Area-wide population control by mass-release of sterile insects (the Sterile Insect Technique, SIT) has been practiced with great success against a modest number of pest species. Some of the problems that limit the use of this method, or reduce its efficiency, can potentially be overcome by the use of recombinant DNA technology. Potential improvements include the use of genetic markers to allow discrimination between released and wild insects, genetic sexing to allow single-sex releases, and the replacement of radiation-sterilisation with genetic strategies. We are developing such approaches, using Drosophila melanogaster as a test bed, and attempting to extend them to pest species of agricultural and medical importance. I will describe our recent progress in this on-going project.
Keywords: RIDL
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