Bacterial Isolates for Broad-Spectrum Insect Control

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current methods for controlling insect pests in agriculture, particularly for crops like corn, rice, wheat, and soybean, rely heavily on synthetic chemical insecticides, which pose environmental and health risks, and have led to resistance issues, necessitating the development of new biological control agents with broader spectrum efficacy.

Innovation Solution

The use of biologically pure bacterial isolates such as Bacillus amyloliquefaciens A190, Bacillus subtilis P243, Bacillus thuringiensis M979, and other strains, along with their lysates and polypeptides, which exhibit insecticidal activity, to create compositions for killing or inhibiting insect development, offering improved insect killing or inhibitory activity without genetic modification.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If synthetic chemical insecticides are used to control insect pests, then insect killing activity is improved, but environmental harm and health risks worsen

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveinsect killing activityVSAvoidenvironmental harm and health risks

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The invention changes the chemical composition parameters from synthetic insecticides to natural bacterial products (Bacillus thuringiensis, Bacillus sphaericus, and other bacterial isolates), maintaining insecticidal efficacy while eliminating the harmful environmental and health effects associated with synthetic chemicals

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The invention uses biodegradable bacterial products that break down naturally in the environment, replacing persistent synthetic insecticides with short-lived, environmentally benign alternatives that do not accumulate in ecosystems

Inventive Principle:

Principle #27Cheap short-living objects (Disposable)

2Reliability

If synthetic chemical insecticides are used repeatedly, then insect pest control is improved, but resistance development worsens

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveinsect pest control efficacyVSAvoidinsect resistance

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The invention combines multiple bacterial isolates with different modes of action (Bacillus thuringiensis, Bacillus sphaericus, and other bacterial strains producing different insecticidal proteins) into a composite biological insecticide formulation, which delays resistance development by targeting multiple physiological pathways in insects simultaneously

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

Solution Approach 2:

The invention rotates between different bacterial formulations and modes of action over time, preventing insects from adapting to a single persistent mechanism and maintaining long-term control efficacy

Inventive Principle:

Principle #19Periodic action

3Object-affected harmful factors

If biological control agents are used instead of synthetic insecticides, then environmental safety is improved, but insect killing activity worsens

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveenvironmental safetyVSAvoidinsect killing activity

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The invention uses bacterial isolates that produce multiple types of insecticidal proteins with different modes of action (cry toxins, vip toxins, and other bacterially-produced insecticidal compounds), enabling a single biological agent to control multiple insect pest species effectively while maintaining environmental safety

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

4Adaptability or versatility

If broad-spectrum biological control agents are developed, then pest control versatility is improved, but complexity of the solution worsens

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepest control spectrumVSAvoidformulation complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The invention utilizes the natural ability of bacterial isolates to self-produce multiple insecticidal proteins and metabolites during their growth and metabolism, eliminating the need for complex external formulation processes and simplifying the delivery system while maintaining broad-spectrum activity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentUS11466247B2Bacterial genes and isolates for conferring insect resistance

Publication Date: 2022.10.11 EVOGENE LTD

AI summary

Provided are biologically pure bacterial isolates characterized by a genome structure at least 90% similar to a genome structure of a bacterial species selected from the group consisting of: Streptomyces sp. E128 having an NRRL Accession No. B-67462, Bacillus amyloliquefaciens A190 having an NRRL Accession No. B-67464, Bacillus subtilis P243 having an NRRL Accession No. B-67459, Bacillus thuringiensis M979 having an NRRL Accession No. B-67457, Massilia aurea P63 having an NRRL Accession No. B-67461, Rhodococcus sp. G706, Stenotrophomonas maltophilia E132 having an NRRL Accession No. B-67460, Streptomyces aurantiacus A918, Streptomyces badius O180, Streptomyces mirabilis B670 having an NRRL Accession No. B67463, Streptomyces scopuliridis F427 having an NRRL Accession No. B-67458, and Streptomyces sp. L219. Also provided are whole cell broth or lysates thereof, and polynucleotide, polypeptides and constructs expressing same, compositions-of-matter comprising same and methods using same for killing or inhibiting the development of insects.