Keywords: Pest management
Loss-of-function in testis-specific serine/threonine protein kinase triggers male infertility in an invasive moth
Tags: CRISPR, Genetically modified organisms, Moths, Pest management, Population suppression, Sterile insect technique (SIT)Wei, Z., Wang, Y., Zheng, K. et al., Communications Biology, 7. 2024.
Genetic biocontrol technologies present promising and eco-friendly strategies for the management of pest and insect-transmitted diseases. Although considerable advancements achieve in gene drive applications targeting mosquitoes, endeavors to combat agricultural pests have been ...
Advancements and Future Prospects of CRISPR-Cas-Based Population Replacement Strategies in Insect Pest Management
Tags: CRISPR, Gene drive, Pest management, Population modification/replacementZhao Y, Li L, Wei L, Wang Y, Han Z., Insects, 15. 2024.
Many insects are categorized as agricultural pests due to their ability to transmit diseases and damage crops, which results in significant economic losses. Scientists have proposed two main pest control strategies: population suppression, aimed at reducing the size or ...
New genetic editing technique can modify wild populations with less risk
Tags: Ethics, Gene editing, Pest managementMacquarie University, Phys.org, 2024.
A new technique developed by researchers from Macquarie University and the California Institute of Technology could allow scientists to more safely alter the genetic makeup of wild populations. The study is published in the journal Nature Communications. The researchers have ...
How to Use Genetic Biocontrol to Manage Insect Pests
Tags: Genetic biocontrol, Mosquitoes, Pest management, VideoScientific Animations Without Borders, YouTube, 2024.
Protecting the peppers: Unlocking the potential of the sterile insect technique
Tags: Pest management, Sterile insect technique (SIT)Society of Chemical Industry, Phys.org, 2024.
For the first time, researchers in Canada have investigated the use of the sterile insect technique for controlling populations of the pepper weevil, Anthonomus eugenii, an economically significant crop pest in North America. The paper, published in Pest Management Science, ...
Revolutionizing Livestock Biosecurity: Using CRISPR Technology to Combat the New World Screwworm
Tags: CRISPR, Other mammals, Pest management, Sterile insect technique (SIT)Dr. Jessica Nelson, Medriva, 2024.
The New World screwworm, a persistent parasite responsible for significant damage to the global livestock industry, may soon meet its match. Researchers at Uruguay's National Institute of Agricultural Research (INIA) have developed a gene drive using CRISPR technology to combat ...
Uruguay wants to use gene drives to eradicate devastating screwworms
Tags: CRISPR, Gene drive, Pest management, Sterile insect technique (SIT)Abdullahi Tsanni, MIT Technology Review, 2024.
On a warm, sunny day in Montevideo, Uruguay, the air is smogless and crisp. Inside a highly secured facility at the National Institute of Agricultural Research (INIA) are a sophisticated gene gun, giant microscopes, and tens of thousands of gene-edited flies, their bright blue ...
Revolutionary Gene Drive Could Provide Solution for Agricultural Pest Control
Tags: Fruit fly, Gene drive, Pest managementMaría Alejandra Trujillo, Breaking News Network, 2024.
The crux of the gene drive hinges on the process of sex determination in medflies. The drive effectively converts genetic females into fertile XX males, which, unlike their female counterparts, are harmless to crops. This innovative approach presents a possibility for a more ...
The $11million wasp to end (hopefully) all wasps
Tags: Gene editing, Oceania, Pest managementKieran Chisnall, Stuff, 2024.
A new project to eradicate wasps, which cost the country millions of dollars, has begun in Dunedin. The key to that $11million project would be a genetically altered wasp, capable of destroying wasps colonies from the inside. Professor Peter Dearden, Genomics Aotearoa ...
Gene editing would be helpful for pest control, report says
Tags: Gene editing, Pest managementAlex Binkley, National Newswatch, 2024.
Ottawa-Canada needs to boost its gene editing research capacity to better advance that branch of science’s pest control potential, says a report by the Council of Canadian Academies. There is insufficient intensive research and development activity in gene-edited pest control ...
Sex or poison? Genetic pest management in the 21st century
Tags: Mosquitoes, Pest management, Sterile insect technique (SIT)Luke Alphey, BMC Biology, 21:289. 2024.
