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Scientists Make First Complete Genome of Desert Locust

A farmer holds up handful of locusts that descended on a field in Byblos, north of Beirut, November 2, 2004. REUTERS/Sharif Karim
A farmer holds up handful of locusts that descended on a field in Byblos, north of Beirut, November 2, 2004. REUTERS/Sharif Karim
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Scientists Make First Complete Genome of Desert Locust

A farmer holds up handful of locusts that descended on a field in Byblos, north of Beirut, November 2, 2004. REUTERS/Sharif Karim
A farmer holds up handful of locusts that descended on a field in Byblos, north of Beirut, November 2, 2004. REUTERS/Sharif Karim

The first high-quality genome of the desert locust -- the most destructive migratory insect in the world -- has been produced by US Department of Agriculture Research Service scientists.

Genome is a set of genetic information stored in the DNA or RNA. Producing a genome requires samples with specific characteristics.

That locust was provided by chemical ecologist Baldwyn Torto with the International Center of Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE) in Nairobi, Kenya. He and his team tracked down swarms of locusts, collecting specimens across Kenya until he had two parents that he was able to breed to produce an offspring of known pedigree.

The scientists were able to go from sample collection to a final assembled genome in under 5 months. The desert locust is one of the largest insect genomes ever completed and it was all done from a single locust.

The genome of the desert locust is nearly three times the size of the human genome, explains entomologist Scott Geib with the ARS Tropical Crop and Commodity Protection Research Unit in Hawaii, and one of the team leaders. “We were concerned that, faced with this huge and very likely complex desert locust genome, it was going to be an extremely long and difficult job. However, we were able to go from sample collection to a final assembled genome in under 5 months,” he notes.

ARS has made the genome available to the international research community through the National Center for Biotechnology Information, to help fight this dangerous pest.

Desert locust plagues are cyclic and have been recorded since the times of the Pharaohs in ancient Egypt, as far back as 3200 B.C. They caused devastation in East Africa, the Middle East, and Southwest Asia in the 2020-2022 season, threatening food security in many countries.

A small swarm can eat as much food in a day as would feed 35,000 people, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.

Current desert locust control mostly depends on locating swarms and spraying them with broad-spectrum pesticides. Ultimately, this genomics work could decrease dependence on such pesticides, using other measures that could be figured out after the determination of the genome, explains Scott Geib.

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Varieties

Mobile Cinema Brings Tunisians Big Screen Experience

Movie theaters are scarce in Tunisia, numbering at just 15 and largely concentrated in major urban hubs - AFP
Movie theaters are scarce in Tunisia, numbering at just 15 and largely concentrated in major urban hubs - AFP
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Mobile Cinema Brings Tunisians Big Screen Experience

Movie theaters are scarce in Tunisia, numbering at just 15 and largely concentrated in major urban hubs - AFP
Movie theaters are scarce in Tunisia, numbering at just 15 and largely concentrated in major urban hubs - AFP

Like many of his fellow Tunisians, 23-year-old Amine Elhani has never been to the cinema, but now, thanks to a mobile theater touring the country, he can finally enjoy the big screen.

The bright red truck of CinemaTdour, or "moving cinema", has transformed parking lots and factory grounds in underserved towns and neighbourhoods across the North African country into pop-up theaters.

In the central town of Djemmal, dozens of workers unloaded the expandable truck, easily setting up a fully equipped outdoor movie theater with 100 seats.

"The screen is huge, and the sound effects are amazing," said Elhani, who had so far only watched films on his phone or computer.

He had "never had the chance to go to a movie theater", he told AFP.

"It's a fantastic experience, especially because I'm watching with friends."

Movie theaters are scarce in Tunisia, numbering at just 15 and largely concentrated in major urban hubs.

Recognizing this gap, CinemaTdour was launched in May by private cultural network Agora and nonprofit Focus Gabes, with funding from private donors.

"We wanted a way to reach as many viewers as possible, in a short time and on a limited budget, while offering them an authentic cinematic experience," project director Ghofrane Heraghi told AFP.

Mobile cinemas have long existed in other countries, but Heraghi said CinemaTdour was "unique" for turning a truck into a full-fledged theater.

Without government funding, CinemaTdour relies heavily on partnerships with private companies to cover costs like film rights, maintenance and staffing.

The truck itself was purchased on credit for about one million Tunisian dinars ($315,000), Heraghi said, with annual operating expenses of around 500,000 dinars.

For 10 days in Djemmal, residents could watch films for free thanks to a partnership with German car parts manufacturer Draxlmaier, which has a factory in the town.

Jihene Ben Amor, Draxlmaier's communications manager in Tunisia, said the company wanted to "contribute to the development" of remote and underserved regions where it operates.

For many workers, earning up to 1,000 dinars a month, the cost of tickets and the journey to a main city with a movie theater can be prohibitive.

"Having this cinema right outside their workplace also gives workers a sense of pride and belonging," said Ben Amor.

- 'Social impact' -

After Djemmal, CinemaTdour set up in Hay Hlel, an impoverished neighbourhood of the capital Tunis.

Many children gathered around the pop-up theater, eager for their turn.

Yomna Warhani, 11, was beaming with excitement, anticipating her first ever movie screening.

"I can't wait to see what it's like inside and what films they'll show," she said.

Nejiba El Hadji, a 47-year-old mother of four, said: "It's not just the kids who are thrilled, believe me."

To her, the mobile cinema was a rare source of joy in an otherwise bleak environment.

"We have nothing here, no cultural centers and no entertainment, just the streets," said Hadji.

"People say our kids are lost, but no one does anything about it."

CinemaTdour's two-week stay in Hay Hlel was funded by the World Health Organization, with screenings themed on mental health, smoking and drug abuse, and violence against women.

The shows were tailored for younger audiences as well as for viewers with hearing or visual impairments.

Heraghi, the project head, said that "what drives us is the social impact of culture."

"We want to break stereotypes, shift mindsets, and promote values like social cohesion and community spirit."

In just a few months, CinemaTdour has reached more than 15,000 people, including 7,500 in the southern oasis town of Nefta where a month of free screenings was sponsored by a date exporter.

The project now hopes to secure funding for additional trucks to expand its activities across the country.

But Heraghli has even bigger aspirations, she said, "taking it to Algeria, Libya, and maybe even across Africa".