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Northern Research Station
11 Campus Blvd., Suite 200
Newtown Square, PA 19073
(610) 557-4017
(610) 557-4132 TTY/TDD

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Scientists & Staff

Al Valaitis

Title: Research Biologist
Unit: Genetics, Biological Control, and Management of Invasive Species
Address: Northern Research Station
359 Main Road
Delaware, OH 43015
Phone: 740-368-0020
E-mail: Contact Al Valaitis

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Education

Ph.D. North Carolina State University. 1982, Biochemistry
M.S. University of Illinois, 1978, Cell Biology
B.S. University of Illinois, 1975, Biological Sciences

Civic & Professional Affiliations

American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB), Society for Invertebrate Pathology (SIP)

Current Research

For the past several years I have been working on understanding the mode of action of the insecticidal proteins produced by Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) with a focus on the characterization, cloning, and expression studies of the Bt receptor from the gypsy moth. Bt-based products account for more than 95 percent of all the biopesticides used for insect pest control. Bt has many advantages including a high and fast toxic activity and decades of toxicological analyses that have consistently demonstrated the safety associated with Bt-based insecticides. Unlike chemical insecticides, Bt acts by producing proteins that paralyze the gut of susceptible insects. The demand for Bt-based products is expected to continue increasing, and Bt will remain the most important biopesticide we have in our arsenal for managing destructive insect pests. However, research is needed to identify insecticidal proteins against new invasive insects, improve activity of Bt toward target forest pests, and address the potential for developing resistant populations of insect pests. My current research interests include the following areas:

Elucidation of the key factors in the mode of action of Bt with a focus on understanding how receptor/toxin interactions impact the insecticidal activity and specificity of different Bt toxins towards target insect pests.
Development of alternative approaches for assessment of Bt toxin activity.
Identification and analysis of new insecticidal proteins which are effective against new invasive insect pests.

Future Research

Research and development of new or more effective Bt-based products for management of invasive and destructive insect pests.

Featured Publications

Valaitis, Algimantas P.; Podgwaite, John D. 2011. Comparative analysis of Bacillus thuringiensis toxin binding to gypsy moth, browntail moth, and douglas-fir tussock moth midgut tissue sections using fluorescence microscopy. : McManus, Katherine A; Gottschalk, Kurt W., eds. 2010. Proceedings. 21st U.S. Department of Agriculture interagency research forum on invasive species 2010; 2010 January 12-15; Annapolis, MD. Gen. Tech. Rep. NRS-P-75. Newtown Square, PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northern Research Station: 140.
Valaitis, Algimantas P. 2011. Histochemical study of lectin binding sites in fourth and fifth instar gypsy moth larval midgut epithelium. In: McManus, Katherine A; Gottschalk, Kurt W., eds. 2010. Proceedings. 21st U.S. Department of Agriculture interagency research forum on invasive species 2010; 2010 January 12-15; Annapolis, MD. Gen. Tech. Rep. NRS-P-75. Newtown Square, PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northern Research Station: 139.
Valaitis, Algimantas P. 2011. Localization of Bacillus thuringiensis Cry1A toxin-binding molecules in gypsy moth larval gut sections using fluorescence microscopy. Journal of Invertebrate Pathology. 108: 69-75.
Krofcheck, Daniel J.; Valaitis, Algimantas P. 2010. Microimaging of Bacillus thuringiensis Toxin-binding proteins in gypsy moth larval gut using confocal fluorescence microscopy. In: McManus, Katherine A; Gottschalk, Kurt W., eds. Proceedings. 20th U.S. Department of Agriculture interagency research forum on invasive species 2009; 2009 January 13-16; Annapolis, MD. Gen. Tech. Rep. NRS-P-51. Newtown Square, PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northern Research Station: 83.
Valaitis, Algimantas P. 2009. Bacillus thuringiensis insecticidal toxins induce shedding of GPI-anchored APN by activation of phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C. In: McManus, Katherine A; Gottschalk, Kurt W., eds. Proceedings. 19th U.S. Department of Agriculture interagency research forum on invasive species 2008; 2008 January 8-11; Annapolis, MD. Gen. Tech. Rep. NRS-P-36. Newtown Square, PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northern Research Station: 83.

