The course has three broad aims which we hope to develop in students:
1)	Establish a basic understanding of biotechnology and its core genomic tools as an interdisciplinary approach to solving problems.
2)	Introduce biotechnological approaches to controlling insects that damage crops or vector human diseases.
3)	Illustrate interactions between insects, microbes, plants, and humans that can be positively affected by biotechnology.

Topic 1. Introduction to Biotechnology and Insects. Overview of biotechnology including an introduction to foundational technologies such as insect genomics, transcriptomics, and genome editing. A discussion of the ‘types’ of biotechnology companies with an emphasis on companies with insect projects and insect biotechnology-based companies.

Topic 2. Bacillus Thuringiensis (Bt). The discovery of Bt strains and commercial development into biopesticides to control caterpillars, beetle larvae, and mosquito larvae. Discovery strategies for novel Bt cry genes. Diversity of Bt Cry toxins and their actions against pest insects. Early Bt Crops from development to commercialization. Strategies for delaying acquired resistance include high doses, refuges, and Cry gene stacking. 

Topic 3. Next-Gen Insect Resistant Plants. Novel insecticidal proteins delivered in plants. Genes in insects that cause mortality when their expression is disrupted are molecular targets for RNA inhibition (RNAi) strategies for pest insect control. Identified critical genes are targeted via plant-delivered RNAi for insect control. Plant defenses against insects and breeding insect resistance genes into crop plants.

Topic 4. Biotech Interventions Against Piercing and Sucking Crop Pests. It is imperative to develop biotech-based approaches to protect plants against piercing and sucking insects with an emphasis on insects that transmit plant diseases. Strategies currently being developed for the control of piercing-sucking insects include plastid-mediated RNAi, peptide elicitors of plant defensive compounds, and insecticidal peptides in plant vascular systems. 	

Topic 5. Entomopathogens for Iinsect Control. Bacteria (novel Bt strains, Chromobacterium, etc.), insect viruses, entomopathogenic fungi, and entomogenous nematodes.

Topic 6. Next-Gen Biopesticides. Emerging strategies that augment current biopesticides or function as stand-alone biopesticides such as BtBooster, encapsulated or nanoparticle biopesticides, RNAi, and venoms are in development. Genetic enhancement of biopesticides for improved pest control. Modification of nematodes to avoid plant defenses for improved insect pest management.

Topic 7. Modifying Insect Vectors for Human Disease Control. Background on insects and the human diseases they vector. Genomic diversity of insect species as related to why certain species vector human diseases. Insect bacterial symbionts and paratransgenesis as tools to reduce the burden of human diseases. 

Topic 8. Sterile Insect Technology (SIT) for Population Eradication. While SIT is a classic technique for insect population suppression and eradication, genome modification brings SIT to crop pests and insects that vector human diseases.		

Topic 9. Genome Information, Gene Drive, and Genome Editing in Pest Control. Genetic control of mosquito-borne infectious diseases. Approaches to genetic control: Population suppression and Population modification. 

Topic 10. Benefits and Risk Analysis of Genetically Modified Insect Populations. Ethics and genetically modified insects.

Topic 11. Biotechnology and Beneficial Insects. Genetic improvement of beneficial insects focusing on predatory insects, parasitoids, and apiculture.

Topic 12. Insects as a Resource. Insect-mediated environmental remediation. Insects as a protein source for food and feed. Insect-derived enzymes. Insect-based products (silk, chitin). Insects and cultured insect cells for protein production.