British scientists recently sought approval to release thousands of genetically modified olive flies in Spain as an experimental pest-control alternative to chemical pesticides. If approved, the trial will be first of its kind on European soil. Pioneered by Oxford-based biotech firm Oxitec, the experiment uses sterile insect technique (SIT) to reduce the numbers of olive flies, considered a pestilence to olive crops. Genetically modified (GM) olive fly males are released into the environment, where they mate with wild olive females. Their resulting offspring would be infertile, so the flies--wild and GM--fail to proliferate.
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