Alternative to pesticides

To grow enough food, insecticides, drugs that kill insects, are used worldwide. This way, not too much of the crop is lost in case of insect pests. This is very useful, but there are also major drawbacks. For instance, insecticides also kill pollinators, such as bees. These are needed for growing fruits and vegetables. Moreover, insecticides are not healthy for humans either. And, because the agents cannot be broken down properly, they remain in the soil for a longer period and can end up in groundwater. Our collaboration partner Prof. Rob Liskamp - founder of startup INNOVAPEPLINE - came up with an alternative: biological pesticide.

"We make the biopesticides from peptides; which are small proteins. And proteins, they are in everything you find in nature. Also in you and me. They are completely biodegradable," says HU researcher and lecturer Cristina Chamorro Pérez. "The special feature of these peptides is that they can bind to cell receptors that only pests have. When that happens, the pest dies. Since other animals do not have these receptors, the biopesticide only has an effect on these pests. After application, the biopesticide degrades in the soil."

Rob Liskamp: "I am extremely happy that Cristina Chamorro Pérez in the chemistry lab at HU is exploring how we can most effectively modify and implement peptides, together with her students. Cristina has a doctorate in chemistry and is an expert in the assembly of small molecules, peptides and substances containing peptides. As a lecturer, she is incredibly good at transferring that knowledge to students. This makes her the ideal collaborative partner. And that collaboration is badly needed. Indeed, biopesticides represent a new approach, much research still needs to be done before they can be marketed. The engagement of students is also very important as they often provide a unique perspective."

"We use as few pesticides as possible in agriculture, people sometimes have the wrong idea about that," says Martin van Rensselaar, farmer in Flevoland. Zus Geja, farmer: "I see it as a medicine: you don't put it in just like that, but sometimes it is necessary to prevent worse. If, in the future, we can use resources that are biological, work just as well and are affordable, we can of course only welcome that." But it has not reached that point yet. Over the next few years, Cristina and our chemistry students will continue to work with Rob on this in our lab.

• Chemistry programme, Utrecht University of Applied Sciences, full time (NL) and part time (NL)
• Research group innovative testing in life sciences & chemistry 
• Innovation Lab Life Sciences & Chemistry