Award for Ramana Pydi

Pydi received the poster prize for his research on new synergists for pyrethroid insecticides. Pyrethroids are among the most commonly used insecticides. To enhance their efficacy, they are often combined with so-called synergists. These potentiators can inhibit enzymes that insects use to degrade insecticides. A widely used synergist is piperonyl butoxide (PBO).

Pydi investigated potential alternatives to PBO. To this end, he and his colleagues synthesised 32 compounds based on piperonylic acid analogues and tested their activity. Several of these substances inhibited relevant detoxification enzymes of the German cockroach (Blattella germanica) in the laboratory to a similar or greater extent than PBO. However, their efficacy was lower in tests with live animals. This underscores the importance of validating promising laboratory results under application-relevant, real-world conditions.

The findings provide a starting point for further development and optimisation of new synergists for pyrethroid formulations. The research was published in ACS Omega, a multidisciplinary journal of the American Chemical Society.

Scientific article