William F. Burke, Jr.
Research
Research in my laboratory is focused on the development of biological agents for control of disease-vectoring mosquitoes using recombinant DNA and classical genetic techniques. This work focuses on Bacillus sphaericus, a spore-forming bacterium which produces an insecticidal toxin lethal to mosquito larvae but harmless to nontarget organisms. We are developing methods designed to increase the usefulness of B. sphaericus as an organism for genetic study.
Our work is focused on the development of in vitro genetic transfer techniques which will permit the manipulation of various insecticidal toxin genes to increase the effectiveness of B. sphaericus as a biocontrol agent. This project includes studies of barriers to genetic transfer such as restriction systems, construction of cloning vectors, and isolation and characterization of promoter sequences to enhance the expression of the foreign genes in both Bacilli. Recently, we have begun studies designed to increase the stability of recombinant plasmids in entomocidal strains of B. sphaericus
Selected Publications
Seyler, R.W., Jr., Yousten, A.A., Thal, T.S., and Burke, W.F., Jr. 1993 Stability of pUB110- derived plasmids in Bacillus sphaericus 2362. Applied Micrbobiology and Biotechnology 39: 520-525.
Seyler, R.W., Yousten, A.A., and Burke, W.F., Jr. 1991. Plasmid stability in Bacillus sphaericus 2362 during recycling in mosquito larvae. Journal of Invertebrate Pathology 58: 362- 366.
Ehrhardt, A.E., and Burke, W.F., Jr. 1991 Plasmid stability in Bacillus sphaericus. Current Microbiology 23: 149-152.
Taylor, L.D., and Burke, W.F., Jr. 1991. Construction of tracer plasmids for Bacillus sphaericus utilizing the xylE gene from Pseudomonas putida. Journal of Invertebrate Pathology 57: 66-70.
Ehrhardt, A.E., and Burke, W.F., Jr. 1991 Plasmid stability in Bacillus sphaericus. Current Microbiology 23: 149-152.
Seyler, R.W., Yousten, A.A., and Burke, W.F., Jr. 1991. Plasmid stability in Bacillus sphaericus 2362 during recycling in mosquito larvae. Journal of Invertebrate Pathology 58: 362- 366.
Seyler, R.W., Jr., Yousten, A.A., Thal, T.S., and Burke, W.F., Jr. 1993 Stability of pUB110- derived plasmids in Bacillus sphaericus 2362. Applied Micrbobiology and Biotechnology 39: 520-525.