Targeted Biological Control of Cassava Insect Pests

Steven Kelly of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom proposes to genetically engineer a benign parasite as a biological control mechanism against herbivorous insect pests. When extracted from a cassava leaf by a feeding insect pest, the parasite expresses the insecticide and thus acts to control pest levels. This biological control agent would target only the insect pests, and could require only a one-time distribution, an important consideration in developing countries.