Maximização da produção de Bacillus thuringiensis var. kurstaki visando o uso como bioinsumo agrícola

Abstract

Agricultural production has been increasing significantly to keep pace with global population growth and feed everyone. In this respect, biotechnology has helped to reduce the use of pesticides using bio-inputs. One example is Bacillus thuringiensis var. kurstaki (Btk), a Gram-positive bacterium studied in this work. It produces crystalline protein inclusions known as δ-endotoxins during sporulation. These act as bactericides and stimulants for crop development, particularly under stressful conditions. The enzymatic activity and growth of microorganisms can be influenced by several factors, such as the concentrations of carbon and nitrogen sources, oxygenation, temperature, time, pH variation, agitation and salts present in the medium. This study evaluated some of these factors and found that the optimal temperatures for Btk are 28 and 30 °C and the most suitable energy substrates are sucrose and glucose.