While insecticides are essential tools in agriculture, their effects on ecosystems are deleterious. One third of insecticides (e.g. neonicotinoids, fipronil and broflanilide) act by targeting insect pentameric ligand-gated ion channels. The project aims to understand the molecular mode of action of these types of insecticides, via complementary approaches of structural biology, electrophysiology and simulations. We will express GABA and nicotinic acetylcholine acetylcholine receptors of several beneficial and pest insect species and obtain their structures by cryo electron microscopy. We will use molecular dynamics to explore insecticide’s binding pockets and conformational transitions of the receptors. We will perform whole-cell and single channel electrophysiological measurements to describe the functional action of insecticides. These data could open avenues for discovery of compounds with enhanced efficacy and better specificity towards pest species.