Insecticide Turns Sun to Insects’ Death Ray

Scientists have announced “a major breakthrough” in the battle against bugs--an insecticide that turns sunlight into a death ray.

The insecticide, developed by researchers at the University of Illinois, employs a simple amino acid that its designers hope will be harmless to man and animals, and be biodegradable as well. Its potential targets range from houseflies and cockroaches to agricultural pests.

The discovery employs an amino acid--delta-aminolevulinic acid--that triggers a buildup of biochemicals, naturally occurring chemicals, in the cells of the insects. When exposed to sunlight, the overbalance of biochemicals triggers a chain reaction that destroys insect cell membranes, causing the bug to convulse and die in a matter of seconds.

“This is a mode of action that is absolutely novel; most insecticides work on either the stomach or the nervous system and are very limited,” said Constantin Rebeiz, one of the researchers. It should take four or five years to develop a commercial version of the insecticide, he said.