U.S.-Brazil Cooperative Research:  Altered Virulence of the Velvetbean Caterpillar Baculovirus as a Biocontrol Agent
{'Code': '01090000', 'Directorate': {'Abbreviation': 'O/D', 'LongName': 'Office Of The Director'}, 'Division': {'Abbreviation': 'OISE', 'LongName': 'Office Of Internatl Science &Engineering'}}
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This award supports cooperative research on altered                             virulence of baculovirus as a biocontrol agent. The                             research will be conducted by James Maruniak of the                             University of Florida and Octavio Pavan at the                                  University of Campinas in Brazil. They will attempt to                          understand the molecular changes in the viral DNA that                          result in a significant increase in the virulence of                            the velvetbean caterpillar baculovirus when it was                              serially passed to the sugarcane borer. The virus will                          be plaque-purified in insect cell cultures at Florida.                          The viral DNA will be purified and analyzed by                                  restriction enzymes and compared with the parental                              virus DNA restriction profiles. Changes will be located                         on the parental virus physical DNA map already                                  constructed at the University of Florida. The host                              range and virulence will then be measured in insect                             cell lines and bioassayed in velvetbean caterpillars                            and sugarcane borers at the University of Campinas.                                                                                                             This research on the virulence of baculovirus to insect                         complexes on multiple crops is significant because this                         is one of the factors which has limited the use of                              biological pesticides. The information developed can be                         used to increase the virulence to insect pests by                               genetic manipulation of this EPA-registered virus. Dr.                          Pavan will come to Florida to learn the restriction                             methods and gene-mapping along with two students to do                          the viral DNA work. Dr. Maruniak has already prepared                           the physical map of the parental virus genome and will                          observe the insect assays in Brazil. He has the                                 molecular background to enable him to locate the                                genomic changes. This is a highly desirable                                     collaboration between a U.S. molecular virologist and a                         Brazilian entomologist with practical field experience.                         The insects are pest species in both countries and the                          virulence information will be applicable to other                               pathogen-pest complexes in the U.S. and Brazil.
{'FirstName': 'James', 'LastName': 'Maruniak', 'PI_MID_INIT': 'E', 'PI_SUFX_NAME': None, 'PI_FULL_NAME': 'James E Maruniak', 'EmailAddress': 'marun@nervm.nerdc.ufl.edu', 'NSF_ID': '000401392', 'StartDate': '05/01/1988', 'EndDate': None, 'RoleCode': 'Principal Investigator'}
{'Name': 'University of Florida', 'CityName': 'GAINESVILLE', 'ZipCode': '326111941', 'PhoneNumber': '3523923516', 'StreetAddress': '1523 UNION RD RM 207', 'StreetAddress2': None, 'CountryName': 'United States', 'StateName': 'Florida', 'StateCode': 'FL', 'CONGRESSDISTRICT': '03', 'CONGRESS_DISTRICT_ORG': 'FL03', 'ORG_UEI_NUM': 'NNFQH1JAPEP3', 'ORG_LGL_BUS_NAME': 'UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA', 'ORG_PRNT_UEI_NUM': None}
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{'Code': '591300', 'Text': 'BRAZIL'}
{'url': 'https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/download?DownloadFileName=1987&All=true', 'xml': '8715136.xml'}