Releasing Gene-Edited Fruit Flies to Save Fruit Crops

Stopping the threat of an invasive and destructive fruit fly may take an army of the gene-edited species. Those would be released into the fields and could eventually become the heroes saving fruit crops. The technology behind the idea is considered an evolution in pest control, carried out by St. Louis-based biotech company Agragene.

First, the problem. The spotted wing drosophila (SWD) is the threat to fruit growers in the United States. This fruit fly made its way from Southeast Asia, causing hundreds of millions of dollars in damage each year.

“The product that we are trying to sell is the edit that makes the male sterile,” said Stephanie Gamez, R&D Director at Agragene. "The precision sterile insect technique is a CRISPR-based system."

Gamez helped the research team transition from the lab into contained field testing, releasing the gene-edited flies on berry farms in California and Oregon. The testing was successful, so larger field studies are now planned.

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