Controlling a fir worm using its own DNA
We use the latest discovery thatadn Participative, so theadn Alien to the living being, poisonous to itself
, summarizes Annie Desloriers, lead researcher on the project and professor in the Department of Basic Sciences at the University of Quebec at Chicôtime (UQAC).
The scientist explains that in order to be toxic,adn It has to be segmented and focused, which is quite a challenge.
Currently, hundreds of thousands of hectares of forests, mainly in eastern Quebec, are sprayed with Bacillus thuringiensis kurstaki (BTK). It is a biological insecticide that has the disadvantage of attacking species similar to the fruit moth, but does not cause the same harm.
It still causes some damage to biodiversity
, summarizes Annie Desloriers, who wants to develop a specific insecticide that will only attack the fir bud worm, thanks adn.
This adnWhen ingested by an insect, it is toxic because it wreaks havoc at the cellular level and at the level of the intestinal wall. After that, it causes the insect to die
Explained in an interview with the program northern 138.
The discovery of the phenomenon is attributed to a team from the University of Naples in Italy.
when [les chercheurs de l’université de Naples] Tell me that, we thought we could try this on the bud worm.
Initial tests by Quebec researchers showed the idea’s potential. However, a lot of research needs to be done, and significant technical challenges must be faced before there can be any hope of using innovative insecticides.
Multidisciplinary team
The study was funded by the Quebec Fund for Nature Research and Technologies (FRQNT) and the Quebec Department of Forests, Wildlife and Parks.
A multidisciplinary team is needed for the project. Ilga Porth, from University of Laval, is faced with the challenge of producing a large quantity ofadn buds; Lionel Ripoll, fromUQAC, you have to find a way to wrap itadn Cellulose so that the insect can eat it.
Eric Paus, full professor at Université Laval, will conduct tests on the lethal concentration of the product before Annie Desloriers analyzes the effect of the product on trees.
The researcher notes that the development and approval of such a product can take a long time. It may not be possible to use it to control current budworm infestations.
However, she hopes this technology will find applications against other insects or in other industries, such as agriculture.
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