The agrochemical industry & Automated Patch Clamp
The insect nervous system has been the primary target for most insecticide classes developed over the past 70 years. A range of ion channels has been the main target of these insecticides. Ion channels are susceptible to disruption by xenobiotics and rapidly affect a wide range of pest insects.
Automated patch clamping provides the agrochemical industry with a powerful tool for developing new and more effective agrochemicals that can enhance plant growth, stress tolerance, and disease resistance while reducing the environmental impact of agricultural practices.
Improved understanding of ion channels in plants
Automated patch clamping can help researchers better understand the function and regulation of ion channels in plants. This knowledge can help the agrochemical industry develop more targeted and effective agrochemicals that can selectively modulate specific ion channels to enhance plant growth, stress tolerance, and disease resistance.
Faster and more accurate testing of agrochemical compounds
With automated patch clamp, you are provided a faster and more reliable way to test the effects of agrochemical compounds on ion channels in plants, which are essential for a variety of physiological processes. By using automated patch clamp techniques, researchers can quickly assess agrochemicals’ potency, selectivity, and mode of action on specific ion channels. Thereby, you can speed up the development of new and more effective agrochemicals.
Identification of new targets for agrochemicals
Automated patch clamp techniques can be used to screen for new agrochemical targets. By identifying ion channels involved in specific physiological processes in plants, researchers can develop agrochemicals that can modulate these channels to improve crop yields, protect against pests and diseases, and enhance plant stress tolerance.
Reduced reliance on animal testing
Historically, the agrochemical industry has relied on animal testing to assess the safety and efficacy of new compounds. Automated patch clamp provides a more ethical and cost-effective alternative that can reduce the number of animals used in testing.