Genes in new environments: genetics and evolution in biological control
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Updated: Aug 30, 2026

Maintaining Biological Cultures and Measuring Gene Expression in Aphis nerii: A Non-model System for Plant-insect Interactions
Published on: August 31, 2018
George K Roderick1, Maria Navajas
1Environmental Science, Policy and Management, 201 Wellman Hall MC 3112, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720-3112, USA. roderick@nature.berkeley.edu
Abstract:
The availability of new genetic technologies has positioned the field of biological control as a test bed for theories in evolutionary biology and for understanding practical aspects of the release of genetically manipulated material. Purposeful introductions of pathogens, parasites, predators and herbivores, when considered as replicated semi-natural field experiments, show the unpredictable nature of biological colonization. The characteristics of organisms and their environments that determine this variation in the establishment and success of biological control can now be explored using genetic tools. Lessons from studies of classical biological control can help inform researchers and policy makers about the risks that are associated with the release of genetically modified organisms, particularly with respect to long-term evolutionary changes.
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