Biosensor as a Potential Tool for On-Site Detection of Insect Pathogens

Abstract

Insects constitute the largest and most diverse group of animals on the earth and are potentially the largest pathogen reservoir. Several pathogens are known to infect insects and cause lethal or sub-lethal effects. These entomopathogens are widespread in the natural environment and invade and reproduce in an insect and spread to infect other ones through horizontal and vertical transmission. Historically, insect pathogens have been of interest due to their economic impact on beneficial insects in terms of morbidity and mortality or their potential as specific biological control agents of insect pests. The present methodologies for insect pathogen detection viz. microscopic examination, the culture of pathogens, biochemical, immunological, and molecular techniques are entirely laboratory-based and cannot be performed under field conditions. Hence, there is a great scope and need for the development of sensitive and specific techniques for early, rapid, and on-site detection of insect pathogens. One of the useful emerging technology is the use of a biosensor for on-site and point-of-care detection of pathogens of beneficial insects for efficient disease management and for on-site detection and distribution of native insect pathogens for commercial production of insect-specific biopesticides. The biosensor technology has the potential to surpass conventional or present detection techniques in time, accuracy and cost owing to recent developments in antibody production, nanotechnology, and microfluidics along with the availability of improved antibody immobilization strategies. This chapter provides a comprehensive review of the insect pathogen detection techniques developed and used so far, as well as their limitations and the potential of biosensors for on-site detection of insect pathogens.KeywordsInsectPathogenDiagnosisBiopesticideNanotechnologyTransducerImmunosensor