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Updated: Oct 9, 2026

Microinjection of Western Corn Rootworm, Diabrotica virgifera virgifera, Embryos for Germline Transformation, or CRISPR/Cas9 Genome Editing
Published on: April 27, 2018
A current perspective on insect gene transformation
1Center for Medical, Agricultural, and Veterinary Entomology, Agricultural Research Service, US Department of Agriculture, 1700 S.W. 23rd Drive, Gainesville, FL 32608, USA. handler@nersp.nerdc.ufl.edu
Abstract:
The genetic transformation of non-drosophilid insects is now possible with several systems, with germ-line transformation reported in published and unpublished accounts for about 12 species using four different transposon vectors. For some of these species, transformation can now be considered routine. Other vector systems include viruses and bacterial symbionts that have demonstrated utility in species and applications requiring transient expression, and for some, the potential exists for genomic integration. Many of these findings are quite recent, presenting a dramatic turning point in our ability to study and manipulate agriculturally and medically important insects. This review discusses these findings from the perspective of all the contributions that has made this technology a reality, the research that has yet to be done for its safe and efficient use in a broader range of species, and an overview of the available methodology to effectively utilize these systems.
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