Transgene Organismen zur Bekämpfung von Pflanzenschädlingen (in Eng.)

Since 1996 genetically modified organisms (GMOs) have changed the production in agriculture and forestry. By inserting a gene construct into an organism, this organism e.g. plant obstains a new character e.g. insect resistance. In Europe this technique is still under discussion in agriculture and forestry but it is a matter of time till this technique will find a broader application. This lecture offers PhD students the possibility to obtain an overview on this subject.

In the US most of the corn, soy, cotton fields are already planted with Bt-crops. Through the insertion of a Bacillus thuringienses (B.t.) toxin gene into the plant the plant has a higher resistance towards some pest insects and thus a lower use of insecticides is proposed. In the first part of the lecture we will discuss the most commonly used genes and their mode of action in the natural organism and in the transformed plant. By releasing such transformed organisms, several risks e.g. gene transfer resistance of the insect against the toxin, fitness effects might occur which will be discussed in the second part.