A new approach to improve biological control agents of agricultural pests
In a new study, researchers from the University of Bern developed an experimental approach that may be used to improve a wide range of organisms that rely on microbial symbionts to control insect pests. This approach opens up a new avenue for the improvement of biological control strategies towards a more sustainable agriculture free of pesticides.
The research is being carried out by Swiss Plant Science Web members Prof. Matthias Erb and Dr. Ricardo Machado, both group leaders at the Institute of Plant Sciences of the University of Bern with additional colleagues from the University of Bern and the Goethe University Frankfurt.
Reference publication
Machado RAR, Thönen L, Arce CCM, Theepan V, Prada F, Wüthrich D, Robert CAM, Vogiatzaki E, Shi YM, Schaeren OP, Notter M, Bruggmann R, Hapfelmeier S, Bode HB, Erb M. 2020.
Engineering bacterial symbionts of nematodes improves biological control potential against the western corn rootworm.
Nature Biotechnology (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41587-020-0419-1.