Experts Develop System for Studying Greater Wax Moth as Animal Model

University of Exeter researchers in the UK reported a new method for animal molecular research using the PiggyBac transposon system and for precise gene knockouts via CRISPR–Cas9 technology in the greater wax moth (Galleria mellonella).

The larvae of the greater wax moth are becoming a popular animal model for studying the mechanisms of infection, immunology, and inflammation. Recently, research on the greater wax moth has advanced understanding of plastic degradation and solutions to plastic waste. However, transgenic approaches in G. mellonella have not yet been developed until this study. The researchers used the PiggyBac transposase system and CRISPR–Cas9, two effective and complementary tools for developing transgenic organisms and targeted gene knockouts.

Both tools enabled visualization of internal structures and developed sensor lines that glow to indicate infection or health status. Thus, it proved that the larvae are a sophisticated and quantifiable tool for testing new medicines and treatments. Furthermore, using insect models such as the greater wax moth provides a cost-effective and ethical alternative to mammalian testing.

Read more from Nature.