Insect pest management in the age of synthetic biology |
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Authors: | Rub n Mateos Fern ndez,Marko Petek,Iryna Gerasymenko,Mojca Juter ek, pela Baebler,
Kalyani Kallam,Elena Moreno Gim nez,Janine Gondolf,Alfred Nordmann,Kristina Gruden,Diego Orzaez,Nicola J Patron |
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Affiliation: | Rubén Mateos Fernández,Marko Petek,Iryna Gerasymenko,Mojca Juteršek,Špela Baebler,Kalyani Kallam,Elena Moreno Giménez,Janine Gondolf,Alfred Nordmann,Kristina Gruden,Diego Orzaez,Nicola J Patron |
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Abstract: | Arthropod crop pests are responsible for 20% of global annual crop losses, a figure predicted to increase in a changing climate where the ranges of numerous species are projected to expand. At the same time, many insect species are beneficial, acting as pollinators and predators of pest species. For thousands of years, humans have used increasingly sophisticated chemical formulations to control insect pests but, as the scale of agriculture expanded to meet the needs of the global population, concerns about the negative impacts of agricultural practices on biodiversity have grown. While biological solutions, such as biological control agents and pheromones, have previously had relatively minor roles in pest management, biotechnology has opened the door to numerous new approaches for controlling insect pests. In this review, we look at how advances in synthetic biology and biotechnology are providing new options for pest control. We discuss emerging technologies for engineering resistant crops and insect populations and examine advances in biomanufacturing that are enabling the production of new products for pest control. |
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Keywords: | crop protection insect pests pheromones biotechnology synthetic biology |
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