Tel Aviv, April 22 -- As Earth Day is marked on April 22, Israeli researchers are advancing a promising eco-friendly alternative to traditional chemical pesticides. Their work aims to reduce the environmental and health impact of conventional crop protection methods while addressing the growing challenge of plant diseases.

The joint project brings together Prof. Hanoch Senderowitz of Bar-Ilan University's Department of Chemistry and ChemLife Center for Translational Chemistry, and Dr Iris Yedidia of the Volcani Institute, the Ministry of Agriculture's research arm. Using a combination of computational modeling and experimental science, the researchers are developing compounds that inhibit the virulence of plant pathogens without killing ...