Oxitec Insect Control for public
health and agriculture
BVL –Symposium 5-6 Nov 2014
Berlin
Camilla Beech
© 2014 Oxitec Limited
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Oxitec insect control technology
Combat insectborne diseases
Improve crop
yields
© 2014 Oxitec Limited
through the
reduction of
pest insect
populations
biological
approach that is
safe, sustainable,
economic and
applicable to
many insect
species
worldwide
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Why engineer insects for pest control ?
New 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
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Oxitec introduces two genes
Injecting genes into insect egg
Self Limiting Gene
Self Limiting Gene
Marker Gene
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Repressed with an antidote during male insect
production
Passed on to progeny fathered by Oxitec males
Prevents offspring from developing into
reproductive adults
Without continued release disappears from
the gene pool and environment
© 2014 Oxitec Limited
Fluorescent Marker Gene
Fluorescent Protein detected by special light
Allows track and trace for Oxitec insects
Allows estimation of pest population sizes
Allows effective monitoring of pest population
suppression
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Our approach
Oxitec technology disrupts the reproductive cycle of pest insects
© 2014 Oxitec Limited
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Oxitec self limiting technology
Oxitec technology is
species specific
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No effects on beneficial
insects like bees
Compatible with Crop
Protection technology
1st Generation
population control
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Physical sorting males
Effects male and female
offspring, which fail to
reach adulthood
2nd Generation Male
selection
3nd Generation early
population Control
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Genetic sorting to give
males
Effects only female
offspring which fail to
reach maturity
© 2014 Oxitec Limited
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Genetic sorting to give
males
Effects both males and
female
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Safety
Oxitec technology is species
specific
Cannot establish in the
environment
Males do not bite/ oviposit in
crop
No adverse effects on
predators/parasitoids
tested
Non-toxic proteins
No allergenic
homologies/epitopes
Genetically stable
© 2014 Oxitec Limited
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Monitoring built in
Released males seek females
Genetic marker allows “track and
trace in the environment”
Releases monitored
continually to adjust release
rates
© 2014 Oxitec Limited
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Integration with other treatments
Pest population
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Insecticide treatment as an initial knock-down
On-going breeding site removal and or larvicides
Sustained, preventative genetic control
Spot treatments with insecticides
Untreated
Insecticides
Oxitec solution
Threshold
Insecticides
Threshold
Oxitec solution
Time
© 2014 Oxitec Limited
Time
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Oxitec portfolio
Public Health
Agriculture
Target
Crop
Vector of
Medfly
Citrus/pome/
stone fruit
Olive fly
Olive
Aedes
albopictus
Chikungunya
& dengue
Brassica
Anopheles
stephensi
Malaria
Diamondback
moth
Pink
bollworm
Silkworm
© 2014 Oxitec Limited
Target
Aedes aegypti
Dengue
In development
Cotton
Silk
Target
Crops
Drosophila
suzukii
Soft fruit
Red flour
beetle
Stored
products
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96%
92%
94%
© 2014 Oxitec Limited
Every A. aegypti
field trial showed
greater than
90%
mosquito
suppression
99%
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Benefits
Oxitec’s mating-based pest control
approach provides:
• Efficacy!
• Male-only releases
• Biological targeting
• Species-specific pest control
• Not toxic or allergenic
• Heritable visible marker
• Self-limiting in the environment
© 2014 Oxitec Limited
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The challenge:
© 2014 Oxitec Limited
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GM crops: GM insects
GM crops
Oxitec insects
Genetic change to food product
Genetic change to pest only
Can persist in the environment
Self-limiting
Genes may pass to non-GM plants
Genes do not pass to other species
Complex monitoring
Simple monitoring
© 2014 Oxitec Limited
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Regulatory approach
• Disruptive innovation
– Often no clear regulatory pathway
– Currently using a mix of GM legislation (EU, Brazil)
and product legislation (USA).
– GM legislation (safety) followed by product legislation
(label)
– May hinder progress and use
• Proportionate pragmatic regulation needed
– Risk/ benefit analysis key to decision making
– Ideally a “ product “ registration including safety
– Biological control may be a precedent ?
© 2014 Oxitec Limited
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Regulatory progress
Across all Oxitec GM insects – all applications successful
“ Environmentally preferable” USDA EIS
Oxitec Aedes aegypti
received approval for
commercial releases in
Brazil April 2014
Outdoor release
approved
Current applications
for outdoor release
Import and contained
trials approved
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Austria
France
Greece
Guatemala
Israel
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© 2014 Oxitec Limited
Singapore
Thailand
Vietnam
UK
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India
Spain
Caribbean
KSA
Morocco
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Brazil
Cayman
Malaysia
Mexico
USA
Panama
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Acknowledgements
© 2014 Oxitec Limited
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www.oxitec.com
Thank
you
@Oxitec
camilla.beech@oxitec.com
© 2014 Oxitec Limited
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