Development of environmentally-friendly bioinsecticides for control of Australian crop pests (2011-2014)
Abstract
The long-term goal of this proposal is to develop a new generation of environmentally-friendly insecticides for controlling insect pests that spread disease and cause billions of dollars damage annually to crops and livestock. The research program will build upon the recent isolation in Prof. King's laboratory of several peptides from the venom of Australian tarantulas that are orally active against insect pests. The specific aims of the project are to determine the structure and mechanism of action of these toxins, and to examine their activity against a wide range of insect pests relevant to Australian agriculture.
