Research project
GREENSHIELD: New Insecticides Inspired by Nature
Our aim is to provide farmers worldwide with safer, more effective insecticides to protect their crops.
- Duration
- 2026
- Contact
- Maurijn van der Zee
- Funding
-
NWO Open Technology Programme (OTP)
- Partners
The crops grown by farmers are under constant attack by insect pests. This causes economic losses and threatens our food supply. Farmers typically use insecticides to protect their crops, but many pests are now resistant to them. Insecticides can also harm wildlife and leave residues in our food. Together with our partner Bayer AG, we will look for new insecticides that do not have these disadvantages. Plants often contain natural insecticides, and so we will screen 2,240 plant extracts for new insecticidal compounds.