By Blake Jackson
A University of Kentucky forest entomologist is advancing a pest-control approach designed to target destructive forest beetles while minimizing effects on surrounding wildlife.
The research, reported by Jordan Strickler, Agriculture Communications Specialist at the University of Kentucky, focuses on using RNA interference (RNAi) to control the emerald ash borer and southern pine beetle.
Lynne Rieske-Kinney, Ph.D., a Professor in the Department of Entomology at the University of Kentucky Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment, has spent about a decade studying RNAi as a potential management tool for the two forest pests. Her current research is supported by a cooperative agreement awarded in 2024 that runs through 2027.
“We can definitely kill insects in the lab, in a petri dish,” Rieske-Kinney said. “The challenge is scaling it up to a usable technology, and that’s what we’re focusing on now.”
RNAi uses a natural cellular process to interfere with gene activity. Researchers create double-stranded RNA that corresponds to a short genetic sequence within a target insect. When the insect consumes the RNA, its cells respond by stopping production of the related protein. If that protein is necessary for survival, the insect can die.
The approach is designed to be highly specific because the RNA sequence must closely match its target gene. “If you design a double-stranded RNA for a specific insect, the chances of it affecting anything else is very, very low,” Rieske-Kinney said.
Researchers have completed studies examining potential effects on non-target organisms for RNAi treatments targeting both pests. They also found the treatments can work alongside biological control agents used against emerald ash borer.
For emerald ash borer, researchers are investigating treatments that protect individual ash trees. Their studies have shown that RNA delivered through foliar, bark or root applications can move through trees and remain active for at least 30 days. The team is now exploring whether protection can last an entire growing season or longer.
“Ideally, what we would like is a single application to provide season-long protection against emerald ash borer,” Rieske-Kinney said. “But what if we could provide three years of protection? That would be comparable to what current chemical insecticides are providing for ash protection.”
For southern pine beetle, the research takes a broader approach by modifying fungal partners associated with the beetle to produce the RNA. The fungi could potentially spread the gene-silencing effect as beetles move through forests.
“With emerald ash borer, we’re looking at how we can protect an individual tree, while with southern pine beetle, we’re thinking on the scale of an entire forest,” Rieske-Kinney said.
“They’re very different challenges, but the goal is the same: using this gene-silencing technology in a very targeted way to protect trees from destructive insects.”
Photo Credit: gettyimages-paul-hartley
Categories: Kentucky, Education