U.S.-Brazil Cooperative Research: Ecological and Molecular Studies on Nomuraea Rileyi

9802635 Boucias这个美国-巴西奖项将支持佛罗里达大学的Drion G.Boucias博士和巴西巴西利亚EmbRapa/CENARGEN的Myrian Silvana Tigano博士之间的研究合作。这些研究人员将研究一种可能用作害虫微生物控制剂的昆虫真菌病原体。在巴西，这种名为Nomuraea rileyi的真菌被用来对付蚕豆毛虫，这是一种侵袭大豆的害虫，研究发现，这种真菌足以导致这种害虫的种群密度受到长达一季的抑制。研究人员从北佛罗里达州、巴西联邦区和巴拉那中部地区收集昆虫种群数据、大豆数据和天气数据，将汇编、审查和分析一个关于病原体及其与各种生物和非生物因素的关系的广泛数据库。他们将开发一个联合培养物集合，作为一个有价值的研究工具，从中筛选出可作为微生物控制剂开发的选定菌株。从这些实地研究中收集的数据将增加我们对动物真菌病原体如何在没有选择抗性昆虫的情况下在家畜共栖状态下工作的理解。它还可能为如何操纵真菌病原体提供洞察，真菌病原体是害虫和植物管理的可持续资源。***

9802635 Boucias This U.S.-Brazil award will support a research collaboration between Dr. Drion G. Boucias of the University of Florida and Dr. Myrian Silvana Tigano of Embrapa/CENARGEN in Brasilia, Brazil. These researchers will study an insect mycopathogen that may be used as a microbial control agent against pest insects. In Brazil, this fungi, Nomuraea rileyi, was used against the velvetbean caterpillar, a pest that infests soybeans, and found it was sufficient to cause a season-long suppression in the population density of that pest insect. Collecting insect population data, soybean data and weather data from sites in North Florida, the Federal District of Brazil and in the central region of Parana, the reseachers will compile, review and analyze an extensive database on the disease agent and its relation to various biotic and abiotic factors. They will develop a joint culture collection that will serve as a valuable research tool from which selected isolates can be screened for development as microbial control agents. The data gathered from these field studies will increase our understanding of how animal mycopathogens operate in an epizootic state without concomitant selection for resistance insects. It may also provide insight into how to manipulate mycopathogens, which are a sustainable resource for pest insect and plant management. ***