No CrossRef data available.
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 17 December 2012
In this paper the spore-crystal complex of Bacillus thuringiensis var. israelensis (Bti) was immobilized by the sol-gel process in a hybrid polymer using as precursors the inorganic tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) and the organic Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS); in order to combine the advantages of both materials in a hybrid matrix to improve aspects such as the thermal stability, the hydrophobic properties and the porosity. Bti produces different crystals during sporulation phase; these are of protein nature and are used as bio-insecticides. It is important to mention that the insecticide attack is specific to the mosquito larva that causes dengue and black flies. The samples were characterized to ensure viability by performing growth kinetics with fermentations immersed in a flask, this microbial growth was monitored by dry weight, glucose consumption and characterized by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) to observe the interaction of materials with spore-crystal complex.