Husker scientist Ana Maria Vélez is developing genetic technology to contain the Western corn rootworm, which causes up to $2 billion in yield losses and control costs annually in the corn belt. The research seeks to contain agricultural pests by targeting rootworm genes.
This genetic technology, known as RNAi, increases the mortality rate of rootworm larvae to protect corn plants.
Velez, an associate professor in the Department of Entomology at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, explained his research area in a recent presentation at North Carolina State University and later online. She and her Greenlight Biosciences co-author Ken Narva discussed a new paper, “RNA Interference in Agriculture: Methods, Applications, and Governance,” which covers a wide range of aspects of this scientific field.
The recent event was sponsored by the Agricultural Science and Technology Council. This paper describes how RNAi works, its current agricultural applications, and the regulatory outlook for RNAi-based pesticides. Finally, we discuss current challenges in commercially applying this technology to agriculture.
Vélez and Narva's analysis provides a resource for regulators, policy makers and legislators, private and public institutions, and the general public.
The North Carolina gathering provided an update on a series of presentations Mr. Velez has been invited to give to U.S. and international conferences.
Velez and the graduate students in her lab are advancing knowledge in a variety of ways. The researchers focus on small interfering RNA molecules derived from applied double-stranded RNA molecules. Interfering RNA molecules bind to targeted rootworm genes and prevent the production of proteins that enable specific physiological functions.
Researchers are developing RNAi science to incorporate pest resistance traits into crops and as sprayable bioinsecticides for use in integrated pest management programs. Another area of research is the development of oral RNAi to control pathogen-carrying mosquitoes.
Through his Hasker lab, Beres is “working on cutting-edge research that looks at controlling insect pests by manipulating their gene expression,” said John Ruberson, professor and chair of the Department of Entomology. Ta. “Her research focuses on how interfering with RNA within insect cells can disrupt cellular machinery and suppress pests.”
Velez and students in her lab are working with Lance Meinke, professor emeritus of entomology at Nebraska State, on several projects in this field. They will identify the relevant rootworm genes and study how the RNAi molecules of interest enter cells, are processed by the cells, and travel throughout the rootworm's body. One project is trying to identify specific rootworm genes that guide larvae to corn roots and attack them.
Beres is a world expert in this field. In September, she spoke with industry and government representatives in Washington, DC, sharing her expertise on ecological risk assessment of RNAi-based pesticides. Since 2017, she has hosted her annual symposium on RNAi for the Entomological Society of America. In 2019, she briefed government representatives at the Organization for Economic Development and Cooperation in Paris about RNAi-based pesticides.
Velez said adding genetic methods to the list of preventative measures against this crop threat is especially important given the extraordinary adaptability of corn rootworms.
“They have evolved resistance to different types of pesticides, Bt (a protein toxic to rootworms), and even crop rotation in different places,” she says. “They learn to lay eggs on soybeans because they know they're probably going to seed corn the next year. They're really amazing insects in a way in that they adapt to everything. is.”
Given their proven resistance capabilities, Velez said it is best to use multiple prevention methods against rootworms by incorporating RNAi, Bt proteins, insecticides, crop rotation, etc.
SmartStax PRO, a corn seed genetically engineered using RNAi and Bt proteins to address rootworm threats, will be available to U.S. growers in 2022 and usage is increasing. Masu.
However, rootworm resistance may compromise the effectiveness of SmartStax PRO over time, highlighting the need to develop a comprehensive understanding of RNAi science regarding this pest. UNL is well-positioned to address knowledge gaps in important areas, including gene identification, RNAi molecules for rootworm treatment, details of rootworm resistance, and applicability to other insect species.
Scholars visited Velez's UNL lab to learn not only about her RNAi research but also about her teaching. She said, “In my program, mentoring is a big part of the student experience.”
After addressing parliamentarians at an international conference in Paris in 2019, Vélez asked students to review their presentation. Her aim, she said, is to involve them. “That way they know all the implications of the technology as well.”
In addition to lab projects, students also participate in research collaborations that Veres pursues with private companies.
“That way they can look at the research not only from an academic perspective, but also from an industry perspective: What questions are companies asking?” she said. “As a result, students gain a broader range of experiences.”
