S154: Fermentation scale-up, field testing, and commercialization of Pasteuria spp. for biological control of phytopathogenic nematodes

Pasteuria spp., endospore-forming parasites of phytopathogenic nematodes, have been identified as promising biological control agents for these damaging crop pests.  Pasteuria spp. have a unique life cycle and mode of action in their nematode hosts, including several different cell morphologies, before forming endospores.  The nematode reproductive cycle is compromised by the bacterial infection, and nematode egg production is severely restricted.  Numerous studies have shown these bacteria to control nematode populations in the field; however, it was also consistently reported to be impossible to grow the Pasteuria spp. in axenic culture.  Researchers at Pasteuria Bioscience and its predecessor company have developed culture methods for Pasteuria spp. This technology has allowed the company to launch its first commercial product and to place several others in the development pipeline.  This paper will cover the scale-up of the fermentation process, and the commercialization of the first Pasteuria isolate to be grown in large-scale submerged fermentation. The unique life-cycles of several different Pasteuria isolates and data from field efficacy studies will also be presented.