Oxitec Insect Control for public health and agriculture ABIM 2014 (20-22 Oct 2014) Camilla Beech © 2014 Oxitec Limited Page 1 Oxitec insect control technology biological Combat insect- through the approach that is borne diseases reduction of safe, sustainable, pest insect economic and Improve crop populations applicable to yields many insect species worldwide © 2014 Oxitec Limited Page 2 Why engineer insects for pest control ? Ne w 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 © 2014 Oxitec Limited Page 3 Oxitec introduces two genes Injecting genes into insect egg Self Limiting Gene Fluorescent Marker Gene Self Limiting Gene Marker Gene • Repressed with an antidote during male insect • Fluorescent Protein detected by special light production • Allows track and trace for Oxitec insects • Passed on to progeny fathered by Oxitec males • Allows estimation of pest population sizes • Prevents offspring from developing into • Allows effective monitoring of pest population reproductive adults suppression • Without continued release disappears from the gene pool and environment © 2014 Oxitec Limited Page 4 Our approach Oxitec technology disrupts the reproductive cycle of pest insects © 2014 Oxitec Limited Page 5 Oxitec self limiting technology 1st Generation Oxitec technology is population control species specific • Physical sorting males • No effects on beneficial • Effects male and female insects like bees offspring, which fail to • Compatible with Crop reach adulthood Protection technology 2nd Generation Male 3nd Generation early selection population control • Genetic sorting to give • Genetic sorting to give males males • Effects only female • Effects both males and offspring which fail to female reach maturity © 2014 Oxitec Limited Page 6 Oxitec portfolio Agriculture Public Health Target Crop Target Vector of Citrus/pome/ Medfly Aedes aegypti Dengue stone fruit Aedes Chikungunya Olive fly Olive albopictus & dengue Diamondback Anopheles Brassica Malaria moth stephensi In development Pink Cotton bollworm Target Crops Drosophila Soft fruit suzukii Silkworm Silk Red flour Stored beetle products © 2014 Oxitec Limited Page 7 Effectiveness Aedes aegypti field trials show greater than 90% mosquito suppression © 2014 Oxitec Limited Page 8 Key benefits summary Efficacy • Reduces insect pest population below disease or economic threshold • Highly targeted - uses the biological imperative of a male to seek out females Control • Released insects and their progeny die in a few days – providing a self- limiting or ‘dead end’ strategy • Simple monitoring using fluorescent protein – provides ‘track and trace’ and predictive capability Environment • Reduce or more effective insecticide use – ideal in IPM programmes • Species-specific – no impact on beneficial insects • Does not persist in the environment or crop • ‘Environmentally preferable’ approach – USDA © 2014 Oxitec Limited Page 9 The challenge: © 2014 Oxitec Limited Page 10