Scientists are learning to turn the genetics of insect pests against themselves, altering the genome of familiar foes in ways that give farmers and doctors new ways to fight them. The burgeoning field offers fresh hope against old scourges such as malaria. And it could provide shiny new tools as familiar insecticides lose their punch and climate change shuffles the deck. But concerns buzz the new technology like a cloud of gnats.
"Questions remain about the efficacy of these tools, their safety and their appropriateness," says a new report from the Council of Canadian Academies. "Will it be suitable to deploy gene editing in the natural environment and how will gene editing fit into the wider pest control tool box?" The report, released last week, was commissioned by the Pest Management Regulatory Agency, an arm of Health Canada that regulates chemicals used to manage pests. It's the start of what its authors hope will be an urgent and thoughtful conversation about the possible role of a brand-new way to swat those pesky bug