Pests do enormous damage to human and animal health, to agriculture and to biodiversity, with mosquitoes transmitting pathogens, insect larvae eating crops or invasive rodents threatening the last island refuges of endangered birds. This commentary focuses on insects, ...
CRISPR/Cas9: a cutting-edge solution for combatting the fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda
Tags: CRISPR, Gene editing, Pest managementGouda, M.N.R., Jeevan, H., Shashank, H.G., Molecular Biology Reports, 51. 2023.
The utilization of CRISPR/Cas9 in Spodoptera frugiperda, commonly known as fall armyworm, presents a groundbreaking avenue for pest management. With its ability to precisely modify the insect’s genome, CRISPR/Cas9 offers innovative strategies to combat this destructive pest. ...
Assessing the sterility and quality of gamma-irradiated pepper weevils, Anthonomus eugenii (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), toward the development of the sterile insect technique
Tags: Biological control, Pest management, Sterile insect technique (SIT)Basso, J.V., Labbe, R. and Scott-Dupree, C., Pest Management Science, 2023.
The pepper weevil (PW), Anthonomus eugenii, is an economically significant pest of cultivated Capsicum spp. pepper crops in North America where it remains a challenge to manage because of its cryptic immature life stages. The sterile insect technique (SIT) is a genetic pest ...
Side effects of X-ray irradiation on flight ability of Cydia pomonella moth
Tags: Pest management, Sterile insect technique (SIT)Huang, S.-W., Zhang, J.-H., Wei, Z.-H., Yang, X.-M., Wang, X.-Y. and Yang, X.-Q., Pest Management Science, 2023.
The sterile insect technique (SIT) has proven to be an effective approach in managing the population of major invasive pests Our previous studies showed that irradiation of males at a dosage of 366 Gy X-rays resulted in complete sterility. However, the mating competitiveness of ...
The Sterile Insect Technique can efficiently reduce the reproduction of the spotted wing drosophila (Drosophila suzukii) in strawberry
Tags: Pest management, Sterile insect technique (SIT)B. Gard, A. Panel, A. Labbetoul, N. Bosshard, A. Xuereb, B. Cariou, A. Debelle, C. Oliva, S. Fellous, bioRxiv, 2023.
The spotted wing drosophila (SWD) Drosophila suzukii (Diptera: Drosophilidae) is a highly problematic pest in soft fruit crops. Since its introduction in Europe in 2008, no satisfying nor environment-friendly control method has emerged against this species. The sterile insect ...
Population suppression with dominant female-lethal alleles is boosted by homing gene drive
Tags: Pest management, Population suppression, Sterile insect technique (SIT), Synthetic biologyJinyu Zhu, Jingheng Chen, Yiran Liu, Xuejiao Xu, Jackson Champer, bioRxiv, 2023.
Methods to suppress pest insect populations using genetic constructs and repeated releases of male homozygotes have recently been shown to be an attractive alternative to older sterile insect technique based on radiation. Female-specific lethal alleles have substantially ...
A framework for identifying fertility gene targets for mammalian pest control
Tags: Biodiversity/Conservation, Ecology, Gene drive, Other mammals, Pest managementClark, A. C., Edison, R., Esvelt, K., Kamau, S., Dutoit, L., Champer, J., Champer, S. E., Messer, P. W., Alexander, A., & Gemmell, N. J., Molecular Ecology Resources, 00:1–14. 2023.
Fertility-targeted gene drives have been proposed as an ethical genetic approach for managing wild populations of vertebrate pests for public health and conservation benefit. This manuscript introduces a framework to identify and evaluate target gene suitability based on ...
New Techniques of Genetic Modification in Pest Control Spark Debate in Canada
Tags: Gene editing, Pest managementSandeep Kunchikor, Express Healthcare Management, 2023.
Scientists in Canada are urging serious discussions on the use of genetic modification as a new technique in pest control. In a recent report by the Pest Management Regulatory Agency, a branch of Health Canada that regulates pesticide use, experts argue that genetic modification ...
