Elizabeth Owens
Former Regulatory Compliance Scientist, DuPont Pioneer
Expert Bio
I started my entomology career as a child growing up on an agricultural experiment station in a small town in Idaho. I have always been fascinated by insects and invertebrates, but really learned entomology science by being a part of a 4-H club lead by an entomologist. While I did not major in entomology as an undergraduate, I did come back to it upon deciding that I wanted a career in agriculture. I felt then and continue to feel that increasing sustainable production per acre is one of the best ways to preserve natural habitats for insects and other wild creatures. I received my undergraduate degree from the University of Idaho, my M.S. from Iowa State University and my Ph.D. from University of Massachusetts at Amherst. At DuPont Pioneer, I provide oversight of Bt trait durability in commercial corn hybrids.
Elizabeth is no longer an employee of DuPont Pioneer. Answers from Elizabeth were provided in her former capacity as Regulatory Compliance Scientist, DuPont Pioneer.
Studies, Articles and Answers
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Question
Q: Do insects avoid eating GMOS?
A: No. Insects do not avoid eating GMOs. Let me explain why this is so. Plant-feeding insects locate their hosts by vision, smell and taste, using sophisticated receptors in their eyes, feet, antennae and mouthparts. Insects feeding on plants can be generalists, such as grasshoppers, which feed on many different plant species, or specific to feeding on one or only a few plant species, such as many butterflies and moths. In the case of corn or maize, the key target pest insect species for corn-expressing Bt proteins, corn borers and corn rootworm, are specific feeders that use corn predomina [...]
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