How it works

Through advanced genetics Oxitec inserts a lethality gene into the target insect species.

When Oxitec males are released into the wild and mate with wild females their offspring inherit the lethal gene. The resulting offspring will die before reaching adulthood and the local target insect population will decline.

We call this approach the RIDL technique. In some strains, we’ve introduced a variation on this approach  in which males which inherit the lethal gene survive, but females die. For more information about RIDL and the science behind it please visit our dedicated information pages in the RIDL science pages.