Insect cell culture vis-à-vis insect pest control

Abstract

Background: Insect pests are a major cause for losses in agricultural systems, and it is reported that they alone cause up to 45% loss in annual food production. Alleviating the destructive upheaval caused by these six-legged mortals in the agroecosystems falls within the expansive docket of the scientific coterie. Hence, insects are a subject to many experiments in the laboratories and on fields to understand and evaluate their interactions with their biology, physiology, and behavior so as to develop effective managerial strategies against them. Conventional methods include rearing the insects in the laboratory for experimenting on them, which is a very tiring as well as time-consuming process. How convenient it would be, if there is a way to conduct experiments which are directed specifically toward the tissues of insects, particularly cells. Main body: The present review presents the immense potential of insect cell cultures in screening the toxicity and mode of action of novel insecticides, physiological studies apart from their ability to produce recombinant proteins through baculovirus expression vector system (BEVS) which includes a broad range of molecules ranging from the antibiotics to the vaccines. Also, we bring together the concept of culturing insect cells in vitro and how revolutionary they could be in changing the future of research in burgeoning strategies to tackle the menace of insect pests in agricultural production systems. Conclusion: A deeper grasp of biology and physiological processes will enable us to create techniques that will improve our arsenal in the fight against food crop insect pests. The advancement in culturing insect cells and their potential in entomological research aimed at developing pest control strategies and also for manufacturing vaccines.