Phil.
At 11:04 PM 3/9/00 +1000, you wrote:
>I agree with Roger
>
>I suspect that a pathogen is needed rather than a gene that takes
>generations to manifest - we need a disease that affects a part of gambusia
>that natives don't have and which will render them incapable of breeding. In
>short we need a specific "gonopodium rot" infectious agent. Preferably viral
>so freeze dried distribution would be possible :-)
>
>Regards,
>Bruce Hansen
>president at angfa.org.au
>Please visit us at http://www.angfa.org.au
>
>----- Original Message -----
>From: "Roger Sleet" <rsleet at charitynet.org>
>To: <rainbowfish at pcug.org.au>
>Sent: Thursday, March 09, 2000 7:30 PM
>Subject: RE: [RML] Gambusia control
>
>
>> Hi
>>
>> >Wouldn't it be nice if the geneticists could isolate a "lethal gene" in
>> >gambusia and spread it around all infested areas?
>> >
>> >Just dreaming, or maybe not! Any hot-shot geneticists out there who could
>> >take care of this problem?
>>
>> I'm not much of a Geneticist these days due to a career switch :-)
>>
>> but
>>
>> I'm afraid it can't be done. Where genetic engeneering is used to
>introduce
>> these "killer genes", it is the F1 and subsequent generation of the
>> introduced organism that have the lethal factor, so only descentants of
>the
>> introduced species would be effected. If they did cross with a local
>> population then the gene would be quickly selected out - it is after all
>> lethal.
>>
>> The technique is a good one when introducing a biological control organism
>> where you are not sure of the effect the introduced organism would have on
>> the environment a whole.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
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>
>
>
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Phil Kent. Sydney, Australia.
Mailto:peekay at acay.com.au ICQ 10604320
Have you ever imagined a world with no hypothetical situations?
Homepage: Http://www.geocities.com/SouthBeach/Inlet/9217/
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