Abstract: The present invention relates to antifungal and/or antibacterial peptides, especially antifungal peptides obtained from insect species, particularly lepidopterans. The present invention also provides methods of using these antifungal peptides to treat or prevent fungal growth for a variety of purposes, such as protecting plants from fungal infections; treating fungal infections of animals, especially humans; and prevention of food spoilage.

Abstract: The present invention relates to antifungal and/or antibacterial peptides, especially antifungal peptides obtained from insect species, particularly lepidopterans. The present invention also provides methods of using these antifungal peptides to treat or prevent fungal growth for a variety of purposes such as; protecting plants from fungal infections, treating fungal infections of animals, especially humans, and prevention of food spoilage.

Abstract: The present invention provides antifungal and antibacterial peptides, especially antifungal peptides obtained from insect species, particularly lepidopterans. The present invention also provides methods of using these antifungal peptides to treat or prevent fungal growth for a variety of purposes such as; protecting plants from fungal infections, treating fungal infections of animals, especially humans, and prevention of food spoilage. In particular, the invention provides transgenic plants that produce an antifungal peptide, said plants having increased resistance to fungal infections/growth.

Abstract: The invention relates to the identification and isolation of a polynucleotide molecule encoding a new class of protein insecticidal toxin produced by the bacteria Photorhabdus luminescens. The polynucleotide molecule may be incorporated into, for example, insect-specific viruses (including entomopox and nuclear polyhedrosis viruses), bacteria (including Gracilicutes, Firmicutes, Tenericutes and Mendosicutes), protozoa, yeast and plants for control of pest insects.

Abstract: The invention relates to any assay for the identification of nematicidal compounds such as anthelmintics for the control of nematodes. The assay comprises: (i) incubating a nematode sample (i.e. a “test nematode sample”) containing a pre-determined amount of nematodes with an ingestable substrate labelled with a readily detectable label, under conditions suitable for nematode feeding, wherein said incubation is conducted in the presence of said candidate nematicidal compound or follows a pre-incubation of said nematode sample with said candidate nematicidal compound, and (ii) determining whether said candidate nematicidal compound affects nematode feeding by detecting an increase or decrease in ingested substrate as compared to that which has been ingested by a control nematode sample which has been incubated without said candidate nematicidal compound.

Abstract: The invention relates to the identification and isolation of polynucleotide molecules encoding a new class of protein insecticidal toxins which are produced by bacteria from the genera Xenorhabdus and Photorhabdus. The polynucleotide molecules may be incorporated into, for example, insect-specific viruses (including entomopox and nuclear polyhedrosis viruses), bacteria (including Gracilicutes, Firmicutes, Tenericutes and Mendosicutes), protozoa, yeast and plants for control of pest insects.

Abstract: The invention relates to the identification and isolation of polynucleotide molecules encoding a new class of protein insecticidal toxins which are produced by bacteria from the genera Xenorhabdus and Photorhabdus. The polynucleotide molecules may be incorporated into, for example, insect-specific viruses (including entomopox and nuclear polyhedrosis viruses), bacteria (including Gracilicutes, Firmicutes, Tenericutes and Mendosicutes), protozoa, yeast and plants for control of pest insects.

Abstract: The invention relates to any assay for the identification of nematicidal compounds such as anthelmintics for the control of nematodes. The assay comprises: (i) incubating a nematode sample (i.e. a “test nematode sample”) containing a pre-determined amount of nematodes with an ingestable substrate labelled with a readily detectable label, under conditions suitable for nematode feeding, wherein said incubation is conducted in the presence of said candidate nematicidal compound or follows a pre-incubation of said nematode sample with said candidate nematicidal compound, and (ii) determining whether said candidate nematicidal compound affects nematode feeding by detecting an increase or decrease in ingested substrate as compared to that which has been ingested by a control nematode sample which has been incubated without said candidate nematicidal compound.