- Charles Sturt to host conference to discuss how to regulate and scale-up production of RNAi-based pesticides
- RNAi-based biopesticides offer a sustainable alternative for crop protection compared to the $4.5 billion spent annually on standard pesticides
Charles Sturt University will host a conference of leading international scientists, regulators and industry experts to examine how RNAi-based biopesticides can contribute to more sustainable agricultural systems.
RNAi-based biopesticides work by using natural processes to switch off genes required by pests and pathogens and without which they will die or cannot reproduce.
RNAi-based biopesticides can reduce or eliminate insects, mites, pathogens and weeds in corn, wheat, canola, cotton, fruit, vegetables, nuts and other crops, as well as in forestry and beekeeping.
They are unimpacted by several issues affecting common pesticides, including chemical residues, runoff into waterways, impacts on non-targeted species and the growing problem of pest resistance.
Produced at scale, RNAi-based biopesticides will give Australia’s primary producers a cost-effective alternative to pesticides. Australia currently spends an estimated $4.5 billion annually on standard pesticides, totalling 59,634 tonnes of active ingredients.
The conference, titled ‘Informing Policy: The Role of RNAi-based pesticides in Sustainable Agriculture’, will be held on 13-14 October and will focus on the advancements of RNAi, its challenges of use and safety considerations.
Charles Sturt’s Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) Professor Neena Mitter (photo), one of Australia's leading RNAi experts, said the forum will bring together policymakers and scientists to discuss RNAi-based biopesticide regulation.
“As the science rapidly advances, regulatory systems globally are also evolving to keep pace with these emerging technologies,” Professor Mitter said.
“RNAi-based technologies offer a scientifically precise approach to crop protection but responsible innovation requires science-informed regulatory frameworks.
“This symposium brings together global expertise to inform those pathways."
The virtual event will be hosted over two days and feature 15 speakers to provide presentations and interactive discussions.
Speakers from Charles Sturt University will include Professor Mitter and Mr Stephen Fletcher from the Gulbali Institute for Agriculture, Water and Environment, who specialises in bioinformatics and RNA biology.
They will be joined across the two days by speakers from Belgium, Türkiye, New Zealand, Switzerland, India, Canada, the United States of America, Spain, Germany, Brazil and South Korea.
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