Engineering insects for the sterile insect technique

Abstract

The mass-release of sterile insects (the sterile insect technique (SIT)) is a highly effective component of area-wide methods of pest control with no environmental impact. The SIT relies on the sterilization of large numbers of insects, usually by irradiation. The SIT has been used successfully against several pest insects. However, modern biotechnology could potentially provide several improvements. These include: (1) improving the identification of released individuals, (2) removing the need for radiationsterilization, (3) reducing the hazard posed by non-irradiated accidental releases from the mass-rearing facility, and (4) providing automated sex-separation prior to release (genetic sexing). None of these are necessarily unattainable by classical methods. However, the use of recombinant DNA methods may allow these benefits to be obtained in a shorter period and to be transferred more readily from one species to another than are the products of classical genetics. The potential of these methods, and the progress towards realizing this potential, is discussed.