Keywords: Pest management

Feral rabbit numbers are booming, so do myxomatosis and calicivirus still work, and what’s next for biocontrol?

Tags: , , ,
Belinda Smith,  ABC News,  2026.
If you've noticed more feral rabbits around than usual, you're right. Much of Australia is experiencing a bunny boom, driven by consecutive years of good breeding conditions. But with an estimated 200 million feral European rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) currently hopping around ...

The evolution of the sterile insect technique from concept to global application

Tags: ,
Kostas Bourtzis, Marc F. Schetelig, Walther Enkerlin, Rui Pereira,  Comprehensive Molecular Insect Science,  5:180-211. 2026.
The sterile insect technique (SIT) is a species-specific, environment-friendly and cost-effective method for controlling insect pests and disease vectors. It involves colonization and mass-rearing of the target species, sterilization, typically by ionizing radiation, and ...

Generating cisgenic sexing strains in insect pests

Tags: , , , ,
Davydova, S., Liu, J., Kandul, N.P. et al.,  Communications Biology,  2026.
Insect pest population control via sterile insect technique markedly benefits from separation by sex prior to release. To simplify this process, traditional genetics has been deployed to develop genetic sexing strains (GSSs) for several disease vectors and agricultural pests of ...

Precision pest management: Genome editing tools, specifically CRISPR/Cas9 and future prospects

Tags: , , , , , ,
Ankush Saini, Neha Sharma, Nidhi Sharma, et al.,  Pesticide Biochemistry and Physiology,  218. 2026.
The growing resistance to synthetic insecticides and Bt toxins, alongside persistent crop losses despite heavy pesticide application, highlights the urgent need for safer, sustainable and efficient pest management strategies. This review presents genome editing as a precise and ...

Scientists in Australia have created a genetically edited cane toad that gets stuck in the tadpole stage and attacks the plague before it spreads.

Tags: , , , ,
Noel Budeguer,  Click Petróleo e Gás,  2026.
Australia has begun testing an unusual idea to combat one of the country's most persistent biological invasions: creating tadpoles of the cane toad who have never seen adults. The goal is to cut the problem off at the source, before the animals grow, leave the water, and move ...

Identification and evaluation of two testis-specific serine/threonine kinase genes from multi-tissue transcriptomes as potential genetic targets of sterile insect technique in Zeugodacus tau

Tags: , , ,
Weijun Li, Cuikang Xu, Hongshi Chen, et al.,  Pest Management Science,  2026.
Zeugodacus tau (Walker) is a notorious agricultural pest causing significant economic losses in vegetable production for many years. Sterile insect technique (SIT) has emerged as an environmentally sustainable pest management strategy. However, discovery of molecular targets ...

Sterile insect technique reduces cabbage maggot (Diptera: Anthomyiidae) infestation in root crucifers in Canada

Tags: , , , , ,
Anne-Marie Fortier, Allen Bush-Beaupré, Jade Savage, et al.,  Journal of Economic Entomology,  118:2710–2717. 2026.
The cabbage maggot (Delia radicum (L.)) is a major pest of brassica vegetables in Canada that has traditionally been managed with soil-applied insecticides. However, recent regulatory restrictions on key products such as chlorpyrifos have created a pressing need for alternative ...

Behavior modification in fruit flies through male annihilation technique: field applications, olfactory mechanisms, and future directions

Tags: , , , ,
Liu, Wei; Zhang, Sijia; Wang, Guirong,  Entomologia Generalis,  45:1565 - 1576. 2026.
The male annihilation technique (MAT), as a method of insect behavior manipulation, is an environmentally friendly approach that has been successfully applied in over 150 fruit fly eradication programs worldwide. Despite their effectiveness in integrated pest management programs, ...

Genetic Allee Effects for Controlling Invasive Populations

Tags: , ,
Louis Nowell Nicolle, Alex Fournier-Level, Charles Robin, et al.,  Molecular Ecology,  2026.
Invasive pests threaten food security and devastate ecosystems. A universal problem in their management is that small populations can easily evade detection. This makes identifying new incursions challenging and complicates efforts to eradicate or contain established populations. ...

