(ORDO NEWS) — Researchers at the Earlham Institute in Norwich have announced their success in setting up factories that produce moth sex pheromones using tobacco plants and solar energy.
Scientists have genetically engineered plants to produce pheromones that are normally produced by female insects to attract males.
After growing the plants and extracting the pheromones, the resulting products were tested in the field on moth insects.
According to the researchers, the developed method makes it possible to control the production of these molecules using precise genetic engineering techniques so that the plant continues to grow normally.
Currently, farmers hang up pheromone dispersants that mimic the signals of female insects to distract males from finding a mate.
These dispersants produce molecules through expensive chemical processes that often release toxic by-products.
Now researchers have discovered ways to synthetically engineer plants like tobacco into pheromone factories that require only sunlight and water.
This was made possible by the creation of genetic modules with instructions for building new molecules.
The researchers say this could be a more sustainable and environmentally friendly way to produce pheromones than traditional methods that involve chemical synthesis or extraction from mass-grown moths.
They also note that the new technology could help control pests that damage crops.
“Synthetic biology could allow us to engineer plants to make much more than they already have, or we can provide genetic instructions that will allow them to create new biological molecules, such as drugs or these pheromones,” said study leader, head of Synthetic Biology Group at the Earlham Institute by Nicola Patron.
However, research is still in its early stages and more research is needed before this technology becomes available for general use.
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