Two University of Exeter projects have been awarded funding by the European Research Council (ERC).
The HYMOTOX project - led by Professor Chris Bass - will break new ground in understanding how pesticides affect insects, and how beneficial insects can be protected.
The BIOSSCI project - led by Professor Steve Hinchliffe - will work with farmers and policymakers to revolutionise biosecurity (management of biological threats to humans, animals and environments).
The projects have won ERC Advanced Grants, which provide long-term support for "ground-breaking, ambitious" work.
"I am truly honoured and excited to be awarded an ERC Advanced grant," said Professor Bass, from the Centre for Ecology and Conservation on the Penryn Campus in Cornwall.
"This funding will allow us to understand the molecular determinants of pesticide sensitivity across an entire order of insects for the first time.
"We will then translate this knowledge into tools, resources and strategies to protect beneficial insects from potentially harmful insecticides in the environment.
"It is very important to acknowledge that it is only possible for me to do this work because of the efforts of previous and current members of my team and those of important collaborators in academia and industry.
"This award is a testament to their hard work and dedication."
Professor Hinchliffe, from the Department of Geography, said: "Biosecurity is critical for health, economy, pandemic preparedness and food security.
"The current approach to biosecurity in agriculture - usually based on minimising system breaches - is failing.
"This ERC Advanced Grant will allow us to develop innovative new methods and theory, using social science knowledge to consider how people, animals, materials and markets can be arranged for better biosecurity.
"We will work with farmers and policymakers in Bangladesh, South Africa and the UK to understand how biosecurity works in practice.
"Using this knowledge, we will generate a step change in social science approaches to this key 21st Century issue."
Ekaterina Zaharieva, European Commissioner for Startups, Research, and Innovation, said: "These ERC grants are our commitment to making Europe the world's hub for excellent research.
