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Questions and Answers
According to Caitlin Byrt, what is the condition under which an organism can borrow genetic information from other organisms?
When there is a strong pressure for survival on an organism.
What was the purpose of disrupting the BtPMaT1 gene in whiteflies using small molecules of RNA?
To make the whiteflies susceptible to phenolic glycosides present in tomato plants.
What was the outcome for whiteflies that fed on genetically modified tomato plants producing RNA molecules?
All whiteflies subsequently died.
What mechanism does the research demonstrate for engineering crops to target plant pests?
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What is the potential drawback of using genetic engineering to target plant pests, according to Caitlin Byrt?
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What type of molecules were used to selectively interfere with the BtPMaT1 gene in whiteflies?
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What is unique about the genetic material transferred from a plant to the silverleaf whitefly?
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What is the name of the gene found in plants that has been transferred to the silverleaf whitefly?
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What is the suspected function of the BtPMaT1 gene in plants?
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When did the gene transfer event between the plant and the silverleaf whitefly occur?
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How may the gene transfer event have occurred?
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What is a characteristic of some viruses that may have played a role in the gene transfer event?
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