Webinar Genetic Biocontrol of New World Screwworm and Spotted Wing Drosophila -- Scott

Used to suppress the New World screwworm (NWS) in the USA, the Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) involves releasing mass-reared, radiation-sterilized insects into a targeted area. Because females that mate with sterile males produce no offspring, the pest population naturally declines. To maximize efficiency, researchers have developed methods to mass-produce only sterile males for both NWS and the Spotted Wing Drosophila (SWD). This work highlights these advancements and explores future gene drive technologies, which offer even more precise and powerful tools for long-term pest management. Speaker provided links: https://cals.ncsu.edu/entomology-and-... https://www.aphis.usda.gov/livestock-... https://fnih.org/our-programs/genecon... https://agrilifeextension.tamu.edu/ne... https://fruit.cornell.edu/spottedwing/ https://targetmalaria.org/ https://www.usda.gov/about-usda/news/...