Pesticide News and Research

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Peptide Imitation is the Sincerest Form of Plant Flattery

Industrial farming practices often deplete the soil of important nutrients and minerals, leaving farmers to rely on artificial fertilizers to support plant growth. In fact, fertilizer use has more than quadrupled since the 1960s, but this comes with serious consequences.

16 Apr 2025

Global Review Shows Alarming Impacts of Pesticides on Biodiversity and Ecosystems

The study highlights pesticides' widespread effects on non-target species, urging a reevaluation of risk assessments and farming practices for biodiversity.

19 Feb 2025

CSIRO, Oxitec to Tackle Disease-Spreading Mosquitoes Threatening Mainland Australia

A new venture, Oxitec Australia, is taking on two of the deadliest virus-carrying mosquitos in the Pacific region – Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus – to fight the spread of diseases like dengue, Zika, and yellow fever, which claims hundreds of thousands of lives globally each year.

10 Dec 2024

Revolutionizing Food Security with Plant Immune Responses

As the climate crisis alters familiar growing conditions, we urgently need to find ways of protecting the world against famines.

16 Oct 2024

Pesticide Exposure Strongly Correlated with Fewer Wild Bee Sightings

Whether you're strolling through a garden, wandering a park, or simply enjoying an open space in the United States, you're likely to notice bees buzzing about the flowers. While honeybees, imported from Europe in the 17th century to produce honey, are the most recognizable, they aren't the only bees at work. If you're a keen observer, you might spot some of the thousands of less familiar, native bee species that call these spaces home.

28 Aug 2024

New Approach for Targeted Genome Editing in Wild Populations

Researchers from Macquarie University and the California Institute of Technology have discovered a novel method that, when published in Nature Communications on August 13th, 2024, might make it easier and more controllable for scientists to modify the genetic composition of wild populations than when using gene drives.

14 Aug 2024

CRISPR/Cas Biosensors Address Sensitivity and Specificity Challenges in Detection

The mechanisms of CRISPR-Cas-based biosensors.

5 Jun 2024

Using Genomic Methods to Track Pesticide Resistance

Pesticides are used by farmers to manage agricultural pests. However, pesticide-resistant insects frequently become immune to their toxins.

19 Mar 2024

New Therapeutic Devices for Diseases with ‘Internet of Life’

Although an electronic gadget and E. coli bacteria might not seem to have much in common, University of Maryland researchers recently connected them to create the first closed-loop system capable of communication across the technological and biological divide.

6 Mar 2024

Unraveling the Mystery of Tiny Insect-Killing Worm

Scientists at University of California, Riverside have found a small species of worm that attacks and destroys insects.

12 Feb 2024

Quorum Bio: Where Synthetic Biology Meets Sustainable Farming

We speak with Sudharsan Dwaraknath, CEO of Quorum Bio, a synthetic biology startup developing sustainable agricultural technologies.

From Quorum Bio 12 Feb 2024

Pesticide Sprays and Olfactory Disruption in Honey Bee Communication

For a considerable period, the detrimental impact of pesticide sprays on honey bees has been recognized. In a recent study, researchers have unraveled the consequences of such sprays on the sense of smell in bees, potentially disrupting their social signals.

18 Dec 2023

Pesticides Harm Bumblebees, Even After Regulations Tightened

A new study has confirmed that pesticides, commonly used in farmland, significantly harm bumblebees – one of the most important wild pollinators.

30 Nov 2023

Centralized Tool Revolutionizes Global Bee Data

A centralized tool named BeeBCD has emerged as a powerful solution for addressing substantial gaps in public bee data, particularly from regions like Africa and Asia, which have been underrepresented.

6 Nov 2023

Australasia’s Overlooked Pollination Crisis Could Lead to Biodiversity Loss and Food Insecurity

Australasia has likely overlooked a pollination crisis, according to new research published today in the journal Ecology and Evolution.

31 Oct 2023

Engineering Plants to Turn Red in the Presence of Toxic Pesticide

Imagine if houseplants could alert one to unsafe water conditions. Scientists are making strides toward this innovative idea by successfully modifying a plant to change its color to beet red when it detects the presence of a prohibited and harmful pesticide.

24 Oct 2023

Researchers Develop New Nanozyme for Safe, Affordable Food and Agricultural Applications

Nanozymes are synthetic materials that mimic the properties of natural enzymes for applications in biomedicine and chemical engineering.

19 Oct 2023

DNA from 19th Century Fruit Flies Sheds Light on Evolution

Back when the biggest fly enthusiasts of 19th century Sweden -; Carl Fredrik Fallén, for one, and later Johan Wilhelm Zetterstedt -; were collecting insects for what would become Lund University's entomological collections, they wondered exactly what was that buzzing coming from their can of raisins.

13 Oct 2023

Aloe Vera Peels for Pest Control on Staple Food Crops

According to a study, aloe vera peels that are discarded can be utilized as a natural insecticide to assist farmers in defending important food crops from damaging insects.

4 Sep 2023

Beneficial Microbe Could be Effective Against Fungal Pathogens Wreaking Havoc on Golf Courses

There's a reason sports leagues from the pros on down use turfgrass. It is a hearty grass that can be mowed to exceedingly short heights and tolerates trampling foot traffic with ease.

4 Aug 2023