Making sex fatal for insects could control pests that wear and harass diseases

Insects do far more than the ruining picnic. Some insects spread devastating diseases, while others cause amazing economic losses in agriculture. In order to manage a few of these pests, scientists develop men who make sex a fatal event.

The operations are high. Mosquitoes wear viruses like DenguePresent West -nil And Zikain addition to parasites that cause malaria. Researchers estimate that mosquitoes have caused The death of 52 billion people as a complete – Almost half of all individuals who have ever lived.

Other insects cause large harvest damage, endanger food supply and increase prices. According to the United Nations' food and agricultural organization, 20% to 40% of world harvest production Is lost annually to pests at a price of 70 billion US dollars.

Pesticides were the front defense against insects, but many mistakes have developed Resistance to those chemicals. Some Pesticides might be indiscriminately Kill advantageous insects, damage the environment and endanger the health of humans and animals. Some researchers fear that Certain pesticides could cause Having cancer or harmful effects on human nervous and endocrine systems.

I’m a Microbiology researcher Examination of infectious diseases. New solutions that don’t harm people and the environment to manage insects and agricultural pests -free insects and pests may lead to fewer people related to dangerous diseases. In recent years, a lot of genetic engineering approaches have proven to be a promising tactic to combat problematic insects.

Genetically modified insects

In order to avoid the issues related to pesticides, scientists have developed latest approaches that genetically change the insects themselves, which cause their population to crash or make diseases transferred – named a method Genetic organic control.

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The idea of ​​suppressing an insect population by flooding with sterile men has existed for many years. Scientists have been using for the reason that Fifties Radiation to create sterile male mosquitoes. These sterile men associate with women, but don’t produce offspring. Since women hire numerous unproductive mating, the overall population tends to drop.

Genetic engineering has been used previously 20 years to present the introduction Dominant deadly genes in insect populations. In this approach, the descendants of genetically modified men inherit a gene that kills them before they reach reproductive age. A field test in Brazil found that this strategy reduced the goal mosquito population to 95%. Another approach on the horizon is to have modified insects genetically Poor carriers of pathogens This causes illness.

Despite this progress, a very important lack of current genetic biocontrol methods is You need time. At least one generation have to be born before population suppression begins. This implies that the feminine insects proceed to be a disease vector or an agricultural pest until they die a natural death. An ideal technique would immediately neutralize the females, especially when outbreaks.

A faster approach

Biologist Samuel Beach and Maciej Maselko At Macquarie University in Australia, this dilemma tried genetic engineering male insects to provide toxic sperm. The toxic sperm would quickly kill the lady and reduce the population faster than previous biocontroll methods.

In order to check this concept, the team used fruit flies which might be called, which may easily change and study within the laboratory.

The researchers transferred poison genes from the Brazilian mountaineering spider () and the Mediterranean Snakelocks Sea Anemone () In the genomes of fruit flies.

The genetically modified fly produces and stores poison proteins within the male accessory gland – the prostate of a fly – along with other pioneering fluid proteins. During the pairing, the fly puts the poisonous sperm into the reproductive tract of the lady. The researchers called this approach to the Poisonous male technology.

After mating, the pioneering toxins penetrate into the body of the feminine and attack their central nervous system. The toxins bind to proteins which might be called Ion channels On cellular membranes that Use nerve cells communicate with one another. This quickly results in paralysis and breaths. One could say that these genetically modified Romeos literally rob.

The lifespan of female flies paired with poisonous men decreased as much as 64%. A pc simulation of toxic male technology for, a mosquito This transmits several virusesPredicted that this approach could work higher than current methods.

Security and effectiveness

While it’s promising and progressive, there are some necessary challenges that researchers who develop toxic male technology should manage. For example, it was shown that the technology only works in fruit flies. An open query stays whether it really works in mosquitoes or other insect crops.

In addition, the technology reduced the feminine lifespan by only 37% to 64%. In order to enhance the killing rate, the researchers suggested that other poison formulations could work higher. Researchers could try it Thousands of poison genes of spiders, snakes, scorpione and tentipedes. Every latest poison that you are attempting must ensure tests to make sure that the modified men tolerate them – in the event that they change into weak, men cannot exceed modified men for mating opportunities.

As with all genetic organic control methods, this technology might be too expensive for countries with low incomes. The nations would should finance the prices for breeding and the usage of the mosquitoes.

Insects also pollinate plants and function food sources for other animals comparable to bats. If these insects disappear, the ecosystem could have unexpected unintended effects. The monitoring of this potential effects on the environment can also be expensive.

Other researchers experiment with use Poison toxins Check parasites that female insects spread through bite. Called ParatransesisThis technique changes the intestinal bacteria of an insect to provide a toxin that kills the parasite and that is still the insect unscathed. Since the insect population stays unchanged, paratran genesis might be less risk to ecosystems.

Insects are likely to adapt quickly For the methods that control people, it’s advantageous to have several strategies available. One day the toxic male technology can change into a beneficial latest weapon within the arsenal to combat insect pest.