Bacillus Thuringiensis and Lysinibacillus Sphaericus ― Characterization and Use in the Field of Biocontrol

This volume presents a comprehensive perspective of the biopesticides Bacillus thuringiensis and Lysinibacillus sphaericus, from their basic biology to agriculture, forestry and public-health applications. It covers their ecology, virulence factors, and genetic characterization. The topics related to agriculture and forestry include mode of action, receptors of insect pests, and heterologous expression of toxins in insect cells and plants. Public-health researchers will find information on vector control programs with an emphasis on the Neotropical region. The book also discusses new products and the global market.

Dr. Lidia Mariana Fiuza – PhD (ENSAM-Montpellier/France), is currently Researcher at Instituto Riograndense do Arroz (IRGA) and member of the Agricultural Sciences Commitee at Research Foundation of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. She specializes in the areas of toxicology, microbiology, and entomology, with an emphasis in bacteriology and acting on the following topics: Bacillus thuringiensis and correlates; genes cry; insecticidal proteins; plants-Bt; toxin interactions; microbial control of pests and diseases. As innovation and technology activities, she is a partner in the Control_Agro_Bio Pesquisa e Defesa Agropecuaria Ltda., which is currently accredited in the Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture as a Collaborating Center for Pest Risk Analysis – ARP, Section of Agricultural Defense, Department of Plant Protection.

Dr. Ricardo Antonio Polanczyk – PhD (ESALQ/USP), is currently Assistant Professor at UNESP. Before this, he was at UFES, working with Dr. Pratissoli in IPM systems. Microbial control of agricultural pests is his main field of research, including the interactions between microbial control agents and pesticides and Bt plants. In 2014 he took part in the course "Risk Analysis: Role of Science in GMO Decision-making" in the International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (Trieste- Italy).

Dr. Neil Crickmore – PhD (University of Warwick), is currently Senior Lecturer in Molecular Genetics, University of Sussex and Adjunct Professor State Key Laboratory for the Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China. Before, he was Research Associate at University of Cambridge. Widely heralded today as a leading figure in Bacillus thuringiensis research. Chair and webmaster of International Bacillus thuringiensis toxin nomenclature committee; Convenor of the Bacterial Division of the IOBC/WPRS.