This is a database of peer-reviewed literature that focuses on Genetic Biocontrol research. The latest are shown here.
Genome Editing for Sustainable Agriculture in Africa
Background
Sustainable intensification of agriculture in Africa is essential for accomplishing food and nutritional security and addressing the rising concerns of climate change. There is an urgent need to close the yield gap in staple crops and enhance food production to feed the growing population. In order to meet the increasing demand for food, more efficient approaches to produce food are needed. All the tools available in the toolbox, including modern biotechnology and traditional, need to be applied for crop improvement. The full potential of new breeding tools such as genome editing needs to be exploited in addition to conventional technologies. Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats/CRISPR-associated protein (CRISPR/Cas)-based genome editing has rapidly become the most prevalent genetic engineering approach for developing improved crop varieties because of its simplicity, efficiency, specificity, and easy to use.
Tripathi, L., Dhugga, K. S., Ntui, V. O., Runo, S., Syombua, E. D., Muiruri, S., … & Tripathi, J. N. (2022). Genome editing for sustainable agriculture in Africa. Frontiers in Genome Editing, 4.
Pilot trial using mass field-releases of sterile males produced with the incompatible and sterile insect techniques as part of integrated Aedes aegypti control in Mexico
Background
The combination of Wolbachia-based incompatible insect technique (IIT) and radiation-based sterile insect technique (SIT) can be used for population suppression of Aedes aegypti. Our main objective was to evaluate whether open-field mass-releases of wAlbB-infected Ae. aegypti males, as part of an Integrated Vector Management (IVM) plan led by the Mexican Ministry of Health, could suppress natural populations of Ae. aegypti in urbanized settings in south Mexico.
Martín-Park, A., Che-Mendoza, A., Contreras-Perera, Y., Pérez-Carrillo, S., Puerta-Guardo, H., Villegas-Chim, J., … & Manrique-Saide, P. (2022). Pilot trial using mass field-releases of sterile males produced with the incompatible and sterile insect techniques as part of integrated Aedes aegypti control in Mexico. PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, 16(4), e0010324.
Role of CRISPR Technology in Gene Editing of Emerging and Re-emerging Vector Borne Disease
Background
Vector borne diseases are rampant across the world. Due to spread and establishment of vector species in different geographical areas, vector adaptation and resistance towards many insecticides the only option left is vector control for various vector borne diseases. Recent advancement in the field of genome editing have provided a variety of tools like, CRISPR, a novel genome editing techniques which can be applied for the control and prevention of many deadly diseases like dengue, chikungunya, filariasis, Japanese encephalitis and Zika.
Mahto, K. K., Prasad, P., Kumar, M., Dubey, H., & Ranjan, A. (2022). Role of CRISPR Technology in Gene Editing of Emerging and Re-emerging Vector Borne Disease. In Mosquito Research-Recent Advances in Pathogen Interactions, Immunity, and Vector Control Strategies. IntechOpen.
Modelling homing suppression gene drive in haplodiploid organisms
Gene drives have shown great promise for suppression of pest populations. These engineered alleles can function by a variety of mechanisms, but the most common is the CRISPR homing drive, which converts wild-type alleles to drive alleles in the germline of heterozygotes. Some potential target species are haplodiploid, in which males develop from unfertilized eggs and thus have only one copy of each chromosome. This prevents drive conversion, a substantial disadvantage compared to diploids where drive conversion can take place in both sexes. Here, we study homing suppression gene drives in haplodiploids and find that a drive targeting a female fertility gene could still be successful.
Liu, Y., & Champer, J. (2022). Modelling homing suppression gene drive in haplodiploid organisms. Proceedings of the Royal Society B, 289(1972), 20220320.