Novel genetic tools for application in insect pest control

转化合成生物学是一种相对较新的方法，用于开发精确靶向、清洁的方法来控制害虫——农业害虫和疾病媒介，如蚊子。第一批产品已经成功地进行了现场测试。然而，构建必要的遗传电路的可用部件的范围很窄，而可行的遗传电路的范围也相应有限。在这个项目中，我们将描述和测试额外的组件，特别是允许精确控制基因表达的基因开关。根据合成生物学的原理，模块化、可重用性和抽象的概念将从一开始就被建立起来。设计和组件都将在亲缘关系较远的昆虫物种中进行测试，以评估它们在多大程度上可以在不同的昆虫中被认为是“标准化”的，或者可能需要对物种进行特定的修改，如果是后者，则推导出指示如何做到这一点的一般规则。

Translational synthetic biology is a relatively new approach to the development of precisely targeted, clean methods for controlling pest insects – agricultural pests and disease vectors such as mosquitoes. The first products have already been successfully field-tested. However, the range of available parts from which to construct the necessary genetic circuits is narrow, and the range of feasible genetic circuits correspondingly limited. In this project we will characterise and test additional components, in particular genetic switches allowing precise control over gene expression. In accord with the principles of synthetic biology, concepts of modularity, reusability and abstraction will be built in from the outset. Both designs and components will be tested in distantly related insect species to assess the extent to which these can be considered ‘standardised’ across different insects, or are likely to require species-specific modification and, if the latter, to derive general rules indicating how to do this.