On June 19th, 2026, our partner Smart Agro Hub represented NextGenBioPest at Beyond Expo 2026 — Greece's most prominent and widely attended technology and innovation expo — bringing the project's vision for next-generation sustainable pest management to one of the country's most dynamic and forward-looking public stages. Beyond Expo is a landmark event in Greece's innovation calendar, attracting thousands of visitors, entrepreneurs, startups, investors, policymakers, and tech

A PhD thesis entitled "Molecular mechanisms of juvenile hormone signaling in insect development" was defended in the context of NextGenBioPest. Access the full thesis here.

On June 12th, 2026, our partner Smart Agro Hub represented NextGenBioPest at EU-CONEXUS 2026 — a key European academic and research event bringing together universities, researchers, and innovators from across the EU-CONEXUS network of coastal and maritime universities. EU-CONEXUS is a European University Alliance uniting institutions committed to smart and sustainable coastal and maritime development, fostering cross-border collaboration in research, education, and innovatio

On May 26th, 2026, the Agricultural Cooperative of Tympaki took NextGenBioPest into the classroom, presenting the project to students at the Technical Professions High School of Moires in southern Crete — bringing cutting-edge European research on sustainable pest management directly to the next generation of agricultural professionals. The visit offered students a unique opportunity to discover how science and innovation are actively reshaping the way we approach crop protec

On May 21st, 2026, our partner MAGMA visited the Agricultural School of Messara in Crete, Greece, for an in-person presentation of the NextGenBioPest project — bringing the science of next-generation biopesticides and sustainable crop protection directly to students training to become the agricultural professionals of tomorrow. The Messara Valley is one of the most productive agricultural areas in Crete and the wider Mediterranean region, renowned for its olive groves, vineya

Two Horizon Europe projects unite to bridge soil health and next-generation pest management for more resilient, chemical-free farming systems NextGenBioPest and MultiSoil, two Horizon Europe-funded research projects working at the frontier of sustainable agriculture, are pleased to announce the establishment of a formal synergy to jointly advance the transition towards healthier, more biodiverse, and less chemical-dependent farming systems across Europe. About the Synergy Nex

INSTAGRO created a podcast on mites and biological control hosted by radio Clapas. You can listen to it here.

On April 22nd, 2026, our partner Smart Agro Hub represented NextGenBioPest at InnovinAgri, an event dedicated to innovation in agriculture, held at the prestigious Agricultural University of Athens (AUA) — one of Greece's most prominent institutions in agricultural research and education. InnovinAgri brought together researchers, academics, industry professionals, and innovators to explore the latest advances shaping the future of sustainable agriculture, making it an ideal p

On May 12th, 2026, our partner Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra presented new research findings from NextGenBioPest at the International Scientific Days 2026 (ISD 2026) , held in Horný Smokovec, Slovakia — one of the key annual gatherings of the Central and Eastern European agricultural research community. ISD 2026 brought together scientists, academics, and researchers from across the region to exchange the latest findings in agricultural sciences, rural developme

On April 17th, 2026, our partner University of Catania (UNICT) organised a highly engaging field demoday at Marina di Ragusa, Italy , under the theme "Biodiversità Funzionale e Nuovi Approcci per la Gestione dei Fitofagi in Coltura Protetta" (Functional Biodiversity and New Approaches for the Management of Pests in Protected Cultivation). The event brought together students, agronomists and technicians, farmers, industry representatives, and the research community for a han

On April 3rd, 2026, our partners Ghent University and Inagro welcomed a group of 11 students from Ghent University for a hands-on visit to Inagro's greenhouse facilities — an immersive educational experience at the intersection of applied agricultural research and sustainable crop protection. The visit offered students a direct window into the real-world research environment where many of the innovations being developed within NextGenBioPest are tested and validated, bri

On March 26th, 2026, our partner Inagro took NextGenBioPest beyond the research facility and into the educational landscape, hosting an in-person visit with regional coordinators for agricultural education to promote the project and broader scientific research activities to schools across the region. The meeting brought together key figures from regional authorities responsible for shaping agricultural education curricula and outreach at the school level — making it a stra

From March 11th to 13th, 2026, our partner INRAE (National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food & the Environment) organised and participated in the 11th Meeting of the IOBC-WPRS Working Group on "Landscape Management for Functional Biodiversity" , held in Avignon, France — one of the most prestigious gatherings in the European landscape ecology and integrated pest management research community. The International Organisation for Biological and Integrated Control of Nox

On March 14th, 2026, our partner Smart Agro Hub represented the NextGenBioPest project at Agrotica 2026 , one of the most important agricultural trade fairs in Southeast Europe, held in Thessaloniki, Greece . Agrotica is a landmark event in the regional agricultural calendar, attracting thousands of farmers, agri-businesses, researchers, policymakers, and industry professionals from across Greece and the wider Balkan region. It offers a unique space where the latest agricult

On March 12th, 2026, our partner Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology (Fraunhofer IME) received a distinguished guest at its facilities in Giessen, Germany : Minister Dorothee Bär , German Federal Minister, who visited the institute to learn firsthand about cutting-edge research in sustainable plant protection — including the RNA-based biopesticide work being carried out in the context of NextGenBioPest . The visit brought together national, regiona

In March 2026, our partner University of Catania (UNICT) opened the doors of its research laboratories to a group of high school students, offering them a unique, behind-the-scenes look at the world of scientific research in sustainable agriculture — and introducing them to the work being carried out under the NextGenBioPest project. The visit was part of UNICT's ongoing commitment to science outreach and education, bringing prospective students into direct contact with the

On March 3rd, 2026, our partner Institut Agro Montpellier brought NextGenBioPest into the lecture hall, presenting the project to students as part of two dedicated classes on the use of companion plants and biological control . The sessions offered students a valuable opportunity to connect theoretical knowledge with cutting-edge, real-world research being carried out within the NextGenBioPest consortium. By embedding the project's findings and approaches directly into the

Abstract Mites cause significant agricultural losses by feeding directly on crops and indirectly by reducing pollination services due to the negative impacts of honey bee parasites on apiary health. Further, mites are notorious for developing resistance to chemical control methods, creating an urgent need for new mode of action acaricides to be used in integrated pest management programs. Over the past decade, significant efforts to develop RNAi-based acaricides for agricultu

Abstract Thrips are major agricultural pests globally and spinosyn insecticides like spinosad and spinetoram are commonly used for their control. However, numerous cases of resistance have emerged, often linked to mutations in the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) α6 subunit, the main molecular target of spinosyns. In this study, toxicological data for spinosad and spinetoram were obtained from a susceptible strain of Frankliniella occidentalis , as well as two fiel

Abstract Parasitoid wasps contribute to biological control services. Parasitoid adults are highly dependent on sugar-rich resources. Adding flowering plants providing nectar in crop fields promotes parasitoid wasps, but not always pest parasitism because addition of flowering plants may attract parasitoid species that are not directly involved in the control of crop pests. In a factorial experiment conducted for one year in pesticide-free orchards, we analysed the effects of