Novel semiochemicals for crop protection through synthetic biology
Lead Research Organisation:
CARDIFF UNIVERSITY
Department Name: Chemistry
Abstract
Due to pressure on available farmland there is an urgent need for sustainably enhancing food crop production. One approach to combat insect pests is to repel or attract them using pheromone or other chemical signal baited traps, keeping them away from high-value crops.
Past attempts at the rational design of artificial insect pheromones have failed largely due to the highly specific nature of recognition processes in insects. Recently we have succeeded in producing modified aphid repellents/attractants through a strategic chemoenzymatic approach. One compound in particular proved to be a strong aphid attractant in small-scale laboratory experiments.
We intend to produce more of this compound to test its efficacy in field simulations and also to explore the activity of some new closely related compounds. Furthermore we will seek to commercialise the invention with prospective business partners.
Past attempts at the rational design of artificial insect pheromones have failed largely due to the highly specific nature of recognition processes in insects. Recently we have succeeded in producing modified aphid repellents/attractants through a strategic chemoenzymatic approach. One compound in particular proved to be a strong aphid attractant in small-scale laboratory experiments.
We intend to produce more of this compound to test its efficacy in field simulations and also to explore the activity of some new closely related compounds. Furthermore we will seek to commercialise the invention with prospective business partners.
Publications
Cheruiyot D
(2022)
Field evaluation of a new third generation push-pull technology for control of striga weed, stemborers, and fall armyworm in western Kenya
in Experimental Agriculture
Demiray M
(2017)
An Efficient Chemoenzymatic Synthesis of Dihydroartemisinic Aldehyde.
in Angewandte Chemie (International ed. in English)
Demiray M
(2019)
Harnessing enzyme plasticity for the synthesis of oxygenated sesquiterpenoids.
in Beilstein journal of organic chemistry
Demiray M
(2017)
Effiziente chemoenzymatische Synthese von Dihydroartemisinaldehyd
in Angewandte Chemie
Huynh F
(2020)
Accelerating Biphasic Biocatalysis through New Process Windows.
in Angewandte Chemie (International ed. in English)
Johnson L
(2020)
Modular Chemoenzymatic Synthesis of Terpenes and their Analogues
in Angewandte Chemie
Johnson LA
(2020)
Modular Chemoenzymatic Synthesis of Terpenes and their Analogues.
in Angewandte Chemie (International ed. in English)
Li W
(2021)
Overexpression of the homoterpene synthase gene, OsCYP92C21, increases emissions of volatiles mediating tritrophic interactions in rice.
in Plant, cell & environment
Loizzi M
(2018)
Nucleophilic Water Capture or Proton Loss: Single Amino Acid Switch Converts d-Cadinene Synthase into Germacradien-4-ol Synthase.
in Chembiochem : a European journal of chemical biology
Loizzi M
(2019)
Silent catalytic promiscuity in the high-fidelity terpene cyclase d-cadinene synthase.
in Organic & biomolecular chemistry
Description | We have synthesised a range of new derivatives of a lead compound discovered during a previous award that received IP protection and we have worked to improve the scale at which these compounds can be synthesised. This work won Super Follow-On Funding from the BBSRC and has been succeeded by a further project aimed at taking this material to field trials. This work also led to several incidental publications as we worked to understand and improve the substrate selectivity of terpene cyclases for substrate analogues, including analogues that led to a truncated route to artemisinin. |
Exploitation Route | We have received IP protection for molecules synthesised in the course of this award and hope to license this property once we have proven its utility in field trials. |
Sectors | Agriculture Food and Drink |
Description | The chemicals developed during this work are currently being tested for their ability to protect lettuce crops from insect pests. We hope to use a push-pull system to protect plants without having to treat the crop itself. |
First Year Of Impact | 2019 |
Sector | Agriculture, Food and Drink |
Description | Advancing High Value Terpenoidal Semiochemicals for Crop Protection |
Amount | £49,942 (GBP) |
Organisation | Cardiff University |
Sector | Academic/University |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 12/2023 |
End | 10/2024 |
Description | Super Follow-on Fund |
Amount | £551,216 (GBP) |
Funding ID | BB/R019681/1 |
Organisation | Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) |
Sector | Public |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 04/2018 |
End | 04/2020 |
Description | Rothamstead Research |
Organisation | Rothamsted Research |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | We have provided research materials. |
Collaborator Contribution | They have provided testing facilities and expertise. |
Impact | Novel Olfactory Ligands via Terpene Synthases Sabrina Touchet, Keith Chamberlain, Christine M. Woodcock, David J. Miller, Michael A. Birkett, John A. Pickett and Rudolf K. Allemann Chem. Commun., 51, 7550-7553 (2015). DOI:10.1039/C5CC01814E |
Start Year | 2010 |
Title | OLFACTORY LIGANDS |
Description | The invention provides analogues of (S)-germacrene D analogue which have improved insect repellent properties compared to (S)-germacrene D analogue or which have insect attractant properties. |
IP Reference | US2018271089 |
Protection | Patent granted |
Year Protection Granted | 2018 |
Licensed | Commercial In Confidence |
Impact | Further development has been supported by Super Follow-On Funding. |
Description | Video for Trio Sci Cymru on Youtube |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Schools |
Results and Impact | A BSc project student (supervised by David Miller, CoI on this grant) produced a video in collaboration with Trio Sci Cymru to disseminate the idea of semiochemical based crop protection as a sustainable, environmentally benign, methodology as opposed to use of large quantities of pesticides through spraying. This video is professional in look and has been viewed 759 times on its still existing YouTube channel. Trio Sci Cymru were a welsh government funded organisation whose aim was to encourage engagement in science between school and university level students in STEM subjects. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
URL | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pju-5zQb6gg |