Using spider venoms to develop novel, safer, insecticides for crop protection

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The growth of crops to meet the demand of an ever growing human population is reliant on high and efficient agricultural activity. Insects that damage crops hamper agricultural productivity, contributing significantly to the 30% of crops lost to pests. Treating crops with insecticides is the most widely-used method of controlling insect pests, however, we are reliant on only a small number of effective compounds. This is highlighted by the ban of neonicotinoids throughout Europe, which prevented the use of imidacloprid, clothianidin and thiamethoxam on outdoor crops, amidst concerns that these compounds are contributing to the decline of bees and other non-target organisms. As a result, farmers resorted to the use of an older class of chemicals, the pyrethroids, to which pests have become resistant, rendering the growth of some crops non-viable. This is a particular issue for aphids as these pests not only infest plants, but also vector numerous damaging plant viruses. For example, only two weeks after leaving Europe, the UK government considered the emergency use of thiamethoxam for the treatment of sugar-beet seed due to the ineffectiveness of current measures for control of the aphid Myzus persicae which vectors the beet yellows virus. The future control of crop pests, therefore, presents major challenges and we urgently need to explore novel options for crop protection, one of which is the identification and development of biopesticides, natural compounds that are safer for the environment.