A method for considering the acceptability of novel biotechnologies for the control of brushtail possums

Figures & data

Table 1  A summary of the secretory toxins and reproductive controls being developed to control brushtail possums

Target	Primary agent	Facilitating agent	Administered to possums via	Experimental outcome	Desired outcome
Intestinal fluid secretion	Toxin to disrupt fluid secretion in the intestine	Unknown	Feed bait	Altered intestinal secretion/function	Death
Outer covering (zona pellucida) of the egg	Vaccine against zona pellucida to prevent the egg being fertilized	Adjuvant	Injection*	Reduction in fecundity, lower egg fertilization rates and fewer embryos in superovulated and artificially inseminated possums (Duckworth et al. 2007)	Infertility
		Bacterial ghosts	Nostrils and eyes	No effect on fertility but fewer fertilized eggs in superovulated and artificially inseminated possums (Walcher et al. 2008)	Infertility
Pituitary hormone secretion	Vaccine to disrupt reproductive hormone secretion	Adjuvant	Injection*	Infertility in 19/20 possums (Eckery et al. 2007)	Infertility
		Bacterial ghosts	Feed bait	Altered hormone secretion in possums	Infertility or sterility
Italicized text indicates proposed features, or experimental outcomes, which have yet to be developed or experimentally demonstrated. Note that a practicable control agent will not involve a treatment delivered by injection*.

Duckworth , JA , Wilson , K , Cui , X , Molinia , FC and Cowan , PE . 2007 . Immunogenicity and contraceptive potential of three infertility-relevant zona pellucida 2 epitopes in the marsupial brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula) . Reproduction , 133 : 177 – 186 .

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Walcher , P , Xianlan , C , Arrow , JA , Scobie , S , Molinia , FC , Cowan , PE , Lubitz , W and Duckworth , JA . 2008 . Bacterial ghosts as a delivery system for zona pellucida-2 fertility control vaccines for brushtail possums (Trichosurus vulpecula) . Vaccine , 26 : 6832 – 6838 .

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Eckery DC , Thomson BP , Miller LW 2007 . Effects of immunisation against GnRH on fertility of the brushtail possum . 6th International Conference on Fertility Control for Wildlife, York, UK (Abstract) .

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