The Genome Project
Judging by the scale of the damage inflicted, the moth wins many battles against farmers around the world. The key to reversing this trend and winning the war is to gain a detailed inside knowledge of the moth - the enemy.
When fully funded this project will completely sequence the genome of the moth. This will provide both a complete catalogue of all of the moth genes and a map of where they are to be found. The genome sequence will provide the complete set of instructions for making a living moth. While it will not be possible to immediately decipher all of these instructions, the sequence will be an invaluable resource in meeting the goal of intelligently plotting the demise of the moth.
What benefits would the project
deliver?
Scientists around the world are working towards the goal of
controlling this moth using integrated pest management
(IPM) strategies that unite biological control with
judicious use of chemical insecticides.
It should be clearly acknowledged that much outstanding
work has already been done. The damage done by the moth
would be far more extensive were it not for the application
of this research in the field. For example in Australia,
the CSIRO Division of Entomology and the Queensland
Department of Primary Industries have reduced the impact of
the moth in cotton growing areas through the widespread and
coordinated adoption of their prescribed IPM strategies.
This area wide management represents a
gold standard that researchers working on the
control of other insect pests are striving to
emulate.
The genome sequence will improve the power
of IPM, creating the capacity to control the moth more
effectively and sustainably with a reduced environmental
impact.
Specifically scientists will use the genome
sequence to:
1. Discover all of the insecticide
resistance genes so that field resistance can be carefully
monitored. This will allow insecticide use to be
intelligently prescribed. The right insecticides will be
used and, then, only as required. Hence, insecticide usage
will be minimized while maximizing control.
2. Develop molecular genetic markers so
that the structure and movement of moth populations can be
tracked. Moths can move large distances (thousands of
kilometers) and use different host plants. The development
of an intelligent control strategy requires a knowledge of
where the moth comes from.
3. Identify all of the genes that produce
detoxification enzymes that form the insect’s primary
defence systems against insecticides. An understanding of
these defence systems may allow them to be overcome.
