USE OF LIGNINS FOR THE ENCAPSULATION OF THE GYPSY MOTH VIRUS

THE GOAL OF THIS MULTIDISCIPLINARY PROJECT IS TO DEVELOP AN ECONOMICAL AND EFFICIENT ULTRAVIOLET ABSORBING DELIVERY SYSTEM, BASED ON LIGNINS, FOR THE NUCLEOPOLYHEDROSIS VIRUS (NPV) WHICH IS SPECIFIC TO THE GYPSY MOTH, LYMANTRIA DISPAR. THE GYPSY MOTH CATERPILLAR HAS BECOME AN IMPORTANT PEST OF FOREST AND SHADE TREES WHICH HAS SPREAD RAPIDLY, ESPECIALLY WITH THE ADVENT OF THE INTERSTATE HIGHWAY INFRASTRUCTURE. SINCE THE NPV IS SUSCEPTIBLE TO ULTRAVIOLETRADIATION, THE SUCCESSFUL APPLICATION OF THIS VIRUS TO THE FIELD IS DEPENDENT UPON THE DEVELOPMENT OF AN EFFICIENT AND COST-EFFECTIVE DELIVERY SYSTEM. THIS SYSTEM WOULD ASSOCIATETHE VIRUS WITH A PROTECTIVE UV ABSORBER WHICH THEN COULD BE SPRAYED ONTO CATERPILLAR INFESTED TREES AND FORESTS AS DESIRED.