How can we ensure that pesticides used in agriculture are both effective and safe? Ghent-based start-up B-COS hopes to provide part of the solution with chitooligosaccharides, which are produced by bacteria. These carbohydrate-like substances act as a vaccine, boosting the plant’s immune system.

Pesticides are a constant source of concern. Various agents used to protect crops against fungi and insects have now been banned due to health risks, including mancozeb (linked to cancer and birth defects) and chlorpyrifos (linked to changes in brain structure in children). There are also undesirable environmental effects. Pesticides seep into surface and groundwater, affecting ecosystems in ways that are still unclear. Furthermore, the use of such substances can also result in the death of beneficial insects, such as bees.