News › Demolition of the laboratory where synthetic pyrethroids were invented

Ogg Building Demolition

22 September 2005

This week, the bulldozers moved in to demolish the Ogg building at Rothamsted Research (1), where synthetic pyrethroid insecticides were first discovered in the late sixties. Thirty five years later, this major group of insecticides is still the most important for controlling aphids and other sucking insect pests that damage crops and act as disease vectors. The synthetic pyrethroids account for 17% of global insecticide sales (2).

The first synthetic pyrethroid, bioresmethrin, was synthesised by Michael Elliott at Rothamsted in 1967 and his group went on to discover a range of other pyrethroids, including permethrin, deltamethrin and cypermethrin in the 1970's. Despite the subsequent discovery of 30 new pyrethroids, these early compounds still take a substantial share of the pyrethroid market (3). In the 1980's the Ogg laboratory was also home to Roman Sawicki's ground-breaking work on understanding the development of resistance to insecticides by certain pest species.

The laboratory has been demolished as part of a major redevelopment programme at Rothamsted. Michael Elliott's successor, Professor John Pickett FRS leads the Biological Chemistry Department, which occupies part of the new, purpose-built Centenary Building. The Department's work now focuses on novel approaches to pest control using behaviour-modifying chemicals and on understanding insect resistance to pesticides.

Pictures of the demolition and the new laboratory available to the press on request.

Contacts

› John Pickett and Bhupinder Khambay

Notes to Editors

1) Rothamsted Research is the largest agricultural research institute in the country and is sponsored by the BBSRC: www.bbsrc.ac.uk
2) From "Pyrethroids," B. Khambay and P. Jewess 2005 (in press).
3) In 2002, deltamethrin had the highest global sales of any pyrethroid, at 208 million US dollars (Cropnosis ltd).

Request high resolution image

› Click here for options

Rothamsted Research Press Office

For further information, please contact Darren Hughes, Head of Communications, on +44 (0) 1582 763 133 ext 2673, email darren.hughes@rothamsted.ac.uk

Rothamsted is the longest running agricultural research station in the world, providing cutting-edge science and innovation for nearly 170 years. Our mission is to deliver the knowledge and new practices to increase crop productivity and quality and to develop environmentally sustainable solutions for food and energy production. Our strength lies in our integrated, multidisciplinary approach to research in plant and soil science.

Rothamsted Research receives strategic funding from the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) . It is the longest running agricultural research station in the world, developing environmentally sustainable solutions for food and energy production through science and innovation for nearly 170 years.

About BBSRC

BBSRC is the UK funding agency for research in the life sciences and the largest single public funder of agriculture and food-related research.

Sponsored by Government, BBSRC's budget for 2011-12 is around £445M which it is investing in a wide range of research that makes a significant contribution to the quality of life in the UK and beyond and supports a number of important industrial stakeholders, including the agriculture, food, chemical, healthcare and pharmaceutical sectors.

BBSRC provides institute strategic research grants to the following:

The Babraham Institute, Institute for Animal Health, Institute for Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences (Aberystwyth University), Institute of Food Research, John Innes Centre, The Genome Analysis Centre, The Roslin Institute (University of Edinburgh) and Rothamsted Research.

The Institutes conduct long-term, mission-oriented research using specialist facilities. They have strong interactions with industry, Government departments and other end-users of their research.

For more information see: www.bbsrc.ac.uk