Subba Reddy Palli – författare

Physiological Systems in Insects, Fourth Edition explores why insects have become the dominant animals on the planet. Sections describe the historical investigations that have led us to our current understanding of insect systems. Integrated within a basic physiological framework are modern molecular approaches that provide a glimpse of the genetic and evolutionary frameworks that testify to the unity of life on earth. This updated edition describes advances that have occurred in our understanding of hormone action, metamorphosis, and reproduction, along with new sections on the role of microbiomes, insecticide action and its metabolism, and a chapter on genetics, genomics and epigenetic systems.

The book represents a collaborative effort by two internationally known insect physiologists who have instructed graduate courses in insect physiology. As such, it is the ideal resource for entomologists and those in other fields who may require knowledge of insect systems.

The book covers the advanced concepts and creative ideas on the postgenomic tool of RNAi that received the Nobel Prize in 2006. Emphasis was placed on the mechanisms of RNAi, the core machinery and the applications in agriculture. This book covers contributions from academia, industry and Goverment regulatory authorities. Applications to control major important pest insects, as for example western corn rootworm with use of transgenic plant RNAi. But also attention was given to the use of RNAi as a spray (non-transgenic plant approach) or tree-injection. Examples include the control of Colorado potato beetle and treatment of citrus trees to control Asian citrus psyllid. Additionally, the aspect of biosafety and risk assessment were also covered in the book with input from the bioinformatics and risk assessment testing, combined with regulatory input from EPA-USA and EFSA-EU. 

In summary, the editors believe that this book provides for the first time an invaluable vast source of basic and applied information for a plethora of scientists in academia, industry, and regulatory, as well as a textbook for graduate and advanced undergraduate students.

Among the highlights of this book is the use of novel insecticides acting on a specific site in an insect group and are compatible with natural enemies and the environment. One of such approaches is based on disrupting the activity of biochemical sites acting on transcription factors such as the Helix-Loop-Helix (bHLH) family, anti juvenile hormone (AJH) agents that target JH biosynthetic enzymes, G-protein coupled receptors (GPCR) and bursicon as a target for insect control. Another one is the biotechnology or the genetic approach such as gene silencing (RNA interference) and Bt-crops. Other sections of the book are devoted to the plant’s natural products, optical manipulation and the use of nanotechnology for improving insect control methods.