Additional Online Publications

Valaitis, Algimantas P. 2008. Bacillus thuringiensis pore-forming toxins trigger massive shedding of GPI-anchored aminopeptidase N from gypsy moth midgut epithelial cells. Insect Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. 38: 611-618.
Valaitis, Algimantas P. 2008. A simple, rapid, and sensitive assay for evaluating Bacillus thuringiensis strains for their insecticidal activity toward target insects. In: Gottschalk, Kurt W., ed. Proceedings, 18th U.S. Department of Agriculture interagency research forum on gypsy moth and other invasive species 2007; 2007 January 9-12; Annapolis, MD. Gen. Tech. Rep. NRS-P-28. Newtown Square, PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northern Research Station: 82.
Valaitis, Algimantas P.; Kelly, Mary Ellen. 2008. Localization of the Bacillus thuringiensis toxin receptor in gypsy moth by immuno electron microscopy. In: Gottschalk, Kurt W., ed. Proceedings, 18th U.S. Department of Agriculture interagency research forum on gypsy moth and other invasive species 2007; 2007 January 9-12; Annapolis, MD. Gen. Tech. Rep. NRS-P-28. Newtown Square, PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northern Research Station: 83.
Valaitis, Algimantas P. 2007. Bacillus thuringiensis toxins trigger receptor shedding from gypsy moth midgut cells. In: Gottschalk, Kurt W., ed. Proceedings, 17th U.S. Department of Agriculture interagency research forum on gypsy moth and other invasive species 2006; Gen. Tech. Rep. NRS-P-10. Newtown Square, PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northern Research Station: 102.
Valaitis, Algimantas P. 2005. A Novel Elastase-like Protein from the Gypsy Moth is Involved in the Proteolytic Activation of Bacillus thuringiensis Toxins [abstract]. In: Gottschalk, Kurt W., ed. Proceedings, 16th U.S. Department of Agriculture interagency research forum on gypsy moth and other invasive species 2005; 2005 January 18-21; Annapolis, MD. Gen. Tech. Rep. NE-337. Newtown Square, PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northeastern Research Station: 87.
Valaitis, Algimantas P.; Garner, Karen J.; Jurat-Fuentes, Juan L.; Adang, Michael J. 2005. Investigating the Role of the Cadherin-like Protein from Gypsy Moth as a Bacillus thuringiensis Cry1A Toxin Receptor [abstract]. In: Gottschalk, Kurt W., ed. Proceedings, 16th U.S. Department of Agriculture interagency research forum on gypsy moth and other invasive species 2005; 2005 January 18-21; Annapolis, MD. Gen. Tech. Rep. NE-337. Newtown Square, PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northeastern Research Station: 88.
Lee, K.-Y.; Horodyski, F. M.; Valaitis, A. P.; Denlinger, D. L. 2002. Molecular characterization of the insect immune protein hemolin and its high induction during embryonic diapause in the gypsy moth, Lymantria dispar. Insect Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. 32: 1457-1467.
Valaitis, Algimantas P.; Jenkins, Jeremy L.; Lee, Mi Kyong; Dean, Donald H.; Garner, Karen J. 2001. Isolation and partial characterization of gypsy moth BTR-270, an anionic brush border membrane glycoconjugate that binds Bacillus thuringiensis Cry1A toxins with high affinity. Archives of Insect Biochemistry and Physiology. 46: 186-200.
Valaitis, Algimantas P.; Jolliff, Joan. 1991. Isolation and characterization of juvenile hormone esterase from gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar). IN: Gottschalk, Kurt W.; Twery, Mark J.; Smith, Shirley I., eds. Proceedings, U.S. Department of Agriculture interagency gypsy moth research review 1990; East Windsor, CT. Gen. Tech. Rep. NE-146. Radnor, PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northeastern Forest Experiment Station: 82.

Last Modified: 02/15/2012