Temperature and growth media affect conidia production, germination and virulence of Metarhizium spp. during simulated solid substrate fermentation conditions
Sala, Arnau (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Departament d'Enginyeria Química, Biològica i Ambiental)
Ourry, Morgane (University of Copenhagen. Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences)
Meyling, Nicolai V. (University of Copenhagen. Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences)

Date:	2026
Abstract:	Solid State Fermentation (SSF) scale-up constraints (oxygen diffusion, heat accumulation, mass transfer and irreproducibility) pose significant obstacles to the production of biopesticides, such as entomopathogenic fungi (EPF). Understanding the responses of thermotolerant fungal strains is key to overcome these constraints. However, combination of relevant parameters for fungal growth and sporulation (temperature, growing media and time) may affect insecticidal activity (conidia production, germination and virulence), but this is not fully understood. Here, two thermotolerant strains of the EPF Metarhizium (Metarhizium brunneum EAMa 09/01-Su and Metarhizium robertsii EAMa 01/158-Su) were studied by combining the three parameters of relevance for SSF. Production conditions affected both quantity (conidia production) and quality (conidia germination and virulence) of the obtained bioproduct. Both strains were suitable for thermotolerant conidia production, with the M. brunneum strain being superior in Tenebrio molitor infection and conidial germination and the M. robertsii strain exhibiting faster germination and higher conidia production. These results provide valuable knowledge and serve as starting point for future works in production scale-up via SSF.
Grants:	Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades 2022/894792
Note:	Altres ajuts: acords transformatius de la UAB
Rights:	Aquest document està subjecte a una llicència d'ús Creative Commons. Es permet la reproducció total o parcial, la distribució, i la comunicació pública de l'obra, sempre que no sigui amb finalitats comercials, i sempre que es reconegui l'autoria de l'obra original. No es permet la creació d'obres derivades.
Language:	Anglès
Document:	Article ; recerca ; Versió publicada
Subject:	Thermotolerant fungi ; Conidia production ; Conidia germination ; Virulence ; Tenebrio molitor ; Principal component analysis
Published in:	Fungal Biology, Vol. 130, Num. 5 (August 2026) , art. 101794, ISSN 1878-6146

DOI: 10.1016/j.funbio.2026.101794

13 p, 7.1 MB

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Research literature > UAB research groups literature > Research Centres and Groups (research output) > Engineering > Composting Research Group (GICOM)
Articles > Research articles
Articles > Published articles