Peptidic spider toxins: a novel paradigm for control of insect pests

许多昆虫是澳大利亚农作物、牲畜和宠物的严重害虫。澳大利亚农民每年在杀虫剂和杀螨剂上花费约3亿美元，而澳大利亚消费者每年在家庭、花园和宠物身上使用的杀虫剂上花费超过1亿美元。通过昆虫传播的病毒也会导致登革热、日本脑炎和罗斯河热等疾病。不幸的是，这些害虫中的许多已经对化学杀虫剂产生了抗药性。这项研究计划的目的是开发新一代环保天然产品和抗虫作物，可用于控制农场、家庭和花园周围的害虫。

Many insects are serious pests of Australian crops, livestock, and pets. Australian farmers spend about $300 million per annum on insecticides and acaricides, while Australian consumers spend more than $100 million annually on insecticides for use around the home and garden, and on pets. Viruses disseminated by insects are also responsible for diseases such as dengue, Japanese encephalitis, and Ross River fever. Unfortunately, many of these insect pests have developed resistance to chemical insecticides. The aim of this research program is to develop a new generation of environmentally-friendly natural products and insect-resistant crops that can be used to control insect pests on farms and around the home and garden.