Entomologia Generalis: Call for papers for special issue: Novel Genetic Controls and Biotechnologies to Facilitate the Management of Insect Pests

Special Issue: Novel Genetic Controls and Biotechnologies to Facilitate the Management of Insect Pests

As a form of biological control, the genetic control approaches offer species-specific and cost-effective options to battle insect pests since they are based on intraspecific mating of a targeted population and often implemented as a large land scale. A classic strategy of genetic controls, the sterile insect technique (SIT), has been successfully used for decades to control, contain, or eradicate insect pests. The fields of the functional genomics and synthetic biology evolve so fast and many ideas are no longer limited to the lab. While the transgenic mosquitos were released in the field and gene drives are on the horizon, the stage is set up for many novel genetics-enhanced technologies. In the recent years, strategies including but not limited to: incompatible insect technique (IIT), transgene-based male-sterility (TMS), sperm-marking strains (SMS), transgenic sexing strains (TSS), transgenic embryonic sexing system (TESS), sex-ratio distortion (SRD), CRISPR-based X-shredding, neo-classical genetic sexing strains (GSS), precision guided SIT (pgSIT), sex-sorting incompatible male system (SSIMS), and gene drives based on synthetic Medea, killer/rescue system or homing CRISPR systems, were either demonstrated or proposed for the control of insect pests. Meanwhile, RNAi-based pesticides also offer environmentally-friendly approaches by targeting specific gene(s) in the insect pests.

To select functional molecular elements or gene targets for certain genetic controls or RNAi-based pesticides, genomics or transcriptomics studies are sometimes needed at the initial phase of the development. Once the functionality of a genetic control product is evaluated in the lab, modelling studies can be conducted to predict its efficacy in a field program. When a genetic control or RNAi-based agent to be proposed for application for the first time, risk assessment and regional regulation would need to be considered. This issue aims to collect research and review articles that focus on certain aspects of the whole development pipeline.

We encourage submission of bioinformatic, laboratory, field or modelling studies which could facilitate the application of a control product. Research or opinions regarding risk assessment, regulations or policies for these new biotechnologies are also welcomed.

Submission deadline for the Novel Pest Control Special Issue is March 31, 2025

If you are interested in submitting a paper to the IPM tactics studies Special Issue, please check the Entomologia Generalis general guidelines.
To submit your paper, please register as an author in the journal's manuscript submission system. Please select the "NovContInsPests" section there in order to submit your paper.