Gene Editing and Genetic Regulation: New Insight in Insect Sex Determination, Reproductive Development and Pest Control

Dear Colleagues,

Since the emergence of the CRISPR methodology, gene editing technology has progressed significantly. Gene editing has become an indispensable tool in biological research with respect to health, clinical, and basic science; agriculture; plant science, etc. Genetic regulation is one of the important research and application directions of gene editing.

As the largest group of organisms in the animal kingdom on Earth, insects not only include many economically important species, such as silkworms or honeybees, but also pests, such as Locusta migratoria. This abundance provides large-scale genetic resources that fuel insect research, and this is beneficial from the perspectives of human health, agricultural production, and basic science.

Gene editing and genetic regulation have been applied in many fields of insect research. However, there are also a large number of scientific problems and application prospects that require explored, such as sex determination, reproductive development, and pest control.

This Special Issue aims to collect the latest research findings or reviews on insect sex determination, reproductive development, and pest control using gene editing and/or genetic regulation techniques. Submissions covering any area of this theme are welcome, and those covering the following themes are encouraged:

• The gene regulatory network between the key gene in the sex determination pathway and reproductive development in insects;
• Using the sex determination and reproduction development genes as the target gene and combining technologies such as transgene, genome editing, and gene drive to exploit new pest control methods.

This Special Issue also accepts protocols associated with gene editing research. These detailed experimental procedures should facilitate reproducibility and provide a comprehensive guide for researchers in the field. By including protocols, this Special Issue aims to enhance the accessibility and reproducibility of the gene editing research presented in the Special Issue.

Dr. Honglun Bi
Guest Editor

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• insect gene editing
• genetic regulation 
• CRISPR/Cas 
• gene drive 
• pest control
• sex determination 
• reproductive development
• insect sterile technique