2024 Author: Adelina Croftoon | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 02:07
Caterpillars of some moth species are very active and dangerous agricultural pests. However, they are poorly amenable to insecticide treatment. Oxitec, the former creator of GMO mosquitoes, decided to tackle the caterpillar problem
British company Oxitec, founded in 2002, previously became famous for creating GMO mosquitoes to combat mosquito populations that carry malaria, Dengue fever and Zika virus.
Their GMO mosquitoes underwent field trials in Brazil a few years ago and have already received permission to do the same. trials in the USA … With the latter, the truth is still difficult, since there are many opponents of GMO insects in the United States.
And yet Oxitec continues its experiments with genetically modified insects. Now they are trying to control the caterpillars of some species of moths, which are common pests on agricultural crops.
Caterpillars of the autumn scoop (corn bollworm) of the species Spodoptera frugiperda, are very common agricultural pests, actively eating corn leaves. The caterpillars are very resistant to insecticides. The company also works with cabbage moth (Plutella xylostella).
Science websites report that Oxitec, in collaboration with an unnamed partner, has begun developing "more effective" methods of dealing with these caterpillars.
They alter the genes of male moths so that when they mate with normal females, they pass these genes to their common offspring. In this case, the females in the offspring should die immediately, and the males will safely turn into adults and then mate with other females.
About half of them will carry GMO genes and pass them on to their offspring, and so on in a circle.
Photo: International Institute of Tropical Agriculture / Flickr
It is reported that such "pinpoint engineering" will be much less harmful to the ecosystem than the use of insecticides. At the same time, GMO genes in each subsequent generation become less widespread, which does not allow the technology to destroy the entire population.
A technology is also being developed, thanks to which males will also pass on genes to offspring that make the moth less resistant to insecticides, so that in the future moth caterpillars can be poisoned with ordinary chemistry.
The company has already created the first batch of "mutant caterpillars" and began "small field trials" with them in the same Brazil. In 2021, the scale of the tests is hoped to increase after receiving permission from the Brazilian authorities.
Oxitec is facing great resistance from opponents of GMO technology. On their side, the fact that in 2017 their mosquitoes reduced the mosquito population in one of the regions of Brazil so dramatically that in the same year, the number of cases of dengue fever dropped by 91%.
However, what works against them is that there is information about very controversial result trials in Brazil, as well as the fact that so far nothing is known about what happened to the incidence of Dengue fever in subsequent years, whether this did damage the ecosystem, and many other questions.
Recommended:
Geneticists Have Created GMO Tomatoes That Can Slow Human Aging
British geneticists have developed a new variety of transgenic tomatoes, whose pulp contains large amounts of resveratrol, a powerful antioxidant from red wine that can slow aging and the development of Alzheimer's disease, according to an article published in the journal Nature Communications. “Medicinal plants are often difficult to grow and usually take a very long time to produce the substances we need
Virus-resistant GMO Pigs Have Been Created In Edinburgh, Whose Meat Will Go On Sale In The Next 10 Years
British media panic over "Frankenstein meat" from genetically modified pigs specially created in the laboratory. The pigs were created by scientists from Edinburgh and these pigs are incredibly resistant to the most deadly viruses that infect farm animals. Including the so-called Blue Ear Syndrome, which causes breathing problems, and also leads to the birth of non-viable offspring. The meat should go on sale in the next ten years, but before that
In Kazan, An Abnormal Invasion Of Ermine Moth Caterpillars
Residents of Kazan complain in social networks about the caterpillars that have filled their yards and trees. A large accumulation of insect larvae was noticed by residents of the Moscow and Volga regions, as well as the nearest garden societies. A huge number of insect larvae can be observed near the houses at 23 Volgogradskaya, 5 Ibragimov, as well as in the Military town. Through the electronic reception, the concerned residents contacted the city executive committee, but there has been no reaction yet. Kazan citizen Artur Dovgan posted today on VKontakte &
The Australian City Was Hit By An Invasion Of Caterpillars
The small town of Yandaran in Queensland, Australia, is attacked by caterpillars: due to their invasion, local residents have already started allergies, accompanied by unpleasant skin rashes. Some townspeople are forced to move through the streets in suits that resemble chemical protection overalls. '' Our backyards are like the scenery for a horror movie, - the hapless Yandarans tell reporters. `` Fences, wires, clotheslines, clothes - everything is covered with caterpillars. '' The maggots laid siege to the city for
Germany Was Attacked By Caterpillars Of A Grape Moth (9 Photos)
Hordes of grape moth caterpillars clung to trees and shrubs in Hanover (Germany), and later braided them with thin and sticky cobwebs. Researcher Karl-Heinz Jelinek from the Wildlife Conservation Society says that this activity of moth caterpillars is becoming more frequent every year