Projects
Structural and functional studies of ligand-activated insect ion channels for the development of safer insecticides KU Leuven
There is a great need to develop safer insecticides with greater selectivity for harmful pests like Myzus persicae, a polyphagous aphid species which destroys crops. Currently developed insecticides pose a great threat to pollinating insects and are beginning to have severe effects on agriculture and biodiversity. To address this concern, we require new classes of safer insecticides which are more selective for deleterious pests. In order to ...
Molecular mechanism of the honeybee nicotinic acetylcholine receptor, the target for neonic insecticides KU Leuven
Bees are vital for pollination on our planet. In modern agriculture, crops globally produced for human consumption critically depend on pollinators such as bees. Human impact on climate change is well recognized and bee health is under pressure. One of the likely factors contributing to the worldwide decline of bee populations is the widespread use of a group of insecticides containing neonicotinoids, which affect bee memory, behavior and ...
Development of a decision support grid regarding human and environmental exposure to herbicides and insecticides Research Institute for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food
In five case studies (beet cultivation, pome fruit cultivation, arable land/grassland, railway verges and non-public pavements), the Decalpe project aims to provide an answer to the question whether or not the ban on the use of glyphosate and neonicotinoids leads to a higher risk of human and environmental exposure to other herbicides and insecticides. In addition, a decision support grid is ...
Interactive effects of insecticides and cyanobacterial stress in Daphnia pulex: Development of a predictive model using gene expression microarrays and support vector machines Ghent University
Aquatic ecosystems are complex environments where organisms interact with a heterogeneous group of stressors from anthropogenic and natural origin. Yet, current risk assessment practices fail to include these combined effects of stressors and their potential interaction as they primarily use a chemical-by-chemical approach. The lack of sufficient comprehensive data in literature and the lack of predictive models further impede the ...
Training next level scientists and researchers to develop highly selective and safe insecticides Ghent University
Insecticide resistance mechanisms and associated fitness cost in the Ethiopian malaria vector Ghent University
In Ethiopia, malaria control is heavily based on the use of insecticides against the Anopheles mosquitoes, but has become problematic due to the development of resistance. Insecticide based vector control strategies rely on a good understanding of insecticide resistance mechanisms and the possibly associated fitness cost, which is the topic of this research proposal.