Comments on: Bug becomes instantly resistant to insecticide by swallowing the right bacteria

By: Hemo_jr

Hemo_jr — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 20:05:18 +0000

Can this be used to ameliorate bee colony collapse disorder? At least, in as much as it is caused by pesticides?

By: Jay Fox

Jay Fox — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 18:24:09 +0000

This is the very reason that trying to engineer plants with an enclosed poison is pointless. The bugs will figure out a defense almost as fast as we can develop another “superplant.” Meanwhile, more and more poisons are sprayed on the plants that we intend to eat. Stop the madness!!!

By: Paul

Paul — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 13:36:07 +0000

Time to spray the field with engineered Burkholderia that kill the bugs?

By: Walter S. Andriuzzi

Walter S. Andriuzzi — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 13:28:00 +0000

I wonder whether also other insects can do the same. If some agricultural pest would do that, finding out would be crucial to optimize pest control (and why not, reduce use of agrochemicals). To those who can’t help but have a utilitarian vision of science, this is yet another reminder of the importance of basic research. “What, you want to spend money and effort to study what’s in the gut of a bug?! Are you mental man, especially with the economic crisis there’s better things to do!”. Like spending millions in producing pesticide which may be potentially useless (other than detrimental to the environment)? Yeah right