Promising Technology

After over 6 years of research, project # 2338, Studies and Evaluation of Entomopathogenic Fungi as Bio Pesticides Producers, came to completion. The project funded by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) was successful as it gathered the biggest collection in Russia and the CIS of entomopathogenic fungi, with over 1200 different strains, opening up possibilities of creating novel drugs and bio pesticides.

These fungi usually attach to the external body surface of insects in the form of microscopic spores. Under permissive conditions of temperature and moisture, these spores germinate, grow and colonize the insect. Then, the fungal cells proliferate in the host body cavity. After some time the insect usually dies.

Since they are considered natural mortality agents and environmentally safe, there is worldwide interest in the utilization and manipulation of entomopathogenic fungi for biological control of insects and other arthropod pests.

Through the project, 205 strains from 83 species of micromycets were tested for their pesticide and pharmacological properties. Fifty fungal strains proved to have mosquitocidal activity, especially on Coleoptera, Lepidoptera, Homoptera. More than 20 fungal strains revealed to be active against phytopathogenic microorganisms such as Erwinia carotovora (vegetable rots), Rhizoctonia solani and Fusarium oxysporum, which causes widespread diseases of crops. Over 50 fungal strains registered are promising for treatment of hospital human infections such as Staphylococcus aureus, Candida albicans and Aspergillus niger.

Between 2002 and 2009 twelve scientific expeditions were organized to isolate entomopathogenic fungi. Mycological investigations were performed in different native-climatic zones of Russia, Ukraine and Belarus.

Two Russian Federation patent applications have been prepared on the activity of two fungal strains. In addition 12 papers were published in scientific journals and Conference proceedings and 4 presentations were made at 5 international conferences or workshops during the course of the project.

Leading Institute:All-Russian Scientific Research Institute of Phytopathology, Obolensk, Moscow region.

Partner: US Department of Agriculture under a program managed by the Agricultural Research Service Office of International Research Programs

Collaborator: United State Department of Agriculture (USDA)/ Agricultural Research Service – (ARS), US Plant, Soil & Nutrition Laboratory, Ithaca, USA

After 78 months, ISTC project #2472, “Determination of epidemiological factors and control of fungal disease complex on cereal crops in Russia using biotechnology and information technology"funded by United States Department of Agriculture / Agricultural Research Service, came to completion. The project determined factors at the source of devastating fungal diseases of cereal crops and proposed computerized models for cereal disease management.

The main tasks of the project were to:

-study structures of pathogen complex of wheat diseases agents and plant resistance in different regions of Russia;

-study molecular genetic characteristics of the populations of the most dangerous agents of wheat diseases;

-investigate emergency conditions of diseases on cereal crops in different regions of Russia;

-Develop effective systems for cereal crop disease control based on up-to-date information technologies.

A book, 5 brochures and 19 papers have been published in scientific journals or conference proceedings and 48 presentations were made at 22 international and Russian conferences or workshops in the course of the project.

Leading Institute: Phytopathology Research Institute, Bolshie Vyazemy, Moscow reg., Russia

Scientific Collaborators: the US Department of Agriculture/Agricultural Research Service/ Wheat Genetics, Quality, Physiology & Disease Research Unit, the Washington State University, Pullman, USA

Project #2593, “New diagnostic test-system for anti-cancer therapy” was successfully completed in the last quarter. The molecular mechanisms of cell death and cell cycle in dying transformed cells were analyzed. Further research has been done for developing a new genetic test-system for an assessment of the transformed cell vulnerability to anti-cancer treatment. It is based on the microarray analysis of р21Waf1/Cip1 – related gene expression. The developed microarray technologies can be applied for the future elaboration of new diagnostic test-systems.

The research was done in collaboration with UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in Piscataway and Biosciences Clontech in Palo Alto.

Two patents were filed in the Russian federation №2315114 (20.01.2008) «The method of the DNA-chips production » (the patent holder – ITEB RAS).

Project 3116, “New approaches to bacillary spores disinfection with the help of integrated influence with minimal-optimal radiation doses”, was completed by the Russian Federal Nuclear Centre – All-Russia Scientific and Research Institute of Experimental Physics (RFNC-VNIIEF), in Sarov. A fundamentally new approach to spore disinfection has been developed. The objective of the project was to study the mechanisms of the combined effects of radiation doses together with a number of physical factors (temperature, humidity) in order to develop sanitation procedures in areas contaminated with spore-forming bacterium spores and vegetation cells.

It consists in fractional, stepped spore exposure to radiation doses that are gradually increased at certain intervals, which first leads to higher spore walls permeability, and then causes viability index decrease.

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