Department of Biosciences, Swansea University, UK;Professor Tariq Butt is the Personal Chair in Biosciences at Swansea University, where he leads the Biocontrol and Natural Products (BANPs) group and co-leads the Natural Products BioHub. His research focuses on the development of biopesticides and integrated pest management strategies based on entomopathogenic fungi, semiochemicals, and other natural products. A major focus of his work is the biology and exploitation of Metarhizium species, including their use as microbial control agents and biostimulants, as well as strategies to enhance their efficacy against agricultural pests. His research also addresses the environmental fate, safety, and non-target effects of fungal biocontrol agents and has contributed to the development and commercialisation of novel pest-management technologies.

BugBiome Ltd., UK;Dr Alicia Showering is the co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of BugBiome, a biotechnology company developing microbial solutions for sustainable insect pest control. Her work focuses on the discovery and development of insect-control agents derived from environmental microorganisms, combining microbiology, entomology, behavioural screening, and product-development approaches. At BugBiome, she leads programmes to identify novel bacteria and other microorganisms with activity against agricultural pests, progress promising candidates through laboratory and greenhouse testing, and develop them as practical biopesticide products. Her broader research interests centre on insect–microbe interactions and the translation of microbial biodiversity into new tools for crop protection.

Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology – Foundation for Research and Technology Hellas (IMBB-FORTH), Greece;Dr Martyn Wood is a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology at FORTH (IMBB-FORTH), Greece, working within the Horizon Europe MicroBioPest programme. His research focuses on microbial and chemical ecology, biological control, and the development of microbial and natural-product-based approaches for the management of insect pests and disease vectors. His work has particularly examined the use of entomopathogenic microorganisms and their bioactive metabolites as new tools for sustainable insect control. His current research explores the discovery and development of novel microbial agents for mosquito and insect control, including their spectrum of activity, mechanisms of action, and the biological processes underlying production of insecticidal compounds.

Cardiff University, UK ;Professor Colin Berry FLSW is an Emeritus Professor of Biochemistry at Cardiff University and an independent consultant. His research has focused on the biological control of insects, microbial pesticides, and the biochemistry, structure, and function of insecticidal proteins produced by bacteria. His work has particularly examined the potent insecticidal proteins of Bacillus thuringiensis and Lysinibacillus sphaericus, including their specificity, mechanisms of action, three-dimensional structure, and potential use against agricultural pests and insect vectors of disease. He has also worked on the development of drug targets and novel enzyme-assay methods in viral and parasitic diseases. Professor Berry is a Coordinator of the Bacterial Pesticidal Protein Resource Centre, the internationally recognized system for classifying and cataloguing bacterial pesticidal proteins.