Framing Challenges and Opportunities for Canada: Expert Panel on Regulating Gene-Edited Organisms for Pest Control
Tags: Ethics, Pest managementCCA (Council of Canadian Academies), Framing Challenges and Opportunities for Canada, 2023.
Gene-editing technologies are changing approaches to pest management. Rapidly evolving but unproven gene-editing tools could potentially mitigate the impacts of pests in public health, conservation, and agricultural contexts. The use of these tools, however, is accompanied by ...
The Role of Symbiont-Targeted Strategies in the Management of Pentatomidae and Tephritidae Pests under an Integrated Vision
Tags: Biological control, Incompatible insect technique, Pest management, Sterile insect technique (SIT)E. Gonella and A. Alma, Agronomy, 13. 2023.
The interaction between insects and gut bacterial symbionts is, nowadays, regarded as an important element in the implementation of pest management, in consideration of the urgent need for sustainable alternatives to insecticide use. In this framework, a major tool is symbiotic ...
Bayesian network-based risk assessment of synthetic biology: Simulating CRISPR-Cas9 gene drive dynamics in invasive rodent management
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Invasive species, Pest management, Risk assessment, Rodents, Synthetic biologyE. A. Brown, S. R. Eikenbary and W. G. Landis, Risk Analysis, 2022.
Gene drive technology has been proposed to control invasive rodent populations as an alternative to rodenticides. However, this approach has not undergone risk assessment that meets criteria established by Gene Drives on the Horizon, a 2016 report by the National Academies of ...
Aquatic invasive species specialists’ perceptions on the importance of genetic tools and concepts to inform management
Tags: Fish, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Invasive species, Pest management, Sex distorterT. A. Bernos, K. M. Jeffries and N. E. Mandrak, Biological Invasions, 24:1863-1879. 2022.
Perceptions related to the importance of genetic research influence the mobilization of genetic tools and concepts to inform conservation actions. Research characteristics, stakeholders’ perspectives, knowledge, and social linkages with geneticists influence the outcome of ...
Area-wide management of fruit flies in a tropical mango growing area integrating the sterile insect technique and biological control: From a research to an operational programme
Tags: Biological control, Fruit fly, Pest management, Sterile insect technique (SIT)Liedo, P., Montoya, P. , and Toledo, J., AREA-WIDE INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT: Development and Field Application, 2021.
The Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) has been successfully used for the control of fruit flies in a number of places in the world. One requirement for its successful application is that wild populations should be at low densities to achieve effective sterile to wild fly ...
Sterile Insect Technique Programme against Mediterranean Fruit Fly in the Valencian Community (Spain)
Tags: Fruit fly, Genetic biocontrol, Pest management, Sterile insect technique (SIT)I. Plá, J. García de Oteyza, C. Tur, M. Á. Martínez, M. C. Laurín, E. Alonso, M. Martínez, Á. Martín, R. Sanchis, M. C. Navarro, M. T. Navarro, R. Argilés, M. Briasco, Ó. Dembilio and V. Dalmau, Insects, 12. 2021.
The Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata (Wied.), is an endemic pest in fruit-growing areas of the Spanish Mediterranean coast. In the Valencian Community, it represents a serious problem in the cultivation of citrus and numerous species of fruit, such as peach, cherry, ...
Engineered expression of the invertebrate-specific scorpion toxin AaHIT reduces adult longevity and female fecundity in the diamondback moth Plutella xylostella
Tags: Genetic biocontrol, Oxitec, Pest management, Sterile insect technique (SIT)T. Harvey-Samuel, X. Xu, E. Lovett, T. Dafa'alla, A. Walker, V. C. Norman, R. Carter, J. Teal, L. Akilan, P. T. Leftwich, C. M. Reitmayer, H. A. Siddiqui and L. Alphey, Pest Management Science, 2021.
To increase the flexibility of future genetic pest management systems in the diamondback moth, we aimed to assess the use of a non-cell-autonomous, invertebrate-specific, neurotoxic effector ? the scorpion toxin AaHIT. This AaHIT effector was designed to be secreted by ...
Projects to target a range of pest control solutions
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Pest management, Synthetic biologyK. McCormack, The Chronicle, 2021.
With the annual national cost of established vertebrate pest animals estimated to be around $800 million, and over $4 billion for weeds, it’s in Australia’s best interest to try and tackle these pesky problems at their root causes. 19 projects will be funded following a ...
