The Jacques Monod conference "Insect Immunity in Action: From Fundamental Mechanisms of Host Defense to Resistance Against Infections in Nature," organized by Ulrich Theopold (Stockholm University, Sweden) and Dominique Ferrandon (CNRS, France), was held in May 2009 in Aussois, France. Here, we review key topics and concepts that were presented and highlight emerging trends in the field of inse...

Devastating insect pests and environment-malignant pesticides that are applied against them are still a major problem in agriculture and horticulture. In plant breeding and genomic research there is an increasing demand for efficient screening methods of plants. In this study we develop a high-throughput phenotyping system to screen plants for resistance to aphids by video-tracking of insect be...

Evolved resistance to xenobiotics and parasites is often associated with fitness costs when the selection pressure is absent. Resistance to the widely used microbial insecticide Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) has evolved in several insect species through the modification of insect midgut binding sites for Bt toxins, and reports of costs associated with Bt resistance are common. Studies on the cost...

The development of insecticide resistance in insect pests is a worldwide concern and elucidating the underlying mechanisms is critical for effective crop protection. Recent studies have indicated potential links between insect gut microbiota and insecticide resistance and these may apply to the diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella (L.), a globally and economically important pest of cruciferous...

I n her seminal work, Silent Spring, Rachel Carson writes: ‘‘If Darwin were alive today the insect world would delight and astound him with its impressive verification of his theories of survival of the fittest. Under the stress of intensive chemical spraying the weaker members of the insect populations are being weeded out.’’ (1) Evolution of insecticide resistance in 400 species of insects no...

Insect resistance, based on Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) endotoxins, is the second most widely used trait (after herbicide resistance) in commercial genetically modified (GM) crops. Other modifications for insect resistance, such as proteinase inhibitors and lectins, are also being used in many experimental crops. The extensive testing on nontarget plant-feeding insects and beneficial species th...

The growing demand for reducing chemical inputs in agriculture and increased resistance to insecticides have provided great impetus to the development of alternative forms of insect-pest control. Entomopathogenic fungi are potentially the most versatile biological control agents due to their wide host range. These fungi comprise a diverse group of over 90 genera with approximately 750 species, ...