Journal of Biotechnology & Biomaterials
Open Access

Abstract

There is an increasing demand for alternative or complementary crop protection strategies. A novel approach could be the use of the entomopathogenic and endophytic fungus Beauveria bassiana isolate ATP-02. To use the endophyte as a commercial biocontrol agent, the fungus has to be mass-produced. B. bassiana was raised in shake flask cultures to produce submerged conidiospores (SCS) which are reported to show a higher shelf life than mycelium and blastospores (BS). It was found that in mineral media with 5% sugar beet molasses B. bassiana produced 0.1x1010 SCS/g sucrose in 192 h. By adding 50 g/L NaCl 48 h after inoculation the SCS yield increased to 1.4x10 10 SCS/g sucrose. The scale-up to a 2 L stirred tank reactor was carried out at 25°C, 200-600 rpm and 1 vvm at pH 5.5. A total spore yield of 5.2x10 10 spores/g sucrose corresponding to a SCS yield of 0.2x1010 SCS/g sucrose was obtained after 216 h. Also the yield of SCS increased to 1.1x10 10 SCS/g sucrose by the addition of NaCl. After fermentation B. bassiana was formulated in a novel spray formulation that delivers the fungus on oilseed rape leaves, increases persistence, germination and growth on leaves as well as penetration, colonization and efficacy in bioassays with Plutella xylostella.

Biography

Rieke Lohse (MSc) is working at the Faculty of Engineering Science and Mathematics in the research group of Prof. Dr. Anant Patel at the University of Applied Sciences Bielefeld, Germany. From 2005 to 2010, she studied Molecular Biotechnology at the Bielefeld University and has earned a Master?s degree in November 2010. Since then, she is an external PhD student at the Goettingen University and will finish her graduation with the topic ?Fermentation and formulation of an entomopathogenic and endophytic B. bassiana strain? in 2014.