Gene silencing pesticide

Gene silencing pesticides are pesticides that use gene silencing, and RNA interference (RNAi) in particular to target individual species while leaving other species unharmed.

[1][2][3] In 1998, it was found that double-stranded RNA, injected to worms influenced the natural gene sequence in such a way that it was silenced.

Equally surprising was that the genes were also silenced when the worms ingested the dsRNA.

Steven Whyard, working for CSIRO Entomology at that time, then also tried it with insects.

Two articles were then also published that confirmed that the effect was powerful enough to protect plants from pests.