Scientists study the use of poisonous spiders to breed pest-killing viruses
2019-05-01 16:02:21
Scientists in the United States have isolated toxin-producing genes from one of the world's most toxic spiders. The gene has been implanted into a virus that infects certain insects, effectively killing pests. This is expected to become a more effective new type of environmental pest control. According to a new issue of the British "New Scientist" magazine, the funnel venom contains hundreds of different toxins, some of which only work on insects. Glenn et al. of Farmington Health Research Center, Farmington, Connecticut, recently extracted a toxin from the funnel aphid, which injects the toxin into insect tissue and can kill the insect, but is harmless when swallowed by insects or other animals. The researchers isolated the gene that produced one of the toxins and transplanted it into a virus that infects certain moths and butterflies. This virus has long been used as a "bio-insecticide," and has been genetically modified to make it more effective against pests. When the genetically modified virus enters the pests, the pest's own cells will begin to make the spider toxin and cause the pest to die immediately. Prior to this, some scientists had transplanted the scorpion venom gene to this virus for insect killing. However, in the experiment, it was found that most of the larvae that were produced in the infected pests failed to form the correct molecular structure, and they could not be put to death. Under the action of this spider poison gene, the toxins produced by the insects all have the correct structure and are very lethal. Glenn et al. said that the screening and cultivation of this virus can make it only infect certain pests, and has no effect on beneficial insects and other organisms. This method is much better than transplanting toxin genes directly into crops. Some other experts believe that this technology is promising, but its safety should be ensured before it is put into practical use.
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