Assessing the authenticity and purity of a commercial Bacillus thuringiensis bioinsecticide through whole genome sequencing and metagenomics approaches.

ABSTRACT: Biopesticides, biological agents for pest control in plants, are becoming increasingly prevalent in agricultural practices. However, no established methodology currently exists to assess their quality, and there are currently no publicly available authenticity and purity evaluations of commercial products. This lack of data may represent risks because of their widespread dispersal in the environment. We evaluated the potential of whole genome sequencing (WGS) and metagenomics approaches, including nanopore long-read sequencing, to verify both authenticity (i.e., the labeled strain) and biological purity (i.e., the absence of any undesired genetic material) of commercial Bacillus thuringiensis bioinsecticides. Four commercially available bioinsecticidal products containing Bacillu

SUBMITTER: Van Laere Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11831548 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature