Next generation biopesticides for environmentally benign control of crop pests

该项目的目的是将创新研究转化为商业产品，用于控制英国和欧洲的作物害虫。学术合作伙伴开发了一个平台（融合蛋白技术），将天然存在的蜘蛛毒液肽转化为口服有效的杀虫剂。已知对哺乳动物无害的毒液肽与“载体”蛋白连接，当所得到的融合蛋白被无脊椎动物摄取时，载体蛋白将附着的蜘蛛毒素运输穿过肠道并进入循环系统，在循环系统中，蜘蛛毒素可以到达其在中枢神经系统中的作用靶点。该项目将通过基因工程酵母的发酵以商业规模生产融合蛋白。这种方法可以用来产生一类新的环境友好型农药，对蜜蜂等非目标生物无害。我们的初步方案将开发针对小麦和油菜的蛞蝓和甲虫害虫的制剂。

The aim of this project is to translate innovative research into commercial products for the control of UK and European crop pests. The academic partners have developed a platform (fusion protein technology) that converts naturally occurring spider venom peptides into orally effective pesticides. Venom peptides, known to be harmless to mammals, are linked to a ‘carrier’ protein, when the resultant fusion protein is ingested by invertebrates the carrier protein transports the attached spider toxin across the gut and into the circulatory system where it can access its target site of action in the central nervous system. The project will produce fusion proteins on a commercial scale by fermentation of genetically engineered yeast. This approach can be used to generate a new class of environmentally friendly pesticides that are harmless to non-target organisms such as bees. Our initial programme will develop formulations targeting slugs and beetle pests of wheat and oil seed rape.