USDA Approves Release of GM Moths in New York

A milestone for the spread of 'franken-bugs' in the United States

A diamondback moth genetically engineered by biotech company Oxitec and scientists at Cornell University to produce offspring that will die before they reach maturity. The moth has been released for testing in Geneva, New York, in the hopes that it will decrease the wild population of this agricultural pest. Courtesy of Oxitec

A precedent-setting release of genetically engineered insects could soon take place in Geneva, New York. On July 6, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) approved the release of a moth designed to self-destruct.

Its mission is to mate with wild diamondback moths, which are an agricultural pest, and produce offspring that will die before reaching maturity. Scientists at Cornell University’s Geneva campus, working with biotech company Oxitec, have inserted a genetic “kill switch” in the moths that is triggered while they are still larvae. The moths contain genetic elements from viruses, bacteria, and coral, among other organisms, according to the nonprofit GeneWatch.

Many concerned organizations and individuals are now putting pressure on the New York Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) to halt the release. DEC must approve it before it can go ahead.

While genetically modified (GM) plants are now ubiquitous in the United States, the release of GM insects into the environment is almost entirely new.

Although the moths are designed to die before reaching maturity, the kill switch doesn't work 100 percent of the time. Even only 1 percent surviving would mean millions of GM moths surviving and spreading.