Biological Control

Abstract

The invention relates to a non-human multicellular organism carrying a dominant lethal genetic system, the lethal effect of which is conditional, wherein the lethal effect of the lethal system occurs in the natural environment of the organism.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for controlling the population of an organism. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] Methods of biological control are known for insects and plants. One method currently employed for the control of insect populations is termed the “sterile insect technique” (SIT), also known as the “sterile insect release method” (SIRM). In this method, sterile males are released into the environment, wherein they compete with the wild-type (fertile) males for mates. Females which male with sterile males produce no offspring, and fee release of large numbers of sterile males, therefore, leads to a decrease in the size of the next generation. In this way fee size of the wild population is controlled. [0003] SIT requires some mechanism for insect sterilisation. In addition, SIT commonly also employs separation of males from females, with the release of only one sex. This is desirable is the case of an agricultural pest, such as the medfly, where the female...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The invention is about a method for controlling the population of non-human organisms in a biological control system. The method involves breeding and releasing genetically engineered organisms into the environment. The organisms carry a dominant lethal genetic system that is conditional, meaning it only expresses its lethal effect in the natural environment of the organism. The lethal genetic system can be controlled by manipulating the restrictive conditions in which it is expressed. The method can be used to control the population of wild-type organisms and can also be used to block mating and distribution of offspring. The invention provides a more efficient and effective way to control the population of non-human organisms.

Problems solved by technology

Females which male with sterile males produce no offspring, and fee release of large numbers of sterile males, therefore, leads to a decrease in the size of the next generation.

In some eases it is possible to separate males and females by criteria such as pupal mass of time of eclosion, hut these methods are unlikely reliably to yield a truly single-sex population.

Separation of males and females often involves the use of mutant strains, which have been mutagenised to induce a visible or otherwise selectable difference between fee sexes, but such mutagenesis can reduce the fitness of the resultant stock with respect to the wild types which is undesirable.

As such, sterile organisms are frequently impaired in their ability to mats.

Furthermore, both chemical and irradiation methods utilise technologies which are not specific to the target organism, with consequent potential danger to workers.

Both methods produce as environmental hazard, as the irradiation source or chemicals will need to be disposed of.

In addition, there are inherent dangers and additional labour costs in the use of as irradiation source such as a strontium source.

However, this method can be ineffective due to varying field conditions, where the environments does not provide suitably cold conditions.

Moreover, organisms that live in a range of temperature habitats may not be controlled under all conditions.

However, this method suffers from the drawback referred to above, in that released flies have reduced fitness due to the sterilisation treatment.

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