title: A novel bio-engineering approach to generate an eminent surface-functionalized template for selective detection of female sex pheromone of Helicoverpa armigera.
abstract: Plant pests exert serious effects on food production due to which the global crop yields are reduced by ~20-40 percent per year. Hence to meet the world's food needs, loses of food due to crop pests must be reduced. Herein the silicon dioxide based MEMS devices are covalently functionalized for robust and efficient optical sensing of the female sex pheromones of the pests like Helicoverpa armigera for the first time in literature. The functionalized devices are also capable of selectively measuring the concentration of this pheromone at femtogram level which is much below the concentration of pheromone at the time of pest infestation in an agricultural field. Experiments are also performed in a confined region in the presence of male and female pests and tomato plants which directly mimics the real environmental conditions. Again the reversible use and absolutely trouble free transportation of these pheromone nanosensors heightens their potentials for commercial use. Overall, a novel and unique approach for the selective and reversible sensing of female sex pheromones of certain hazardous pests is reported herein which may be efficiently and economically carried forward from the research laboratory to the agricultural field.
authors.affiliation: Department of Organic Chemistry, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560 012, India.
authors.forename: Parikshit
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Moitra
authors.affiliation: National Bureau of Agriculturally Insect Resources, P.B. No. 2491, H. A. Farm Post, Bangalore 560 024, India.
authors.forename: Deepa
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bhagat
authors.affiliation: Centre of Nano Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560 012, India.
authors.forename: Rudra
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pratap
authors.affiliation: Department of Organic Chemistry, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560 012, India.
authors.forename: Santanu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bhattacharya
mesh_terms: D000447:Aldehydes / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry; D000818:Animals; D057005:Bioengineering / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D003432:Cross-Linking Reagents / Q000737:chemistry; D005260:Female; D057230:Limit of Detection; D018551:Solanum lycopersicum / Q000469:parasitology; D008297:Male; D009036:Moths / Q000502:physiology; D055096:Optical Devices; D017646:Organosilicon Compounds / Q000737:chemistry; D011437:Propylamines / Q000737:chemistry; D012724:Sex Attractants / Q000032:analysis* / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000378:metabolism; D012821:Silanes / Q000737:chemistry; D012822:Silicon Dioxide / Q000737:chemistry; D013388:Succinimides / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: C587835:9-hexadecenal; D000447:Aldehydes; D003432:Cross-Linking Reagents; D017646:Organosilicon Compounds; D011437:Propylamines; D012724:Sex Attractants; D012821:Silanes; D013388:Succinimides; C061128:11-hexadecenal; D012822:Silicon Dioxide; C477625:amino-propyl-triethoxysilane