Useful Products and Insect Control Measures Under Development in the Invasive Insect Biocontrol and Behavior Laboratory

A variety of useful biocontrol products are currently under development. These include:

• Microbial insecticides containing living pathogens (bacteria, fungi, and viruses), such as a novel insecticidal species of Chromobacterium.
• Beneficial insects, such as parasites and predators of pest insects and new crop management systems for their use.
• Natural bio-based products and their formulations, such as feeding attractants and deterrents of pest insects and sex pheromones to disrupt mating.
• Products enabling research and discovery, such as specialized artificial insect diets for pest insect species, and a large number of continuous cell lines from more than a dozen species of insects developed for use in protein expression systems or in testing of biologically active materials.
• Modern research systems, such as new methods to modify insect cells and a method to detect transgenic proteins.
• Methods for selecting insect-resistant plant varieties including crops producing pathogen-derived insecticidal compounds.
• We welcome inquiries from interested parties concerning any of these materials.

Beltsville Area Technology Transfer Office