SBIR-STTR Award

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will establish proof of concept for enhancing fungal bioinsecticide to control bark beetles, important forestry pests. Although research shows potential of fungal insect pathogens as bark beetle bioinsecticides, no commercial products have been developed. The short exposure time of adults, inaccessibility of larvae, and limited time to kill before irreversible tree damage makes control difficult. Innovation to overcome these barriers comes from understanding complex interactions between beetles and fungi. Phase 1 will establish technical, economic, and regulatory feasibility of combining fungal pathogens with fungal metabolites that inhibit beetle boring behavior. Inhibiting boring would increase efficacy by increasing exposure time of beetles to fungal pathogen spores. Research will define baseline efficacy of the fungal pathogen; identify fungal metabolites that act as boring deterrents; determine commercially scalable production process for selected metabolites; and assess regulatory requirements. The broader/commercial impacts of this research are a cost effective, safe and environmentally benign bio-insecticide with substantial commercial potential to replace chemical insecticides now used to protect high value trees and to expand control strategies where chemical insecticides are too expensive or limited by environmental impact. A climate change exacerbated outbreak of mountain pine beetle (MPB) is devastating western United States and Canadian pine forests, severely impacting to economic and recreational value. The time and cost required to develop a commercial product is favorable as MMP will combine boring inhibitors with an EPA approved, commercially available fungal strain with demonstrated pathogenicity to MPB

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project proposes to develop fungal bioinsecticides for control of bark beetles in forestry. Bark beetles are difficult to control. With a life cycle mostly under tree bark, exposure to insecticides is limited to the short period when adults search for new host trees. Control of mountain pine beetle (MPB), one of the most damaging species, is limited to persistent chemical insecticides and pheromone repellents. Health and environmental issues of chemical insecticides limit use; pheromones protect individual trees but do not kill beetles. Phase I discoveries of formulation, application methods, and persistence demonstrated the safe, environmentally benign fungal pathogen Beauveria bassiana can compete in efficacy and cost against chemical insecticides. Natural biochemicals that inhibit boring and increase exposure to pathogen spores show promise for enhanced products. Phase II objectives are: 1) bring one fungal pathogen to commercial introduction; 2) develop improved fungal pathogen strains and/or boring deterrent; 3) isolate pathogen strains for other bark beetles. Field trials will provide the basis for use recommendations in MPB control. New fungal pathogens and continued development of boring deterrents will enable expanded MPB control strategies and development of products against other beetle species.The broader impact/commercial potential of this project, if successful, will be innovative biological approaches to address outbreaks of both native and introduced bark beetles. Outbreaks of unprecedented scale are being driven by climate change and global commerce. Bark beetle outbreaks are devastating forests and urban trees, and impacting timber value, urban land values, and esthetics of forested public land. Phase II will contribute to the understanding of fungal pathogen host range in different genera of bark beetles and in non-target insects. Using fungal or tree derived biochemical boring deterrents to increase fungal pathogen efficacy represents an important technical innovation for developing cost effective, more broadly useful, forestry bioinsecticides. The current MPB outbreak is devastating western forests. Phase II will provide a new tool for protecting trees from MPB attack in high value public recreation areas, private forest land, and urban landscaping. A safe and environmentally benign fungal bioinsecticide will enable new strategies for broader management of MPB. Bark beetles are a large, increasing problem in forestry with multiple outbreaks of native and introduced bark beetles. Phase II will establish the foundation for developing fungal bioinsecticides to effectively respond to this dynamic market.