RNAi-based products: A sustainable alternative to hazardous pesticides
Tags: Gene editing, Genetic biocontrol, Genetic engineering, Pest management, Policy, Regulation, Risk and safetyGhent University, Phys Org, 2021.
RNAi-based biocontrol is a great alternative to hazardous pesticides and can contribute towards reversing the alarming decline in farmland birds and beneficial insects (especially pollinating ones). RNAi is a well-known natural biological process in most
Drivers of mosquito mating
Tags: Anopheles, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Pest management, Sterile insect technique (SIT)N. C. Manoukis, Science, 371:340. 2021.
Gene drive systems are based on the release of organisms whose genomes have been modified or engineered to spread a desired allele or trait (such as resistance to the parasites that cause malaria) through a population. Success will depend on the release of genetically modified ...
Genetic pest management and the background genetics of release strains
Tags: Evolution, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Pest management, Population genetics/dynamics, Sterile insect technique (SIT), WolbachiaP. T. Leftwich, L. G. Spurgin, T. Harvey-Samuel, C. J. E. Thomas, L. C. Paladino, M. P. Edgington and L. Alphey, Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 376:20190805. 2020.
We discuss issues around strain selection and the potential consequences of such introgression. We conclude that such introgression is probably harmless in almost all circumstances, and could, in theory, provide specific additional benefits to the release programme. We outline ...
Further guidance required for assessment of gene drive technology, says EFSA
Tags: Field trials, Gene drive synthetic, Modeling, Pest management, Policy, Risk assessmentN. Foote, Euractiv, 2020.
After being mandated by the European Commission, EFSA’s experts on genetically modified organisms (GMOs) published the scientific opinion related to engineered gene drives on Thursday (12 November), specifically focusing on gene drive modified disease-transmitting insects, ...
Adequacy and sufficiency evaluation of existing EFSA guidelines for the molecular characterisation, environmental risk assessment and post-market environmental monitoring of genetically modified insects containing engineered gene drives
Tags: Field trials, Gene drive synthetic, Modeling, Pest management, Policy, Risk assessmentE. Panel o. G. M. Organisms, H. Naegeli, J.-L. Bresson, T. Dalmay, I. C. Dewhurst, M. M. Epstein, P. Guerche, J. Hejatko, F. J. Moreno, E. Mullins, F. Nogué, N. Rostoks, J. J. Sánchez Serrano, G. Savoini, E. Veromann, F. Veronesi, M. B. Bonsall, J. Mumfor, EFSA Journal, 18:e06297. 2020.
As a proactive measure, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has been requested by the European Commission to review whether its previously published guidelines for the risk assessment of genetically modified animals (EFSA, 2012 and 2013), including insects (GMIs), are ...
EFSA advises on risk assessment of engineered gene drives
Tags: Field trials, Gene drive synthetic, Modeling, Pest management, Policy, Risk assessmentEFSA, European Food and Safety Authority, 2020.
EFSA’s existing guidelines for the risk assessment of genetically modified animals are adequate for evaluating risks associated with gene drive modified insects. However, further guidance is needed for some areas, such as molecular characterisation, environmental risk ...
Expert advises farmers to adopt gene drive-based pest control technology
Tags: Africa, Agriculture, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Pest management, Population suppressionS. Thompson, naija247news, 2020.
Dr Rose Gidado, County Coordinator, Open Forum on Agricultural Biotechnology(OFAB), has advised farmers to adopt the gene drive-based pest control technology. Gidado, also Deputy Director, National Biotechnology Development Agency (NABDA), said the adoption would significantly ...
The Sterile Insect Technique: Success and Perspectives in the Neotropics
Tags: Fruit fly, Genetic biocontrol, Pest management, Sterile insect technique (SIT)D. Perez-Staples, F. Diaz-Fleischer and P. Montoya, Neotropical Entomology, 14. 2020.
Here, we review SIT in the Neotropics and focus on particular recent successful cases of eradication of the Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann), as well as effective programs used against the Mexican fruit fly Anastrepha ludens (Loew), the New World screwworm ...