Strategies to improve the efficiency of homing gene drives with multiplexed gRNAs

Tags: , ,
Chen, W., Wu, P. & Champer, J.,  BMC Biol,  24. 2025.
CRISPR homing gene drive holds great potential for pest control, but its success is challenged by the generation of resistance alleles through end-joining repair. Using multiple gRNAs to target adjacent sites within a conserved gene can prevent functional resistance by allowing ...

Homing gene drive strains for genetic suppression of agricultural insect pests

Tags: , , , , ,
Yadav, Amarish K.; Tarrand, Ariel E.; Scott, Maxwell J.,  Entomologia Generalis,  45:1577 - 1590. 2025.
Agricultural insect pests cause substantial losses in crop productivity each year. Genetic-based strategies provide economical and environmentally friendly ways to limit pests that reproduce sexually. In contrast to conventional genetic methods (e.g. SIT), homing gene drives ...

SIT-ia: A Software-Hardware System to Improve Male Sorting Efficacy for the Sterile Insect Technique

Tags: , ,
de la Vega, G., Smith, L., Soria-Mercier, L., et al.,  Insects,  16. 2025.
This research addresses a challenge in using the Sterile Insect Technique (SIT), an eco-friendly pest control method. For SIT to work, only sterile male insects can be released, but sorting males from females by hand is slow and laborious. The study introduces a new automated ...

Selection, counterselection, and conditional gene expression for genetic biocontrol of insects

Tags: , ,
Melanie Hempel, Zhijian Tu,  Insect Science,  2025.
Genetic biocontrol methods are species-specific ways to suppress or modify pest insect populations to mitigate their economic or health impact. Successful genetic biocontrol often requires mass releases of only males of the target species. Reliable and cost-effective sex ...

Cattle Q&A with Brinda Dass, GeneConvene Global Collaborative

Tags: , , ,
Tyrell Marchant,  Progressive Cattle,  2025.
What factors have led to the northward spread of New World screwworm (NWS) over the past year after so many decades of successful eradication in Mexico and the U.S.? DASS: The northward spread of NWS after decades of eradication reflects a convergence of biological, ...

Exploring experts’ uncertainties about gene drive technology for agricultural pest control in the U.S.: a qualitative study to inform innovation and decision-making

Tags: , , , , ,
Barry, N., Barnhill, S.K. & Johnson, B.B.,  Environment Systems and Decisions,  45. 2025.
As experts consider what it might look like for gene drives to manage agricultural pests, there remain several uncertainties across a broad range of issues, including technical, ecological, regulatory, and social implications. Drawing on 25 expert interviews, we parse out these ...

Improvement of colony management in insect mass-rearing for sterile insect technique applications

Tags: ,
Adly M.M. Abd-Alla, Anne Geiger, David Haymer,  Insect Science,  2025.
Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) applications against major insect pests and disease vectors rely on the cost-effective production of high-quality sterile males. This largely depends on the optimal management of target pest colonies by maximizing the benefits provided by a ...

Development and evaluation of pupal color-based genetic sexing strains in Anastrepha obliqua

Tags: , , ,
Daisy P. Cárdenas-Enríquez, Víctor García-Martínez, Jorge Ibáñez-Palacios, et al.,  Insect Science,  2025.
Anastrepha obliqua, a neotropical pest widely distributed in the Americas, attacks mango and other tropical fruits. In Mexico, it is controlled through integrated pest management, using the Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) as a main component. The applicability of SIT is ...

Autosomally-encoded segregation distortion of sex chromosomes

Tags: , , , ,
Greenberg Naomi L., Patten Manus M. and Schenkel Martijn A.,  Proc. R. Soc. B.,  292. 2025.
Some selfish genetic elements drive at meiosis to achieve transmission distortion, breaking the rules of Mendelian segregation to enhance their own evolutionary success. It has been shown that enhancers of drive must act in cis in order to gain the selfish benefit of drive and ...

