Professor
Manakulam Shaikmoideen Jisha
Director, School of Biosciences, Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam, India
Title of the talk: Insecticidal activity of Lysinibacillus sphaericus against banana pseudostem weevil and its toxicity assessment in human (L929 fibroblast) and Eisenia fetida
Abstract
Odoiporus longicollis Olivier (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), commonly called Banana Pseudostem Weevil (BPW) or Banana Stem Borer, has been designated as a notorious and monophagous pest of banana plantains. Infestation of this pest will prevent the development of the bunch and cause severe economic losses. The present study deciphers the mode of action of a diazotrophic endophyte, Lysinibacillus sphaericus, against the grubs of the weevil by investigating enzymatic activities and the identification of the compound responsible for the insecticidal activities through GCMS analysis. The action of Cry toxins extracted from the bacterium was also assessed against the grubs of weevils. The cytotoxic effects of the bacteria were studied in non-target organisms like human cell lines (L929 fibroblast) and earthworms, ensuring their suitability for environmentally friendly pest management strategies. The biocontrol aspects of L.sphaericus in the insect grubs were analyzed by Scanning Electron Microscopy and COMET assay. Overall, our findings contribute to the understanding of L. sphaericus as a potential biopesticide and highlight its promise as a sustainable solution for controlling banana pseudostem weevil infestations while minimizing risks to non-target organisms and the environment.
Biography
Dr. Jisha M S is a distinguished Senior Professor and Director of the School of Biosciences, as well as Director of the School of Food Science and Technology, at Mahatma Gandhi University in Kerala, India. Additionally, she serves as the Coordinator of the National Institute of Plant Science and Technology. With 24 years of teaching experience and a career spanning since 2003, she obtained her PhD from the Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, and was honored as a gold medalist from UAS Dharwad for M.Sc. Microbiology in 1993.
Dr. Jisha’s research focuses on microbial synthesis of nanoparticles, bioprospecting of endophytic microorganisms to discover bioactive compounds for pharmaceutical applications, plant growth promotion, biocontrol, and biodegradation of xenobiotics. She has received numerous awards including 8 best paper awards, a young scientist award from the Swadeshi Science Congress, and the Distinguished Women in Agricultural Sciences Award from the Venus International Foundation. Under her guidance, 16 students have been awarded PhD degrees. She has authored 26 book chapters and 118 research papers in peer-reviewed national and international journals, accumulating 3808 citations and an h-index of 31 on Google Scholar. Dr. Jisha has also successfully completed several research projects as Principal Investigator.
Publications: Google Scholar Researchgate ORCID