Completion of the i5K project
i5K is a five year project to sequence the genomes of 5,000 insect and related arthropod species. It aims to identify the vulnerable regions of insect DNA, which could then be targeted with pesticides and other treatments. This could reduce the $50 billion spent globally each year to control the many diseases transmitted by insects.
It could also aid the search for suitable compounds for use as pesticides: ones that kill a targeted pest, but leave the beneficial pollinating insects unharmed. This may help in reversing colony collapse disorder, for example, which has ravaged bee populations for decades. On current trends, honeybees had been expected to go extinct by 2035 – potentially resulting in global famine. The project could also be useful in combatting malaria, one of the world's most common infectious diseases and responsible for 2.2% of all deaths globally.
The costs of genome sequencing have fallen exponentially in recent years – making it feasible to cheaply sequence huge numbers of animals and plants.
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