More specific insecticides: harnessing knowledge of insect receptors

Introduction

Pest control is a central component of agriculture. However, insecticides and agriculture can have an impact on ecosystems. Regulations have been taken in Europe to ban some insecticides, based on the possible threat they pose to pollinators. There is an urgent, unmet need for species-specific insecticides that are safe for non-target organisms. In the proposed proof-of-concept project, we aim at demonstrating that peptides specifically designed against neurotransmitter receptors can be potent at pest species without affecting beneficial species.

Previous Work

During the previous ERC-StG project, we developed tools to obtain pure mammalian neurotransmitter receptors. We have adapted those tools for insect receptors, which are the most important insecticide targets.

Proposed Methodology

We here propose to use insect receptors for the selection of species-specific peptides. The peptide libraries will be designed by:

1. Computational-guided mutagenesis
2. Screening by yeast display

Intellectual Property and Market Exploration

Within the project, we aim to secure a solid IP position on the technology platform we will build, in order to maximize the likelihood of success for a commercial endeavor.

Business Development

We will explore the market opportunity and regulatory pathway for subsequent product development, in order to define a business model and implement early commercialization steps.