Increasing efficacy of insecticides using genetic engineering

An interesting development in genetic engineering involves fungi and insecticides. Recently, some fungi have been genetically modified to produce certain toxins, similar to how E. coli cells can be modified to express genes that make them glow and resist antibiotics. The toxins that were selected target certain insects, allowing for a more natural and effective insecticide. The fact that this possibility has begun to be explored opens many new doors for targeted insecticides. For example, certain fungi may be able to be modified to produce a toxin that kills an invasive species of insects while leaving the other existing populations unharmed.

In the first article the peptide scorpine is discussed, which has a very unique amino acid sequence and can specifically target a parasite that causes malaria in rodents. Since scorpine has a specific amino acid sequence, it may be possible to insert a gene that codes specifically for that peptide into a fungus. If that is successful, there is the potential that the fungus could be used to eliminate the parasites carrying malaria and possibly even mosquitoes carrying malaria as well.

I think this could be very useful in coming years. If fungi can be modified to produce certain toxins that are not harmful to humans, but will wipe out some invasive species, there is the potential for a more natural option for insecticides. This could allow farmers to reap more viable product out of every harvest, increasing their yield and income. The produce also wouldn't have to be coated in harmful chemicals that could potentially lead to cancer or other health issues. I believe this would be a very important field to keep studying and experimenting with because it could dramatically increase people's quality of life by keeping them out of harms way from chemical insecticides as well as diseases carried by small organisms (like parasites and insects).

Links:

Scorpine, an anti-malaria and anti-bacterial agent purified from scorpion venom:
https://febs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1016/S0014-5793%2800%2901384-3

Enhancing the utilization of host trehalose by fungal trehalase improves the virulence of fungal insecticide: 
https://link-springer-com.ezproxy.stockton.edu/content/pdf/10.1007%2Fs00253-015-6767-y.pdf

Genetic Weapon Against Insects Raises Hope and Fear in Farming

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Nero-poison pesticides  kill all insects, good and bad but what if we could target individual species and leave beneficial insects such as bees alone? As of now there are countless crops that could benefit from such a product, not to mention we may be able to target mites that may be responsible for the massive die off of our invaluable bees. Biotechnology companies are attempting to create an insecticide that disables specific gene sequences unique to individual species. However there are concerns that the gene splicing may harm species with similar genomes and possibly humans as well. As of now we don't know what the side effects of such a weapon against pest would be. Would it be similar to the DDT fiasco, would it be possible to create resistant super bugs? There are important questions that need answering before these products can be implemented. But can these questions be answered in time to save our crops and our bees?

I think this is going to be the future of all pesticides along with genetically modified crops that also kill pest that try to eat them. However I do not want any of this to be used until we are sure that beneficial species and humans will not be harmed. There are other considerations to take such as how killing off an entire population of anything can effect an ecosystem, but if there's one thing humans can and will do it is the killing off anything that inconveniences us in the quickest and most efficient way possible. We've done it before, it's happening now and it'll continue to happen as long as we're here. (Just for the record I don't think the whole killing things off is okay, I'm just acknowledging that it happens)