Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Biological Methods for Microbial Control01:28

Biological Methods for Microbial Control

Biological agents offer an effective means of controlling microbial growth by leveraging natural processes like predation, competition, and the secretion of antimicrobial substances.Predatory bacteria such as Bdellovibrio species target and kill pathogens like Salmonella and E. coli. They are widely used in poultry farms to control infections. Myxococcus species help combat plant-pathogenic fungi. These naturally occurring predators serve as eco-friendly alternatives to chemical pesticides and...
Production of Biopesticides01:18

Production of Biopesticides

Biopesticides offer a sustainable alternative to chemical pesticides, utilizing microbial agents to control agricultural pests. Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) is a widely employed bacterium known for its potent insecticidal activity. Bt biopesticides are favored for their specificity to insect pests, minimal environmental impact, and natural degradability.Mechanism of Bt Toxin Action Bt produces insecticidal crystal (Cry) proteins during its sporulation phase. These proteins form parasporal...
Gene Regulation in Microbial Communities: Quorum Sensing01:28

Gene Regulation in Microbial Communities: Quorum Sensing

Quorum sensing is a mechanism of bacterial communication that enables coordinated gene expression in response to changes in population density. This facilitates collective behaviors that enhance survival, resource acquisition, and ecological adaptation. This process relies on small signaling molecules called autoinducers that accumulate as bacterial populations grow. When a critical threshold concentration of autoinducers is reached, bacterial cells collectively modify gene expression,...
Microbial Bioremediation of Pesticides01:28

Microbial Bioremediation of Pesticides

Pesticides often feature structurally complex chemical architectures, incorporating halogen groups and multiple aromatic rings. These characteristics confer high chemical stability, rendering many pesticides resistant to natural degradation processes. This resistance poses significant environmental concerns, as persistent pesticide residues can accumulate in ecosystems and affect non-target organisms.Despite the inherent stability of many pesticides, certain microorganisms possess the metabolic...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Synonymous codon usage defines functional gene families.

BMC biology·2026
Same author

Wound localization and housing conditions dictate repair dynamics and scar formation.

Lab animal·2025
Same author

Genes and Pathways Comprising the Human and Mouse ORFeomes Display Distinct Codon Bias Signatures that Can Regulate Protein Levels.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2025
Same author

Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation in Children with Pulmonary Atresia and Intact Ventricular Septum: Mortality and Associated Outcomes.

Pediatric cardiology·2025
Same author

Rapid and Scalable Production of Functional SARS-CoV-2 Virus-like Particles (VLPs) by a Stable HEK293 Cell Pool.

Vaccines·2024
Same author

Comparison of Ductal Stent Versus Surgical Shunt as Initial Intervention for Neonates with Pulmonary Atresia with Intact Ventricular Septum.

Pediatric cardiology·2024

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 22, 2026

Effective Oral RNA Interference (RNAi) Administration to Adult Anopheles gambiae Mosquitoes
07:48

Effective Oral RNA Interference (RNAi) Administration to Adult Anopheles gambiae Mosquitoes

Published on: March 1, 2022

Targeting an antimicrobial effector function in insect immunity as a pest control strategy.

Mark S Bulmer1, Ido Bachelet, Rahul Raman

  • 1Department of Biology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA 02115, USA. mbulmer@towson.edu

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
|June 10, 2009
PubMed
Summary

Termite immunity can be compromised by targeting Gram-negative bacteria binding proteins (GNBPs). A novel glycomimetic molecule blocks termite GNBP-2, leading to increased susceptibility to pathogens and offering sustainable pest control.

More Related Videos

Double-stranded RNA Oral Delivery Methods to Induce RNA Interference in Phloem and Plant-sap-feeding Hemipteran Insects
10:14

Double-stranded RNA Oral Delivery Methods to Induce RNA Interference in Phloem and Plant-sap-feeding Hemipteran Insects

Published on: May 4, 2018

Microinjection of Corn Planthopper, Peregrinus maidis, Embryos for CRISPR/Cas9 Genome Editing
07:27

Microinjection of Corn Planthopper, Peregrinus maidis, Embryos for CRISPR/Cas9 Genome Editing

Published on: March 26, 2021

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 22, 2026

Effective Oral RNA Interference (RNAi) Administration to Adult Anopheles gambiae Mosquitoes
07:48

Effective Oral RNA Interference (RNAi) Administration to Adult Anopheles gambiae Mosquitoes

Published on: March 1, 2022

Double-stranded RNA Oral Delivery Methods to Induce RNA Interference in Phloem and Plant-sap-feeding Hemipteran Insects
10:14

Double-stranded RNA Oral Delivery Methods to Induce RNA Interference in Phloem and Plant-sap-feeding Hemipteran Insects

Published on: May 4, 2018

Microinjection of Corn Planthopper, Peregrinus maidis, Embryos for CRISPR/Cas9 Genome Editing
07:27

Microinjection of Corn Planthopper, Peregrinus maidis, Embryos for CRISPR/Cas9 Genome Editing

Published on: March 26, 2021

Area of Science:

  • Entomology
  • Immunology
  • Biochemistry

Background:

  • Insect pests, particularly termites, cause significant global economic damage to crops and structures.
  • Immune evasion strategies in insects are crucial for pest control, yet sustainable, non-toxic methods are needed.
  • Gram-negative bacteria binding proteins (GNBPs) are key pattern recognition receptors involved in insect immune responses.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the role of termite Gram-negative bacteria binding protein 2 (tGNBP-2) in insect immunity and nest defense.
  • To identify a novel therapeutic target for developing sustainable, non-toxic termite pest control strategies.
  • To design and synthesize a small molecule inhibitor for tGNBP-2 to compromise termite immunity.

Main Methods:

  • Characterization of termite GNBP-2 (tGNBP-2) for its effector activity and pattern recognition capabilities.
  • Investigating the function of tGNBP-2 incorporated into termite nest materials as a defense mechanism.
  • Rational design and synthesis of a glycomimetic small molecule to inhibit tGNBP-2 activity in termites.
  • In vivo assessment of the efficacy of the glycomimetic in increasing termite susceptibility to pathogens.

Main Results:

  • Termite GNBP-2 (tGNBP-2) exhibits previously undescribed beta(1,3)-glucanase effector activity within animal immunity.
  • tGNBP-2 functions as a nest-embedded sensor, cleaving pathogenic components to enhance termite antimicrobial defense.
  • A rationally designed, inexpensive, non-toxic glycomimetic molecule effectively blocks tGNBP-2 activity.
  • Inhibition of tGNBP-2 leads to accelerated mortality in termites due to increased susceptibility to pathogens.

Conclusions:

  • tGNBP-2 is a multifunctional immune protein involved in both direct antimicrobial activity and nest-based defense.
  • Blocking tGNBP-2 with a small molecule glycomimetic represents a promising strategy for sustainable termite pest control.
  • This approach offers a novel, non-toxic method to protect crops and structures from termite damage.