The potential for management of aquatic invasive species with microbial natural products

Biopesticides are comprised of microorganisms, their natural metabolites and other natural biochemicals such as some plant extracts and pheromones.There are proven examples of biopesticides being used for aquatic invasive species (e.g., Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis and Bacillus sphaericus for mosquito larvae control) and other pests.Based on their safety and low risk to the environment, there should be more examples of biopesticides for control of aquatic invasives.While biopesticides have been around for over seventy years, starting with Bacillus thuringiensis, they are experiencing rapid growth with compounded annual growth rates of 10-20% versus 2-3% for synthetic chemical pesticides.Biopesticides offer the potential of effective control, biodegradability, low risk to non-target organisms and reduction of carbon footprint/greenhouse gas emissions compared to synthetic chemical pesticides.Challenges to the adoption of biopesticides in agriculture include a lack of awareness and education in testing and deploying their unique modes of action and lingering perceptions of high cost and low efficacy.New tools of genomics, artificial intelligence, machine learning, and precision fermentation allow scientists to discover and develop new effective microbial biopesticides more rapidly and more efficiently.Considering availability of these new tools and on the other hand, a relatively untapped fraction of nature's microorganisms thus far, along with their metabolites, for use as biopesticides in agriculture, there is high potential for discovery and development of new, more potent and cost-effective microbial natural products for use against aquatic invasive species.