The group of Prof. John Vontas at IMBB-FORTH, in collaboration with the Agricultural University of Athens, several major European Research Institutes and Industrial partners and the University of Kentucky (USA), won an important grant, within the framework of the EU Horizon 2020 Programme.

The project is called CypTox. It will apply biotechnology excellence to exploit the cytochrome P450 (CYP) metabolic/detoxification pathway of target and non-target organisms, to develop novel insecticides, efficient against selected insect & mite pests, but highly selective and safe for bees, pollinators and the environment.

The program will run for the next 4 years. It will provide excellent research training and networking, within a creative and flexible environment that actively promotes the integration of academic rigor and commercial pragmatism through mobility between sectors and focused training events. CypTox will also highlight to the society the urgent need to develop new generation insecticides/bioinsecticides, to control insect pests and disease vectors, which seriously threaten human health and food security.

Figure 1. The Horizon2020 European Project CypTox Will exploit biotechnology excellence to develop novel insecticides, efficient against selected insect & mite pests, but highly selective and safe for bees, pollinators and the environment.

“This is a highly innovative Research Programme, which will contribute novel solutions for pest control, and it will promote the excellence and international networking of IMBB-FORTH in Agricultural Biotechnology”, commented Dr Yannis Talianidis, the Director of IMBB and Professor Nektarios Tavernarakis, the FORTH Chairman.