US plans outdoor GMO screwworm tests in Panama
Scientists at a U.S.-funded Panama facility are beginning outdoor tests of genetically modified screwworm flies to strengthen a longstanding eradication effort as the flesh-eating parasite reappears in Texas; the program centers on NovoFly, a male-only sterility approach, with production considerations expanding to a Texas facility to meet looming needs. Experts say widespread releases and international cooperation will likely extend over more than a year, but supporters argue the technology could be the most significant advance in livestock pest control since the original sterile-insect program that eliminated screwworms in the U.S. decades ago.
