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  • RESEARCH BRIEFINGS

Parasitic nematodes activate chemicals that can kill them

Nematode worms that parasitize plants ravage food crops and threaten global food security. Conventional nematode control relies on agrochemicals that are broadly toxic, so less-risky strategies are needed. Benign precursor chemicals that are metabolically converted to lethal products selectively in worm tissue could be the solution.

This is a summary of: Burns, A. R. et al. Selective control of parasitic nematodes using bioactivated nematicides. Nature https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-023-06105-5 (2023).

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doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-023-01498-9

‘Expert opinion’ is published under a CC BY 4.0 licence.

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