringiensis serves as an important reservoir of Cry toxins and cry genes for production of biological insecticides and insect-resistant genetically modified crops.

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...Because of their specificity, these pesticides are regarded as environmentally friendly, with little or no effect on humans, wildlife, pollinators, and most other beneficial insects.

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...Limitations to Bt crops
Constant exposure to a toxin creates evolutionary pressure for pests resistant to that toxin. Already, a Diamondback moth population is known to have acquired resistance to Bt in spray form (i.e., not engineered) when used in organic agriculture.[14] The same researcher has now reported the first documented case of pest resistance to biotech cotton. [15]

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...There is also a hypothetical risk that for example, transgenic maize will crossbreed with wild grass variants, and that the Bt-gene will end up in a natural environment, retaining its toxicity. An event like this would have ecological implications, as well as increasing the risk of Bt resistance arising in the general herbivore population. However there is no evidence of crossbreeding between maize and wild grasses.

...As of 2007, a new phenomenon called Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) is affecting bee hives all over North America. Initial speculation on possible causes ranged from cell phone and pesticide use[26] to the use of Bt resistant transgenic crops.[27]. A research group called Mid-Atlantic Apiculture Research and Extension Consortium published a report on 2007-03-27 that found no evidence that pollen from Bt crops is adversely affecting bees. CCD has since been attributed to a new virus, unrelated to Bt crops [28].

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