Improved Lucilia cuprina sexing strains published

We describe improved transgenic embryonic sexing strains for the Australian sheep blowfly in a recent article in Molecular Genetics and Genomics . We found that promoters from the L. cuprina nullo or Cochliomyia macellaria CG14427 genes drove high levels of tTA expression in the early embryo but had little activity at later stages. Production of tTA in embryos activated expression of the hid gene which lead to female lethality.