[DIYbio] Re: Bti cry proteins

Hi Mega,

„you would kill many other species as collateral damage – or bread resistant bugs?"

I do not think so if the long safety record of Bt and Bti is considered. Bti is routinely used since decades for Mosquitoe nuisance control only in many first world countries. Hopefully unlikely to happen if it had off target effects worth considering. Probably safe enough for fish and other aquatic life forms and drinking water. A write up is to be found here: http://www.doh.wa.gov/CommunityandEnvironment/Pests/Mosquitoes/Bti. It should be considered that this is for nuisance control only. And not to protect infants and pregnant mothers from a tiny Mosquito carrying a deadly parasite. I do not consider the killing of other off target Mosquitoe larvae an unacceptable loss should it happen as that would happen only in a sanitation corridor around a settlement to be protected. Diameter of a sanitation corridor could perhaps be defined by twice the flight distance of the vector Mosquito plus a safety margin counting for the prevailing wind direction and strength.

Resistance by Mosquitoe larvae to Bti proteins apparently have not been observed despite its long history of application ("insecticidal bacteria: An overwhelming success for invertebrate pathology" Brian A. Federici; Journal of Invertebrate Pathology 89 - 2005)

"Can you make sure that other insects wouldn't be affected much?"

See above.

But I would considre it to be acceptable having the most beautiful singing birds starve to death if that safes the children of a community somewhere in the jungle from death or severe brain damage. Remenber that larviciding under this concept is going to happen only locally in a safety corridor. Not to be compared with DDT aerial space spraying of the old days.

What did I miss ?

Heinrich

Hi! You would kill many other species as collateral damage - or breed resistant bugs? Can you make sure that other insects wouldn't be affected much?