The Australian Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research,
Senator the Hon Kim Carr, said ? at the BIO 2008 International Convention in
San Diego, California ? that the team was expected to sequence the moth's
genome in about four months.
"This will allow the collaborating scientists and a worldwide consortium of
specialists to work on new ways of controlling this pest," Senator Carr
said.

According to CSIRO's Group Executive for Agribusiness, Dr Joanne Daly, these
include: the molecular basis of resistance to chemical and Bt insecticides
and population genetics related to the refuge strategies in place to help
prevent Helicoverpa from developing resistance to Bt transgenic cottons.

"This moth is resistant to nearly every class of chemical pesticide and
threatens the long-term viability of transgenic crops which are reliant on
the biological pesticide, Bt," Dr Daly said.

"The sequencing of the genome will greatly facilitate this research by
improving the power, cost effectiveness and insights from the genetic work
on this species and its American cousin H. zea," University of Melbourne
Associate Professor Philip Batterham said.

Senator Carr said that finding the moth's Achilles heel was critically
important to agriculture worldwide.

"The moth causes $225 million of damage a year in Australia ? $5 billion
globally ? to crops such as cotton, legumes and vegetables," he said.

"Our scientists are already world leaders in research on the genetics and
ecology of Helicoverpa and its close relatives.

"This project ? led by CSIRO Entomology's Dr John Oakeshott and Associate
Professor Batterham ? will build on Australia's role. Working together with
our partners at Germany's Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology and
France's National Institute for Agricultural Research, the project will help
establish us as leaders in organising major insect genome projects."

The project is another example of what can be achieved through collaboration
between scientists and their institutions both in Australia and overseas, he
said.
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