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Natural Products for the Control of Insects, Mites, and Nematodes

Award Information
Agency: Department of Agriculture
Branch: N/A
Contract: 2001-33610-10339
Agency Tracking Number: 2001-00072
Amount: $70,000.00
Phase: Phase I
Program: SBIR
Solicitation Topic Code: N/A
Solicitation Number: N/A
Timeline
Solicitation Year: N/A
Award Year: 2001
Award Start Date (Proposal Award Date): N/A
Award End Date (Contract End Date): N/A
Small Business Information
1530 Drew Avenue
Davis, CA 95616
United States
DUNS: N/A
HUBZone Owned: No
Woman Owned: No
Socially and Economically Disadvantaged: No
Principal Investigator
 Pamela Marrone
 (530) 750-0150
 pmarrone@agraquest.com
Business Contact
 Pamela Marrone
Title: President and CEO
Phone: (530) 750-0150
Email: pmarrone@agraquest.com
Research Institution
N/A
Abstract

Agriculture needs biorational pesticides to serve as replacements in an industry dominated by outdated synthetic chemicals. Residues in the food supply, environmental impact, and worker safety issues underscore the need for novel pesticides. Without a range of products with unique modes of action, the overuse of limited chemicals and biorational approaches (Bacillus thuringiensis-based transgenic crops) will increase the probability of induced pest resistance. Microbial natural products offer an untapped source of agrochemical diversity. Successful products in this category, including Avermectin, Spinosyn, and others have demonstrated highly specific insecticidal activities. At AgraQuest, over 4000 novel microbes are evaluated every year. Cultivation media have been designed to enhance metabolite production and screening is fully automated. Over 3,000 in vivo plant pathogen, insect, mite, and nematode targets are evaluated every week. Leads are rapidly de-replicated using HPLC-UV and LCMS- based data mining. The Phase I research described in this proposal will demonstrate the commercial potential of two novel microbial strains with highly specific biopesticide activity against economically important insect and nematode pests.

* Information listed above is at the time of submission. *

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