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<\/figure>\n\n\n\nProject goal<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Pesticides play a crucial role in agricultural production by controlling pests, diseases, and weeds. Under European Union Regulation (EC) No 1107\/2009 concerning the placing of plant protection products on the market, such products must contain only substances demonstrated to provide a clear benefit to plant production and which are not expected to have any harmful effects on human or animal health or any unacceptable impact on the environment. While imidazoles are effective pesticides, the European Commission has authorized the use of only a few of them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The aim of this project is to synthesize imidazole derivatives that serve as effective active substances in plant protection products while remaining safe for the environment and human health. New compounds will be designed based on toxicity assessments using computational methods and synthesized primarily according to the principles of “green chemistry.” The activity of these new imidazole derivatives will be tested against representative beneficial soil organisms as well as phytopathogenic fungi, bacteria, nematodes, and insects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Since the action of certain active ingredients in plant protection products is linked to the inhibition of cholinesterase enzymes\u2014which are vital for the normal functioning of the nervous system in humans, other vertebrates, and insects\u2014in vitro tests for the inhibition of these enzymes will be conducted. Structure-activity relationship (SAR) and quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) studies will be employed in the design of the new imidazole derivatives. The method of molecular fitting will identify the mode of interaction between the active molecule and the target enzyme or protein that is related to the observed biological activity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The final goal of the project is to propose a new active component of the future plant protection agent that is acceptable in integrated plant protection.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
On December 2, 2024, the Croatian Science Foundation signed a contract with the Faculty of Agrobiotechnical Sciences Osijek (FAZOS) to fund the research project \u201cInnovative Approaches to the Development of Imidazoles for Plant Protection\u201d (IP-2024-05-6164). The project will be implemented over a three-year period, from December 2024 to December 2027. This scientific research project represents … <\/p>\n