Advancing the sterile insect technique for the New World screwworm fly: the case for CRISPR-engineered genetic sexing strains.
TL;DR
It is argued that establishing a screwworm GSS would provide immediate benefits to existing management programs and hope this synthesis will inform and encourage future studies on this effort.
Abstract
The sterile insect technique (SIT) has long been a cornerstone of area-wide integrated pest management programs, and the eradication of the New World screwworm Cochliomyia hominivorax (Coquerel) from North and Central America is widely regarded as a landmark success. However, its resurgence underscores the need to modernize SIT strategies against this devastating pest. The development of genetic sexing strains (GSS) is a revolutionary idea supporting SIT, enabling efficient large-scale separation and the exclusive release of sterile males. Despite GSSs having been shown to significantly enhance the cost-effectiveness and field efficacy of operational SIT campaigns, no such sexing systems have yet been developed for C. hominivorax. Given recent advances in insect genomics, we consider the development of a screwworm GSS both feasible and timely. In this forum, we critically evaluate the potential for translating decades of GSS research into C. hominivorax by leveraging the CRISPR/Cas9 gene-editing technology. To make evidence accessible to a broader audience, we present a narrative overview covering the (i) genetics of GSSs, (ii) current approaches for precise engineering of analogous sexing systems, (iii) knowledge gaps and technical challenges in developing CRISPR-engineered GSSs in screwworm, and (iv) regulatory landscape governing genome-edited insects in the Americas in comparison to other contemporaneous biotechnologies. We argue that establishing a screwworm GSS would provide immediate benefits to existing management programs and hope this synthesis will inform and encourage future studies on this effort.
