Novoclade, Inc. received a $181,500 Project Grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Institute of Food and Agriculture under the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program. The funding supports the development of an innovative insect control method using genetically engineered sterile male Spotted Wing Drosophila (SWD) flies. Novoclade's approach aims to simplify the implementation of the Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) for SWD, a major agricultural pest causing an estimated $400 million in annual losses. The company plans to batch-produce only male SWD flies without transgenes, which can then be sterilized and released for population control. This technology has the potential to be adapted for controlling other sexually reproducing insect species, offering a more effective and environmentally-friendly alternative to traditional chemical insecticides. The work will be conducted from July 2024 through June 2025.
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