The shibirets4 mutation causes temperature sensitive paralytic and lethal phenotypes in the Queensland fruit fly, Bactrocera tryoni

Tags: , , , ,
Anzu Okada, Mamoru Okamoto, Thu N.M. Nguyen, et al.,  Insect Science,  2025.
Bactrocera tryoni, the Queensland fruit fly, is among the most damaging insect pests to the Australian horticultural industry as larvae infest ripening fruits or vegetables prior to harvest. Genetic biocontrol using Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) programs have been used to ...

Field Performance of a Self-Limiting, Genetically Engineered Fall Armyworm for Biological Pest Management

Tags: , ,
Reavey Catherine E. , Domingues Felipe A. , Ercit Kyla, et al.,  Sec. Pest Management,  7. 2025.
The fall armyworm is one of the most globally significant agricultural pests, damaging corn, sorghum and other crops central to food production. It has developed resistance to several classes of chemical insecticides and, more recently, insect-resistant ‘Bt’ biotech corn ...

Novel stressors and trait variation determine X-linked meiotic drive frequency

Tags: , , , ,
Fisher Adam M., White Nicola, Bonsall Michael B., Price Tom AR. and Knell Robert J.,  Proc. R. Soc. B.,  292. 2025.
Sex ratio meiotic drive alleles bias their transmission by impairing the viability of non-drive gametes, leading to skewed population sex ratios. Despite theoretical predictions that drive alleles should reach fixation causing population extinction, meiotic drive persists at ...

Genome Editing in Insect Pest Control: Importance, Strategies, and Future Implications

Tags: , , ,
Ipsita Samal, Tanmaya Kumar Bhoi, Deepak Kumar Mahanta, Ansh Raj, J. Komal, Alagesan Keerthana, Vinod Kumar Dubey,  Genome Editing for Pest Management,  2025.
Genome editing is a cutting-edge tool in biotechnology which brought about substantial changes in a variety of areas, including agriculture and pest control. As properly managing insect pests is critical for protecting food supplies and ensuring produce security, insect species ...

Millions of genetically modified insects have been released in Brazil, but why didn’t anyone tell you about this before?

Tags: , , , ,
Noel Budeguer,  Click Petroleo e Gas,  2025.
Few people realize, but Brazil is one of the most advanced countries in the world when it comes to biological pest control. Instead of relying solely on poisons and traps, Brazilian researchers are investing in technological solutions that, at first glance, seem like the stuff ...

Decoding and engineering temperature-sensitive lethality in Ceratitis capitata for pest control

Tags: ,
R.A. Aumann, G. Gouvi, M. Gregoriou,T. Rehling, G. Sollazzo, K. Bourtzis, and M.F. Schetelig,  Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences,  122. 2025.
The Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) is a species-specific and environmentally friendly method for effectively controlling pest insect populations based on releasing reared, sterile insects into infested areas. Sex sorting in rearing facilities, enabling male-only releases, is ...

Genetic discovery advances insect pest control worldwide

Tags: , ,
IAEA,  Phys.org,  2025.
An international research team led by Justus Liebig University Giessen (JLU) and the Joint FAO/IAEA Center of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture has identified the gene responsible for a temperature-sensitive lethality (tsl) phenotype in the Mediterranean fruit fly, ...

Synthetically Assisted Conservation and the Application of Emerging Biological Technologies for the Protection of Biodiversity

Tags: , , ,
Jedediah F. Brodie, Amanda Emmel, Blake Wiedenheft, et al.,  Conservation Letters,  8. 2025.
New tools of synthetic biology that enable precise manipulation of genomes, metabolic pathways, and ecosystems present new opportunities, risks, ethical dilemmas, and responsibilities for stewards of biodiversity. We argue that the risks and benefits of synthetic biology for use ...

