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Mission:
The Crop Bioprotection Research (CBP) Unit impacts global markets as it addresses National research needs for new biological methods, processes, and products. Natural biological pest control methods are sought to reduce exposure of the environment and food supply to potentially harmful chemical pesticides. New biological processes and products which utilize crops are also sought to expand markets and reduce our dependence on foreign oil. The overall mission of CBP is to first identify fundamental bioactivities naturally contributed by microbes, insects, and plants and to then design new biological methods, processes, and products that foster crop health and utilization. The program is driven by the combined strengths of several scientific disciplines, including microbiology, biochemistry, molecular biology, entomology, plant pathology, plant physiology, and biochemical engineering. Specific research objectives include: 1) Microbial production and formulation technologies for biocontrol of fungal plant diseases; 2) production and stabilization of living microbial agents, including formulations for aerial and aquatic pest control; 3) stress-tolerant microbes for lower cost bioenergy and bioproducts 4) rapid development of insect lures and traps using pheromones and host volatiles; 5) plant-based, insect-resistance mechanisms for reduction of mycotoxigenic fungi in Midwest corn.