Decoding Gigantic Insect Genome Could Help Tackle Devastating Locust Crises
Published:26 Nov.2020 Source:University of Leicester
A 'game changing' study deciphering the genetic material of the desert locust could help combat the crop-ravaging behavior of the notorious insect pest which currently exacerbates a hunger crisis across many developing countries.
It is hoped that the study will provide the basis for developing 'intelligent pesticides', that act with surgical precision by tapping into locust-specific signals in the nervous system, to either kill or disable their swarming behaviour, without harming other organisms.