We are excited to announce our upcoming workshop titled "Vector Control: Insecticides and Beyond," scheduled for July 11-12, 2024, at the Foundation for Research and Technology - Hellas (FORTH) in Heraklion, Crete. Organized under the EU-funded projects MicroBioPest and CypTox, this event will feature leading experts discussing advanced methods in vector control and insecticide development. Highlights include plenary sessions by George Dimopoulos on vector control challenges, Laurence J. Zwiebel on the insect olfactory system, and George Christophides on gene drive solutions, along with practical courses on novel insecticides, microbial biopesticides, and molecular diagnostics. The workshop concludes with networking activities and opportunities for hands-on learning.

The workshop’s agenda can be downloaded here.

Join us at the Liannis Amphitheater in the Foundation for Research and Technology - Hellas (FORTH), Heraklion, Crete, for a comprehensive workshop organized within the framework of MicroBioPest and other EU-funded projects. This workshop will address various aspects of pesticide use and management in the context of the EU Green Deal and climate change. Starting at 10:45, John Vontas from FORTH will introduce the workshop's objectives. The morning sessions will feature presentations on evidence-based rational use of pesticides and biologicals in Integrated Pest Management (IPM) by Emmanouil Roditakis and Tolis Pekas, biological control of invasive pests in Mediterranean fruit crops by Alejandro Tena Barreda, and an overview of the EPPO Database on Pesticide Resistance Cases by Anastasia Tsagkarakou. In the afternoon, Ken Narva from GreenLight Biosciences will discuss RNA-based pesticides, and Ema Lazorcakova from the Slovak University of Agriculture will talk about the social acceptability of new genomic techniques for plant production and crop protection. The workshop will continue with clustering activities involving various EU research projects, featuring presentations by Nikolaos Papadopoulos on in-silico boosted pest prevention, Dimitrios Karpouzas on risk assessment innovation for low-risk pesticides under the RATION project, and George Dimopoulos and Martyn Wood on microbial biopesticides under the MicroBioPest project. The event will conclude with a discussion and wrap-up session at 17:00.

The workshop’s agenda can be downloaded here.

Watch our promotional video to learn about the innovative efforts of the ERA Chair, Coordinator, and MicroBioPest researchers in developing environmentally friendly biopesticides aimed at enhancing public health and food security. Discover the global threat posed by insect-borne diseases like malaria and the significant economic impact of crop losses due to pests, highlighting the need for natural alternatives to traditional chemical pesticides. Follow the project's methodology, from collecting and screening diverse microbial samples from Crete to creating a library of 1,700 microorganisms and identifying 100 promising bacterial isolates for mosquito control. See how our ongoing research is refining these biopesticides to ensure their effectiveness and safety, showcasing the international collaboration and expertise at IMBB-FORTH in Crete.

Watch the promotional video.

The MicroBioPest team attended the XII European Congress of Entomology, which took place in Heraklion from the 16^th to the 20^th October 2023.

The ERA chair of MicroBioPest, Prof. Dr. George Dimopoulos, was one of the plenary speakers of the congress and gave an excellent talk with the title “Curing disease vectors from human pathogens.”

Furthermore, the postdoctoral researcher Joel da Cruz Couceiro presented a poster about the phase one of the project, including collection of field samples and first round of screening of bacterial isolates against larvae of the mosquito Culex pipiens molestus.

On the 29th of September, the MicroBioPest team participated in the European Researchers’ Night, a European-wide event to promote science to the public and showcase how research projects can impact people’s lives. In Heraklion, the event was held at the main building of FORTH.

The MicroBioPest team presented a poster about the first phase of the project, in which environmental samples were collected to obtain different species of microorganisms, and how these microorganisms have the potential to become biopesticides to be used in integrated vector and integrated pest management. We also showcased: a mosquito cage, as an example of how these insects are reared in laboratory; plates with colonies of bacteria and fungi; and a 48-well plate showing how bioassays with mosquito larvae were conducted.

Επτά νέα έργα κέρδισαν ελληνικοί ερευνητικοί και ακαδημαϊκοί οργανισμοί από την προκήρυξη ERA Chairs (WIDERA) του προγράμματος πλαίσιο Ορίζοντας Ευρώπη (Horizon Europe – HE). Η προκήρυξη ERA Chairs στοχεύει στην ενίσχυση και αναμόρφωση ερευνητικών μονάδων από χώρες Widening, με την εγκατάσταση διακεκριμένων μελών της διεθνούς ακαδημαϊκής και ερευνητικής κοινότητας για πέντε έτη.

Επτά καταξιωμένοι επιστήμονες, κυρίως Έλληνες της διασποράς, έχουν ξεκινήσει ήδη τη θητεία τους σε ελληνικούς οργανισμούς.

Διαβάστε Περισσότερα

On 13th March the first trip to isolate bacteria from the environment was carried out. We chose an area south of Heraklion with different ecological characteristics. In the Agia Irini gorge we collected samples from near a stream, beneath pine and plane trees, and in a cave. On the Juktas mountain we sampled from the exposed peak and from forested areas with oak and cypresses, as well as close to the vulture feeding area. We also picked soil and leave samples from an olive grove, and soil from next to a winery. In all we collected 15 samples that are now being processed.

The latest press release for the “ERA Chair in Green Biotechnology - Microbial Biopesticides at IMBB-FORTH” can be found here: https://www.imbb.forth.gr/news/19102022_ERAChair_PressRelease_Dimopoulos_EN.pdf

Ενώνουν δυνάμεις για βιοεντομοκτόνα με την σφραγίδα του ΙΤΕ- ΚΡΗΤΗ ΤV

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4i4RCR9XxJo