On Nonlinear Pest/Vector Control via the Sterile Insect Technique: Impact of Residual Fertility
Tags: Aedes, Genetic biocontrol, Modeling, Pest management, Sterile insect technique (SIT), Vector controlM. S. Aronna and Y. Dumont, Bulletin of Mathematical Biology, 82:29. 2020.
We consider a minimalist model for the Sterile Insect Technique (SIT), assuming that residual fertility can occur in the sterile male population.
Can CRISPR gene drive work in pest and beneficial haplodiploid species?
Tags: CRISPR, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic engineering, Pest managementJ. Li, O. Aidlin Harari, A.-L. Doss, L. L. Walling, P. W. Atkinson, S. Morin and B. E. Tabashnik, Evolutionary Applications, 2020.
Gene drives based on CRISPR/Cas9 have the potential to reduce the enormous harm inflicted by crop pests and insect vectors of human disease, as well as to bolster valued species. In contrast with extensive empirical and theoretical studies in diploid organisms, little is known ...
Mosquito-Borne Diseases Emergence/Resurgence and How to Effectively Control It Biologically
Tags: Aedes, Anopheles, Pest management, Resistance, Vector control, WolbachiaH. Dahmana and O. Mediannikov, Pathogens, 9:26. 2020.
Deadly pathogens and parasites are transmitted by vectors and the mosquito is considered the most threatening vector in public health, transmitting these pathogens to humans and animals. We are currently witnessing the emergence/resurgence in new regions/populations of the most ...
Simulating effects of fitness and dispersal on the use of Trojan sex chromosomes for the management of invasive species
Tags: Biological control, Fish, Genetic biocontrol, Modeling, Pest management, Sex distorter, Y-chromosomeC. C. Day, E. L. Landguth, R. K. Simmons, W. P. Baker, A. R. Whiteley, P. M. Lukacs and A. Bearlin, Journal of Applied Ecology, 2020.
The use of Trojan Y chromosomes (TYC) for controlling invasive species involves manipulating the sex chromosomes of captive-raised individuals. Following release, the offspring of these individuals consist of only one sex, thereby skewing the sex ratio of the invasive population ...
Understanding the Science of Gene Drive and the Potential for an Improved Crop Pest Control System in Nigeria
Tags: Africa, Agriculture, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Pest managementA. Isah and R. S. M. Gidado, OFAB Nigeria, 2020.
Several studies have shown that the Cas9-mediated gene drive technology is cheaper and will be easily affordable by the efficient Nigerian scientists to explore. The application of the gene drive technologies have many more controls over several other devastating insects in ...
Metaphor, Trust and Support for Non-native Species Control
Tags: Biodiversity/Conservation, Gene drive, Invasive species, Pest management, Policy, Stakeholder engagement, Synthetic biologyP. A. Kohl, S. J. Collins and M. Eichholz, Environmental Communication, 14:672-685. 2020.
This experimental study used a representative sample of U.S. residents (N = 1,042) to test whether the use of the term "invasive" increases support for non-native species control efforts. The term invasive had a small influence on support for two out of three non-native species ...
Genetic pest management technologies to control invasive rodents
Tags: Biodiversity/Conservation, CRISPR, Culex, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Invasive species, Pest management, Rodents, Sex distorter, Transmission distortionD. Kanavy and D. Threadgill, Island invasives: scaling up to meet the challenge, 2019.
Many strategies exist to manage invasive pests on islands, ranging from poison to trapping, with varying degrees of success. Genetic technologies are increasingly being applied to insect pests, but so far, not to vertebrates. We are implementing a genetic strategy to eradicate ...
Trialling gene drives to control invasive species: what, where and how?
Tags: Biodiversity/Conservation, CRISPR, Culex, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Invasive species, Pest management, RodentsT. Harvey-Samuel, K. J. Campbell, M. Edgington and L. Alphey, Island invasives: scaling up to meet the challenge, 2019.
The control of invasive species would be enhanced through the addition of novel, more effective and sustainable pest management methods. One control option yet to be trialled in the field is to deploy transgene-based ‘Gene Drives’: technologies which force the inheritance of ...
