Insect developmental biology encompasses the study of the intricate processes that govern embryogenesis, tissue differentiation, and body segmentation in insects. Central to this field is the ...

ITHACA, NY - Killing crop-damaging insects by targeting genes essential to their survival is a promising approach to pest control. Because essential genes are often conserved across multiple insect ...

A new line of defense came in 2022, with the commercialization of RNAi. It works by "silencing" specific genes in the pest, essentially shutting off functions the insect needs to survive. Unlike broad ...

Insects are a genetically diverse group that interact with humans in various ways—some help feed and clothe us while others can cause diseases or threaten the food supply. It is important that we know ...

The discovery of RNAi dates back to the 1990s when researchers observed unexpected gene silencing in plants and fungi. In 1998, Andrew Fire and Craig Mello published a groundbreaking study ...

A widespread bacteria called Wolbachia pipientis and a virus that it carries can cause sterility in male insects by hijacking their sperm, preventing them from fertilizing eggs of females that do not ...

Researchers at the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) have identified a gene responsible for the development of the sweetpotato weevil, which could make the pest easier to control. The ...