Spider venom could help repel insects, researcher says
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Researchers say spider venom could have commercial value as an insecticide. (Getty Images: Photo by Ian Waldie, Getty Images)
A University of Queensland researcher says spider venom could help genetically modify crops to make them resistant to insects.
Professor Glenn King says spider venom has components that specifically target insects without affecting other animals.
Professor King says the technology could be available within 10 years.
"These things are genetically-encoded peptides," he said.
"There's no reason why you couldn't engineer plants to make them.
"They're very, very safe - they have no activity against vertebrates.
"They're natural compounds as well. They're little tiny proteins so they don't hold any ecological consequences in terms of breakdown in the environment."
He says venom could also have commercial value as an insecticide.
Professor King says it is hoped that technology will be commercially available in about four years and it will have many uses.
"Everything from trying to control ecto-parasites on livestock, controlling ecto-parasites on companion animals like cats and dogs to controlling really nasty pests on crops like the cotton boll worm to controlling, say, mosquitos in the public health arena," he said.
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