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  4. The Insectophile | Ep 6

The insectophile | Ep 6

Jan 12, 2017

Voices

  • Blake Bextine, program manager, Biological Technologies Office
  • Host: Ivan Amato, Public Affairs

Recruiting insects to deliver protective genes to food crops

Blake Bextine of the Biological Technologies Office talks about his virus- and insect-mediated vision for protecting food crops from natural and human-wrought threats, including drought and biological warfare. 

With his Insect Allies program, Bextine aims to increase food security by recruiting insects to deliver viruses, which have been modified to bear protective genes, into plants where those virus-carried genes could save the plants from the threats they face. 

He also shares ideas about a future with more insects on the menu to feed the many more mouths that likely will be on the planet.

 

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