SBIR Phase I: Broad Spectrum biorational bio- and synthetic insecticides and mosquito repellents

该SBIR项目提出了一种对人类安全的新型广谱杀虫剂，预计比合成杀虫剂更安全，具有更广泛的影响/商业潜力。 它将用于传统和有机农业，以及个人防护/驱蚊产品，成本明显低于目前市场上的产品。由于虫害造成的作物损失高达数十亿美元，而有限的杀虫剂种类容易受到抗药性的持续威胁。 此外，由于农药残留污染食物和水并造成环境破坏，缺乏特异性造成广泛的风险。特别是，有机农业需要有效的生物杀虫剂，以实现经济上可持续的产量。该产品将应用于其他蚊媒疾病，而不会对人类健康产生不良影响。SBIR第一阶段项目提出将有效的昆虫蛋白靶标与一类新分子结合起来。特别是，从容易生产和廉价的天然产物中衍生的单个分子及其类似物为大规模生产的成本效益和可扩展的从头合成创造了新的选择。这一大类中的一些独立分子已被证明具有对昆虫（而非人类）特异性的杀虫活性的正确机制。特异性蛋白质靶标在节肢动物（昆虫）中具有非常保守的活性位点。初步的技术可行性已经确定，第一阶段的工作计划将验证所提出的解决方案的概念验证。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this SBIR project proposing a novel broad spectrum insecticide safe for humans, expected to be safer than synthetic insecticides. It will be used in conventional and organic farming, as well as personal protection/mosquito repellent products, costing significantly less than the products currently on the market. Crop losses due to insect pests cost billions of dollars and the limited classes of insecticides are vulnerable to the constant threat of resistance. In addition, the lack of specificity creates broad risks due to pesticide residues polluting food and water and causing environmental damage. In particular, organic farming needs effective bioinsecticides for economically sustainable yields. The proposed product will have applications to other mosquito-borne diseases without adverse effects on human health.This SBIR Phase I project proposes to combine an effective insect protein target with a new class of molecules. In particular, a single molecule and its analogs derived from easily produced and cheaply priced natural products create new options for cost-effective and scalable de-novo synthesis for mass production. A few separate molecules from this general class have been shown to possess the right mechanism of insecticidal activity specific to insects (not humans). The specific protein target has a well conserved active site across arthropods (insects). Preliminary technical feasibility has been established and the Phase I work plan will validate proof-of-concept for the proposed solution.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.