Towards a genetic approach to invasive rodent eradications: assessing reproductive competitiveness between wild and laboratory mice
Tags: Biodiversity/Conservation, CRISPR, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Invasive species, Pest management, RodentsM. Serr, N. Heard and J. Godwin, Island invasives: scaling up to meet the challenge, 2019.
House mice are significant invasive pests, particularly on islands without native mammalian predators. As part of a multi-institutional project aimed at suppressing invasive mouse populations on islands, we aim to create heavily male-biased sex ratios with the goal of causing the ...
A potential new tool for the toolbox: assessing gene drives for eradicating invasive rodent populations
Tags: Biodiversity/Conservation, CRISPR, Gene drive synthetic, Gene editing, Genetic biocontrol, Invasive species, Pest management, Risk assessment, Rodents, Stakeholder engagementK. J. Campbell, J. R. Saah, P. R. Brown, J. Godwin, F. Gould, G. R. Howald, A. Piaggio, P. Thomas, D. M. Tompkins, D. Threadgill, J. Delborne, D. Kanavy, T. Kuiken, H. Packard, M. Serr and A. Shiels, Island invasives: scaling up to meet the challenge, 2019.
Invasive rodents have significant negative impacts on island biodiversity. All but the smallest of rodent eradications currently rely on island-wide rodenticide applications. Although signifi cant advances have been made in mitigating unintended impacts, rodent eradication on ...
Controlling invasive rodents via synthetic gene drive and the role of polyandry
Tags: Ecology, Evolution, Fruit fly, Gene drive, Gene drive mechanisms, Gene drive synthetic, Invasive species, Mosquito husbandry, Pest management, Population genetics/dynamics, RodentsManser, AC, S. J.; Sutter, A.; Blondel, D. V.; Serr, M.; Godwin, J.; Price, T. A. R., Proceedings of the Royal Society B-Biological Sciences, 286:9. 2019.
House mice are a major ecosystem pest, particularly threatening island ecosystems as a non-native invasive species. Rapid advances in synthetic biology offer new avenues to control pest species for biodiversity conservation. Recently, a synthetic sperm-killing gene drive ...
Sustainability as a framework for considering gene drive mice for invasive rodent eradication
Tags: Biodiversity/Conservation, Ethics, Fruit fly, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Governance, Pest management, RodentsBarnhill-Dilling, SKS, M.; Blondel, D. V.; Godwin, J., Sustainability, 11:1334. 2019.
Gene drives represent a dynamic and controversial set of technologies with applications that range from mosquito control to the conservation of biological diversity on islands. Currently, gene drives are being developed in mice that may one day serve as an important tool for ...
Yes we can! Exciting progress and prospects for controlling invasives on islands and beyond
Tags: Biodiversity/Conservation, Biological control, Gene drive synthetic, Pest managementD. Simberloff, B. Keitt, D. Will, N. Holmes, E. Pickett and P. Genovesi, Western North American Naturalist, 78:942-958. 2018.
Eradication and maintenance management of island invasive species have long histories, and incremental improvements of existing technologies plus occasional novel approaches have led to more challenging targets and increased success rates in certain categories. Many nonnative ...
Identifying knowledge gaps for gene drive research to control invasive animal species: The next CRISPR step
Tags: CRISPR, Ecology, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Invasive species, Pest managementMoro, DB, Margaret; Kennedy, Malcolm; Campbell, Susan; Tizard, Mark, Global Ecology and Conservation, 13:e00363. 2018.
Invasive animals have been linked to the extinctions of native wildlife, and to significant agricultural financial losses or impacts. Current approaches to control invasive species require ongoing resources and management over large geographic scales, and often result in the ...
Trojan Females and Judas Goats: Evolutionary Traps as Tools in Wildlife Management
Tags: Genetic biocontrol, Invasive species, Pest management, Sex distorterB. A. Robertson, R. S. Ostfeld and F. Keesing, Bioscience, 67:982-993. 2017.
Here, we bring together science from the pest-control, eco-evolutionary, and conservation communities to outline how evolutionary traps can be repurposed to eliminate or control pest species. We highlight case studies and devise strategies for the selection of appropriate cues to ...