Rollins presses ahead with latest initiative on New World screwworm

Tags: , , ,
HPJ staff,  High Plains Journal,  2025.
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins on June 18 announced an $8.5 million sterile New World screwworm fly dispersal facility in south Texas and a five-pronged plan to enhance the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s ability to detect, control and eliminate the pest. In a ...

Efficient CRISPR-Cas9-mediated genome editing of the cane toad (Rhinella marina)

Tags: , ,
Michael Clark, Alexander T. Funk, Alex Paporakis, et al.,  bioRxiv,  2025.
Invasive species inflict major ecological, economic, social, and cultural harm worldwide, highlighting the urgent need for innovative and effective control strategies. Genome editing offers exciting possibilities for creating highly targeted control methods for invasive species. ...

Should we wipe out the pests now that we can?

Tags: ,
Miguel Ángel Criado,  El Pais,  2025.
Felicola (Lorisicola) isidoroi is a creature that is probably either extinct or on the verge of being so. In the past, it must have been present throughout most of the Iberian Peninsula, but the last time scientists encountered one was in 1997. For biologists, this represents a ...

Screwworm Fly: US Threat & Prevention

Tags: , ,
News Directory 3,  2025.
A resurgence of the New World screwworm, a ⁤parasite known for consuming living ⁢flesh, is raising alarms in the U.S.cattle ‌industry. For​ seven decades, ​the United States has waged an aerial war ⁢against this pest, scientifically known⁢ as C.hominivorax, which ...

Advances in Sterile Insect Technique Driven by Sugarcane Pest Management in South Africa

Tags: , , ,
Lawrence N. Malinga, Ph.D., and Samara Singh,  Entomology Today,  2025.
Eldana saccharina, also known as the African sugarcane stalk borer, is an insect pest indigenous to Africa that targets gramineous crops such as sugarcane, maize (corn), sorghum, and millet in several countries, including Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Ethiopia, Ghana, Nigeria, and ...

Mathematically modelling the population dynamics of CRISPR gene drive systems in the pine pest Sirex noctilio

Tags: , , , ,
Strydom, H., Ouifki, R., Chapwanya, M.,  bioRxiv,  2025.
Sirex noctilio is an invasive pest of pine that has caused significant economic damage in South Africa and many other Southern Hemisphere countries. Current management tools are not efficient in all cases and consequently there is a need for more efficient and targeted control ...

Engineering drive–selection balance for localized population suppression with neutral dynamics

Tags: , , ,
Willis, K., and Burt, A.,  Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences,  122. 2025.
While the release of sterile males has been highly successful in suppressing some pest populations, it is impractical for many species due to the males disappearing after a single generation, necessitating large, repeated releases to maintain sufficient impact. Synthetic gene ...

Public attitudes to genetic technology for invasive pest control and preferences for engagement and information: a segmentation analysis

Tags: , ,
Hobman E.V., Mankad A., Carter, L., Collins K.,  Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology,  12. 2025.
Advances in genetic technology hold promise in managing the increasing problem of invasive pests. The current study sought to improve our understanding of public perceptions, and potential public engagement pathways and information needs as the technology is researched and ...

Dissecting The Sterility Phenotype Of Drosophila Suzukii Males

Tags: , ,
Evrim Ağacı,  The Pinnacle Gazette,  2025.
Groundbreaking findings on gene-edited males provide insights for pest management strategies. Researchers have made significant strides in controlling the invasive fruit pest Drosophila suzukii, commonly known as the spotted wing drosophila, utilizing innovative genetic ...

Establishment of pupal color as a screening marker and activity analysis of six U6 promoters in Zeugodacus cucurbitae using the white pupae gene

Tags: , ,
Fan Z., Wu Y., Zha X., Ma S., et al.,  Pest Management Science,  2025.
The genetic control method, which is environmentally friendly and species-specific, has effectively reduced or eliminated pests in many areas. One essential requirement to control a species is the identification of its genetic and molecular elements. Such elements, however, are ...

