"Biotech Bugs" Stop Spread of Diseases

Scientists are researching ways that genetically modified (GM) insects could be used to stop the spread of diseases that affect livestock and crops, reduce pesticide use and create pharmaceutical proteins, said speakers at a "Biotech Bugs" conference held recently in Washington. However, speakers said, more regulations need to be developed, and must be clear and coordinated among government agencies to ensure that the development of improved insects includes adequate risk assessments. "U.S. regulatory policies will be an important building block in the development of international policies regarding GM insects," according to a report called "Bugs in the System?" from the Pew Initiative on Food and Biotechnology, which sponsored the meeting. Researchers are particularly looking into ways that genetically modified insects could be used to control pests, saving millions of dollars in pest control costs and crop losses, and dramatically reducing the amount of pesticides applied to fields, according to a Pew report. Scientists are hoping to improve insects by increasing their ability to feed on weeds and pest insects through longer life spans, better toleration of climatic differences and greater resistance to disease and pesticides, according to the report. The report summarizes other science-based insect modification efforts. For instance, scientists want to improve a genetic program currently being used in California to control pink bollworms, a threat to cotton fields. They want to engineer the pest able to carry a gene that would prevent pest's offspring from maturing.