Plans are underway in the U.S. to test the first genetically engineered insect in the wild. Researchers are trying to manipulate the genes of the pink bollworm moth — an insect known for destroying cotton crops around the world — so that it eventually eradicates itself. U.S. regulators are expected to give the green light to field tests this summer in Arizona. Enviros will probably protest the experiment, but the researchers say they will take precautions to keep the moths in cages to prevent them from escaping and breeding with wild populations.
