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Page 1© 2014 Oxitec Limited
Oxitec Insect Control for public health and agriculture
BVL –Symposium 5-6 Nov 2014BerlinCamilla Beech
Page 2© 2014 Oxitec Limited
Combat insect-borne diseases
Improve crop yields
through the reduction of pest insect populations
biological approach that is safe, sustainable, economic and applicable to many insect species worldwide
Oxitec insect control technology
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New control solutions needed for public health and agriculture• consumer demand for more
food on less land• demand for residue
reduction• changing pest pressures• fewer available pesticides• pesticide resistance
Why engineer insects for pest control ?
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Oxitec introduces two genes
Self Limiting Gene
• Repressed with an antidote during male insect production
• Passed on to progeny fathered by Oxitec males• Prevents offspring from developing into
reproductive adults• Without continued release disappears from
the gene pool and environment
Marker Gene
• Fluorescent Protein detected by special light• Allows track and trace for Oxitec insects• Allows estimation of pest population sizes• Allows effective monitoring of pest population
suppression
Injecting genes into insect egg Self Limiting Gene Fluorescent Marker Gene
Page 5© 2014 Oxitec Limited
Our approach
Oxitec technology disrupts the reproductive cycle of pest insects
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Oxitec self limiting technology
1st Generation population control
• Physical sorting males• Effects male and female
offspring, which fail to reach adulthood
• Genetic sorting to give males
• Effects only female offspring which fail to reach maturity
2nd Generation Male selection
• Genetic sorting to give males
• Effects both males and female
3nd Generation early population Control
• No effects on beneficial insects like bees
• Compatible with Crop Protection technology
Oxitec technology is species specific
Page 7© 2014 Oxitec Limited
Oxitec technology is species specificCannot establish in the environment Males do not bite/ oviposit in crop
Safety
No adverse effects on predators/parasitoids tested
Non-toxic proteinsNo allergenic homologies/epitopes Genetically stable
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Monitoring built in
Released males seek femalesGenetic marker allows “track and trace
in the environment”
Releases monitored continually to adjust release rates
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Integration with other treatments
Insecticide treatment as an initial knock-down On-going breeding site removal and or larvicides Sustained, preventative genetic control Spot treatments with insecticides
Insecticides
Time
Pest
pop
ulati
on
Oxitec solutionThresholdInsecticides
Time
Oxitec solutionThreshold
Untreated
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Target Crop
MedflyCitrus/
pome/stone fruit
Olive fly Olive
Diamondbackmoth Brassica
Pink bollworm Cotton
Silkworm Silk
Target Crops
Drosophilasuzukii Soft fruit
Red flourbeetle
Stored products
Agriculture
In development
Oxitec portfolio
Target Vector of
Aedes aegypti Dengue
Aedes albopictus
Chikungunya & dengue
Anophelesstephensi Malaria
Public Health
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96%
92%
99%94%
Every A. aegypti field trial showed
greater than 90%
mosquito suppression
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Benefits
Oxitec’s mating-based pest control approach provides:• Efficacy!• Male-only releases• Biological targeting • Species-specific pest control• Not toxic or allergenic• Heritable visible marker
• Self-limiting in the environment
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The challenge:
Page 14© 2014 Oxitec Limited
GM crops: GM insects
GM crops Oxitec insects
Genetic change to food product Genetic change to pest only
Can persist in the environment Self-limiting
Genes may pass to non-GM plants Genes do not pass to other species
Complex monitoring Simple monitoring
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Regulatory approach
• Disruptive innovation – Often no clear regulatory pathway– Currently using a mix of GM legislation (EU, Brazil)
and product legislation (USA).– GM legislation (safety) followed by product legislation
(label)– May hinder progress and use
• Proportionate pragmatic regulation needed– Risk/ benefit analysis key to decision making– Ideally a “ product “ registration including safety– Biological control may be a precedent ?
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Regulatory progressAcross all Oxitec GM insects – all applications successful“ Environmentally preferable” USDA EIS
Oxitec Aedes aegypti received approval for commercial releases in Brazil April 2014
Import and contained trials approved
• Austria• France• Greece• Guatemala• Israel
• Singapore• Thailand• Vietnam• UK
Current applications for outdoor release
• India• Spain• Caribbean• KSA• Morocco
Outdoor release approved
• Brazil• Cayman• Malaysia• Mexico• USA• Panama
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Acknowledgements
![Oxitec Overview March 2008 V3 (Pdf) [Modo De Compatibilidade]](https://img.pdfslide.us/doc/110x75/55c2b7cabb61eb03348b468d/oxitec-overview-march-2008-v3-pdf-modo-de-compatibilidade.jpg)
