Novel tools for genetic control of pest insects; Oxitec Ltd

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

Theaim of this project is to demonstrate a novel application of Oxitec’s genetic technology,called RIDL®, against the diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella. Diamondback moth is theworld’s major pest of brassica crops, with annual control costs and losses amounting to US$4-5 billion. This moth is difficult to control, largely due to its ability to rapidly developresistance to insecticides; therefore new control tools are urgently required. Genetictechnology has enabled the development of an alternative control method, called RIDL, forthis pest. fsRIDL insects live as normal with a dietary antidote, but large numbers of single-sex (male) moths can be efficiently produced without it. For control of wild diamondbackmoth, RIDL males are released over the crop: after mating with wild females all femaleprogeny die, reducing the reproductive capacity of the pest population. RIDL is species-specific in action, and therefore environmentally benign, and also self-limiting in the field andcomplementary to other control options. RIDL is therefore highly amenable to integration intosustainable integrated pest management strategies. This project will investigate novel geneticmethods of inducing female-specific lethality to generate improved RIDL strains, going wellbeyond the present state of the art for insect synthetic biology. Male selection at as early a lifestage as possible will provide considerable savings in insect production, resulting in increasedeconomic feasibility to a broader range of growers, and greater acceptance from growers.Developing a potentially valuable control tool in this major pest would also provide proof-of-principle for a novel means of applying this environmentally sustainable pest control approachto the diamondback moth and other important pest species.