Manufacturing of InsterusHz – A targeted bioinsecticide to control corn earworm

Insects are major pests of food and fiber crops with polyphagous larval Lepidoptera species such as Helicoverpa zea and Helicoverpa armigera among the most ubiquitous and damaging pests globally. These pests are invasive and rapidly develop resistance to conventional and transgenic pesticides presenting additional threats due to their ability to form fertile hybrids that enable Hz exchange of genetic resistance traits. Lepidext's first product Insterus is a sexually transmitted virus that sterilizes adult moths suppressing corn earworm (CEW) infestations and reducing size of Hz pest populations. Preliminary data establish that Insterus can suppress H. zea populations. However treatment of large acreage requires far more efficient methods than those used for the lab-scale production which are labor time and space intensive. The overarching goal of this Phase Hz II proposal is to increase the production of Insterus moths for release. The objectives are designed around aspects of production that inhibit mass production; Objective 1 optimizes the Phase I solution for manual injection Objective 2 implements in-house experimentation designed to mass produce cannibalistic insects and Objective 3 focuses on how to ship large quantities of adult moths. Anticipated outcomes of the proposal will result in the development of a commercially Hz viable production system that allows for the efficient production and shipment of Insterus moths for the treatment of H. zea populations across the U.S. The commercial entry point is the seed corn production and development industry currently experiencing significant CEW pressure both in Hawaii and Iowa with a total addressable market of $12B.