Benefits of Transgenic Insects

The development of methods to make transgenic insects has provided a powerful genetic tool for insect pest management. Transgenic insect strains have the potential to suppress or eradicate species such as the livestock pest New World screwworm and the fruit pest Mediterranean fruit fly.
Recent studies with mosquitoes have demonstrated the potential to replace or suppress these disease vectors with populations that are unable or less competent to transmit diseases such as malaria and dengue fever.
Transgenic insects can also be used to study gene function and to produce proteins of commercial interest.


The Facility

The Genetic Pest Management program at North Carolina State University operates an insect transgenesis facility that houses state of the art equipment for making transgenic organisms through the use of microinjection technology.
This equipment includes:


Tours and Training

The facility manager provides:


To visit the insect transgenesis facility, request training or use the equipment, please contact the facility manager at itf-manager@ncsu.edu to make arrangements. The facility is located on the North Campus of NC State in 1551 Thomas Hall.

Equipment in the facility was largely funded by an Institutional Development Grant from the North Carolina Biotechnology Center.

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