The potential for the use of gene drives for pest control in New Zealand: a perspective
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Invasive species, Oceania, Pest management, Policy, Regulation, Risk and safety, Stakeholder engagementP. K. Dearden, N. J. Gemmell, O. R. Mercier, P. J. Lester, M. J. Scott, R. D. Newcomb, T. R. Buckley, J. M. E. Jacobs, S. G. Goldson and D. R. Penman, Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand, 48:225-244. 2017.
Here we describe the current state of gene drive technologies and present a series of examples to examine the potential benefits and problems arising from gene drive approaches for pest control in New Zealand.
The optimal implementation of the Trojan Y chromosome eradication strategy of invasive species
Tags: Fish, Genetic biocontrol, Invasive species, Modeling, Pest management, Sex distorterM. R. Kelly and X. Y. Wang, Journal of Biological Systems, 25:399-418. 2017.
Invasive aquatic species continue to be a persistent problem around the world. The Trojan Y Chromosome (TYC) eradication strategy has recently been developed to help fight the problem in aquatic systems by targeting only the invasive species, sparing native marine stock. It ...
Trends in the development of mammalian pest control technology in New Zealand
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Oceania, Pest managementC. T. Eason, L. Shapiro, S. Ogilvie, C. King and M. Clout, New Zealand Journal of Zoology, 44:267-304. 2017.
The use of new toxins with advantages in specific settings should be complemented by improvements in resetting trap technology, barrier approaches, and novel biocontrol and genetic concepts. Sodium fluoroacetate (1080) and other important tools have been retained; we have the ...
Towards the genetic control of invasive species
Tags: Aedes, Ecology, Fruit fly, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Invasive species, Malaria, Pest managementHarvey-Samuel, TA, T.; Alphey, L., Biological Invasions, 19:1683-1703. 2017.
Invasive species remain one of the greatest threats to global biodiversity. Their control would be enhanced through the development of more effective and sustainable pest management strategies. Recently, a novel form of genetic pest management (GPM) has been developed in which ...
Invertebrate Biosecurity Challenges in High-Productivity Grassland: The New Zealand Example
Tags: Biological control, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Invasive species, Pest managementS. L. Goldson, B. I. P. Barratt and K. F. Armstrong, Frontiers in Plant Science, 7. 2016.
This review explores the unique challenges faced by pasture biosecurity and what may be done to confront existing difficulties. While there is no silver bullet, and limited opportunity pre and at for improving pasture biosecurity, advancement may include increased and informed ...
The Trojan Female Technique for pest control: a candidate mitochondrial mutation confers low male fertility across diverse nuclear backgrounds in Drosophila melanogaster
Tags: Evolution, Genetic biocontrol, Genomics, Mosquito husbandry, Pest management, Rodents, Sex distorter, Sterile insect technique (SIT)D. K. Dowling, D. M. Tompkins and N. J. Gemmell, Evolutionary Applications, 8:8710880. 2015.
The Trojan Female Technique (TFT) was recently proposed as a prospective approach to biological pest control. However, applicability of the TFT relies on mitochondrial mutations whose male-sterilizing effects are general across nuclear genomic contexts. We test this assumption, ...
Regulatory experience and challenges for the release of GM insects
Tags: Aedes, Agriculture, Dengue, Gene editing, Genetic biocontrol, Other arthropods, Pest management, Policy, Regulation, Risk and safety, Risk assessmentBeech, C, Journal Fur Verbraucherschutz Und Lebensmittelsicherheit-Journal of Consumer Protection and Food Safety, 9:S71-S76. 2014.
Genetically modified (GM) insects are a potentially valuable new tool for the biological control of insect pests of humans, animals and plants. Considerable progress has been made recently in transfer of GM insects from the laboratory to release and evaluation in the environment. ...
Demographic effects on the use of genetic options for the control of mosquitofish, Gambusia holbrooki
Tags: Genetic biocontrol, Modeling, Pest management, Population genetics/dynamics, Sex distorter, Sterile insect technique (SIT)R. E. Thresher, M. Canning and N. J. Bax, Ecological Applications, 23:801-814. 2013.
This study tests the sensitivity of genetically based pest control options based on sex ratio distortion to intra-and intersexual aggressive interactions that affect male and female survival and fitness. Data on these interactions and their impacts were gathered for the ...
