Objective
Biological invasions by exotic insect pests are a major driver of the widespread use of pesticides in agriculture, raising concerns about food safety, environmental health and sustainability of pest management strategies. Specifically, agrochemicals can strongly compromise the effectiveness of biological control strategies that rely on parasitoids by altering their intricate interactions with the pest. In this context, InStress will investigate the impact of pesticides on the physiological host-parasitoid interaction, which is critical but underexplored dimension of pesticide toxicology. To address this aim, the project will focuses on two complementary systems, which are the invasive pest Drosophila suzukii and the EU high-priority quarantine pest Spodoptera frugiperda. The objectives of the project will be achieved by (i) assessing whether pesticide exposure alters host immunocompetence and (ii) parasitoid venomics; (iii) exploring physiological trade-offs between host insecticide resistance and immune performance against parasitoids; (iv) validating laboratory insights in semi-field conditions. To achieve these objectives, InStress will adopt an inter-sectorial (academic and private) and interdisciplinary approach by integrating toxicology, entomology, immunology, venomics, and molecular biology. Laboratory bioassays (total and differential hemocyte count, phenoloxidase activity, proteomic and transcriptomic analyses of parasitoid venom) will be conducted under pesticide sublethal stress (obj. i and ii) and development of host resistance (obj. iii) and will be coupled with semi-field trials in Southern Italy strawberry greenhouses (obj. iv). Results will have direct relevance for integrated pest management (IPM) programs, informing strategies to optimize the compatibility between chemical and biological control and supporting the transition toward resilient and sustainable agricultural systems in line with global policy priorities and EU sustainability goals.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- medical and health sciences basic medicine immunology
- agricultural sciences agriculture, forestry, and fisheries agriculture
- natural sciences biological sciences zoology entomology
- medical and health sciences basic medicine toxicology
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-GF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - Global Fellowships
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) HORIZON-MSCA-2025-PF
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
95131 CATANIA
Italy
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.