Biotechnology-enhanced genetic controls of the global pest Drosophila suzukii

Tags: , , ,
Ying Yan, Hassan M.M. Ahmed, Ernst A. Wimmer, et al.,  Trends in Biotechnology,  2024.
Genetic control is a biological control method that introduces traits that sterilize, kill, or modify the population via intraspecific mating. Therefore, it is regarded as a species-specific and environmentally friendly management option for pest species. Spotted wing ...

Pest control gets the CRISPR treatment

Tags: , , ,
Seydel, C.,  Nature Biotechnology,  2024.
In June 2024, the St. Louis–based pest control company Agragene released genetically modified fruit flies on berry farms in California and Oregon, moving the technology out of the laboratory and into contained field testing. The trial marked a milestone for a next-generation ...

Fluorescent-based sex-separation technique in major invasive crop pest, Drosophila suzukii

Tags: , , ,
Junru Liu, Danny Rayes, Minzhe Yang, Omar S. Akbari,  bioRxiv,  2024.
Insect population biocontrol methods such as the sterile insect technique (SIT), represent promising alternatives to traditional pesticide-based control applications. To use these strategies efficiently requires scalable sex separation techniques which are currently lacking in ...

Loss-of-function in testis-specific serine/threonine protein kinase triggers male infertility in an invasive moth

Tags: , , , , ,
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: , , ,
Zhao 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: , ,
Macquarie 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: , , ,
Scientific Animations Without Borders,  YouTube,  2024.
Pest insects often transmit disease to humans and animals and destroy crops. Controlling these pests can improve human health and increase agricultural production. Pest insects are often controlled by releasing other insects into the environment that will specifically kill the ...

Protecting the peppers: Unlocking the potential of the sterile insect technique

Tags: ,
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: , , ,
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: , , ,
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: , ,
María 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: , ,
Kieran 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: ,
Alex 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: , ,
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: , ,
Gouda, 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: , ,
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: ,
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: ,
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: , , , , , ,
Jinyu 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 ...

New Techniques of Genetic Modification in Pest Control Spark Debate in Canada

Tags: ,
Sandeep 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: ,
CCA (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 ...

A framework for identifying fertility gene targets for mammalian pest control

Tags: , , , , , , ,
C. C. Anna, A. Alana, E. Rey, E. Kevin, K. Sebastian, D. Ludovic, C. Jackson, E. C. Samuel, W. M. Philipp and J. G. Neil,  bioRxiv,  2023.05.30.542751. 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 ...

The Role of Symbiont-Targeted Strategies in the Management of Pentatomidae and Tephritidae Pests under an Integrated Vision

Tags: , , ,
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: , , , , ,
E. 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: , , , , ,
T. 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: , , ,
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: , , ,
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: , , ,
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: , , ,
K. 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: , , , , , ,
Ghent 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: , , , ,
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: , , , , , ,
P. 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: , , , , , , , ,
Euractiv,  The World News Monitor,  2020.
Existing guidelines are adequate for evaluating risks associated with gene-drive modified insects, but further guidance is needed for some areas, most notably for environmental risk assessments. The evaluation was requested to explore the issue ahead of the consideration of any ...

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: , , , , ,
E. 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: , , , , ,
EFSA,  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: , , , , ,
S. 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: , , ,
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: , , , , ,
M. 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: , , , ,
J. 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: , , , , ,
H. 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: , , , , , ,
C. 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: , , , ,
A. 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: , , , , , ,
P. 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: , , , , , , , , , ,
D. 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: , , , , , , , ,
T. 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: , , , , , , ,
M. 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: , , , , , , , , ,
K. 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: , , , , , , , , , ,
Manser, 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: , , , , , , ,
Barnhill-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: , , ,
D. 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: , , , , ,
Moro, 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: , , ,
B. 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: , , , , , , , ,
P. 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: , , , , ,
M. 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: , , ,
C. 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: , , , , , , ,
Harvey-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: , , , ,
S. 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: , , , , , , ,
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: , , , , , , , , , ,
Beech, 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: , , , , ,
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 ...