Cell sub-journal publishes a simple and easy method for insect gene editing

Researchers at Kyoto University in Japan and the Institute of Evolutionary Biology in Spain have developed a new CRISPR-based gene-editing method that can edit a variety of insects, including cockroaches and beetles, by targeting developing eg.

Current methods of gene editing in insects mainly involve injecting the gene-edited elements into early embry.

Instead, the researchers used a method called direct parental CRISPR (DIPA-CRISPR), in which the Cas ribonucleoprotein was injected as the oocytes of adult female insects develop.

Corresponding author Professor Takaaki Daimon of Kyoto University said: "In a sense, insect researchers have been freed from the trouble of injecting eg.

The researchers injected the Cas9 ribonucleoprotein targeting the eye color gene into 16 mature female German cockroaches (Blattella germanica), which did not carry any fertilized eg.

The researchers then further tested the method at different stages of the reproductive cycle of female German cockroach.

They also applied the method to the red grain thief (Tribolium castaneum) beet.

Taking the red grain thief as the research object, the researchers found that DIPA-CRISPR can be used to generate gene knock-in insects, but the current efficiency is only 2%, and further improvement is need.

"We are on track to enable genome editing in 5 million insect species, taking advantage of the amazing biological capabilities of insects," added Daim.

However, the researchers also noted that this approach has certain limitations, as it requires knowledge of ovarian development in the target species and is not applicable to some insects that employ other reproductive strategies, including fruit flies, a commonly used model organi.

Original text retrieval

DIPA-CRISPR is a simple and accessible method for insect gene editing