John Vontas

Some of the most acute challenges that the world faces now and in the foreseeable future are caused by insecticide-resistant arthropods that seriously threaten human health and food security. Research in his laboratory focuses on the molecular analysis of the mechanisms by which insects develop resistance to insecticides, aiming to develop means of managing and overcoming this resistance. Their approaches include, classical bioassays, omic analyses and genetic/reverse genetic studies, to identify genes and mutations associated with resistance. Advanced molecular diagnostics are developed, and used to measure resistance dynamics and evolution in major disease vectors and agricultural pests. Inhibitors of detoxification enzymes for novel insecticide formulations capable to tackle resistance are developed in collaboration with the Industry. Finally, they explore biotechnology-based approaches to identify and characterize novel molecular targets for the control of insect pests and mosquitoes.