Planting RNA on the Farm

Researchers have hit upon a new way to stop the pesky critters that destroy crops: They've **genetically engineered plants** to express **insect-killing RNA** molecules. The new approach could pave the way for more targeted - and environmentally friendly - pest control. Some major economic crops, including soybeans and corn, are genetically engineered to kill pests - for example, by expressing insecticides normally made by bacteria. But these nonspecific toxins can have unintended ecological consequences. They kill nonharmful insects, such as monarch butterflies, and they can also accelerate the emergence of pesticide-resistant bugs. So researchers have begun to focus on more targeted approaches. #img_772#.<> "ScienceNOW":[ http://sciencenow.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/2007/1105/3]

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