University of Otago genetics PhD students Josh Gilligan and Gemma McLaughlin prepare to remove a wasp nest from a compost heap in Dunedin last week. University of Otago genetics PhD students Gemma McLaughlin and Josh Gilligan, of Dunedin, have removed about 50 wasp nests in Dunedin since late 2018. The wasps were being used to research how gene-editing could interrupt the pests’ reproductive cycle by stopping production of males, Mr Gilligan said. It was frustrating that the Government’s Predator Free 2050 strategy identified wasps as pests but excluded gene-editing technologies. Gene editing was the way forward and New Zealand was falling behind other nations in researching the science, he said.

Source: Otago Daily Times March 09, 2021 15:33 UTC