BIPESCO Team Innsbruck

Hermann Strasser

Work experience

Since 1986 employed by the Institute of Microbiology, University of Innsbruck. For more than six years occupied in the area of Biohydrometallurgy focused on mobilization of heavy metals from waste products (such as sludge, filter dust, etc.) and minerals.

Since 1995 leading the biological pest control team at the Institute of Microbiology (BIPESCO Team Innsbruck). Research on the control of Coleoptera (i.e. scarab, weevil and diabrotica), Lepidoptera and ticks with entomogenous fungi like Beauveria brongniartii and Metarhizium anisopliae.
Co-ordination both National and EU-funded (BIPESCO - FAIR6-CT98-4105) programmes on fungal control of subterranean crop pests; workpackage leader of the EU RTD-projects on risk assessment of fungal biological control agents (RAFBCA - QLRT-2000-01391) and registration of biological control agants (REBECA – FP6–2004–SSP–4).

Dr. Strasser has considerable experience in product development and registration. He developed a Beauveria and a Metarhizium product, “MELOCONT®-Pilzgerste”, registered in June 2000, and “GRANMET®”, registered in August 2006, both in Austria, for control of cockchafers and garden-chafers, respectively. He has already generated considerable data on risk assessment of fungi for pest and disease control and has considerable “all-round” experience in registration, production, formulation and application of microbial BCAs. Currently, with the support of the BIPESCO consortium two products are listed in “Commission implementing regulation (EU) 2022/383 of 4 March 2022,  Metarhizium brunneum strain Ma43 (formerly BIPESCO 5)  and in Commission implementing regulation (EU) 2021/566 of 30 March 2021, Trichoderma harzianum strain ITEM 908.  “

Since 2000 Dr. Strasser organised several international meetings and workshops; a. o. organiser of the 13th European Meeting of the IOBC/WPRS Working Group "Insect Pathogens and Insect Parasitic Nematodes" and "Slugs and Snails” in Innsbruck, from June, 19th to 23rd 2011.

Research interests

Entomopathogenic mitosporic fungi, endophytes, pathogenesis, fungal physiology and morphology, isolation and biological characterisation of bioactive metabolites of Beauveria and Metarhizium, development of microbial control agents, mass production, formulation and application, laboratory and field assays, toxicology, risk assessment, particular interest in the control of vectors of plant and animal diseases, registration.

Teaching

University Lecturer since 1991
MSc supervisor since 1990 and PhD supervisor for for several students since 1999

Research abroad

AgResearch Institute in Lincoln (New Zealand) February and March 1996, Rothamsted (UK) September 1998, Swansea Wales (UK) May and June 1999 as well as June and July 2001. Four months work as UN - biological weapons inspector with expertise in pesticides, employed by United Nation Special Commission post New York Headquater (US) and Bagdad Monitoring Center (Iraque; 1994 to 1995).

Fellowships

Österreichische Gesellschaft für Biotechnologie von 1988 – 2009
International Organisation of Biological Control since 2001
Society of Invertebrate Pathology since 2000
Österreichische Gesellschaft für Molekularbiologie und Biotechnologie von 2009 - 2013
ALVA Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Lebensmittel-, Veterinär- und Agrarwesen since 2014