Benzon Research Contract Studies in Pesticide and Repellent Efficacy.

Diet incorporation, diet surface contamination, leaf-disc, droplet feeding, and topical application bioassays can be used with any of the lepidopteran species that are colonized in-house, along with other species available from outside sources. The picture to the right shows the scoring of a baculovirus bioassay against Helicoverpa zea.

	Cups containing Aedes aegypti larvae (left) are being dosed with a production lot of B.t. israelensis for label standardization. We routinely test B.t.i. fermentation broths, concentrates, powders, granules, briquets, and other formulations from all over the world. Bioassays are also performed as part of fermentation or formulation improvement efforts and storage stability studies.

The droplet-feeding bioassay works remarkably well for certain combinations of active ingredient and species. To the right, droplets containing blue dye and baculovirus particles are being presented to neonate larvae of the corn earworm, Helicoverpa zea . Fed larvae will be held on artificial diet for several days before determining mortality.

	We have used leaf-disk assays in a variety of ways. The collard leaf disks on the left were punched from plants that were treated and exposed to weather for several weeks. The disks were then infested with laboratory-reared diamondback moth larvae.

Insecticides that are intended for application to indoor surfaces rather than directly on the target insects often must be tested on a variety of substrates. Here, a formulation containing plant essential oils applied to hardboard, vinyl tile, and glass is evaluated against German cockroaches.
In addition to the above types of assays, Benzon Research can evaluate additives for feeding stimulation or deterency, perform topical applications and direct injections to arthropods as small as ticks, and evaluate sublethal effects.

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	Contract Research and Bioassays
Benzon Research is an independent contract research facility that performs insecticide bioassays of many types and against many species of insects. We have particularly extensive experience with microbial agents such as B.t.'s and viruses but also work with pyrethroids, synergists, plant essential oils, IGR's and many other biorationals. Just a few of the bioassays are pictured below. We are particularly adept at development of custom protocols for testing novel materials and formulations for efficacy, release rate, storage stability, photodegradation, feeding stimulation or deterrency, and other custom laboratory-based research. Call us about your special needs. Strict confidentiality is always observed.