Abstract

Genetics has long played a role in the history of insect pest management, Beginning from simple collections of mutations and the development of chromosome linkage maps, many of the early applications of genetic technology were focused on the development of new strains for the sterile insect technique as a form of biological control. Since that time, and as the field of genetics underwent a true merger with molecular biology, the focus shifted almost entirely to methods using molecular technology. These methods had the advantage of being more broadly applicable to control of a wide range of pest species, from the frustrations often associated with attempts to transfer genetic tools developed in Drosophila directly to these species. The latest applications of molecular genetic technologies in the area of genetically based control methods now also include cutting-edge systems for genome editing and the use of RNA inhibition for selectively knocking out the expression of individual genes. Finally, as the field of genetics has shifted its focus from the analysis of individual genes to that of entire genomes, We outline some policy considerations for taking genetic insect control systems through to field implementation.

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