Looking back on RNAi, how we can improve on what we have learned so far

RNA interference (RNAi) is able to selectively target and effectively silence gene expression in vivo by degrading their complementary messenger RNAs (mRNA) which can induce mortality, alter behavior and cause developmental defects in target species. Thanks to this potential, RNAi has become a popular tool in pest control research, but many issues are still preventing RNAi from becoming a functional alternative over conventional pesticides. This review evaluates the literature on RNAi for pest control and finds new evidence for efficacy from currently less actively considered aspects of RNAi experiments. Results of our data survey show great variety and few commonalities among current research, making comparisons of results between available studies complicated and suggesting a need for standardization similar to that of insecticide chemical research. This study highlights the extent of variation in the field of RNAi and its possible implications on current research. It offers first guidelines to build better consensus in RNAi pest control and presents evidence on the most effective size for double-stranded RNAs (dsRNAs) and existing bias in target gene choice, as well as the applied dsRNA concentration necessary to deliver effective control. Additionally, this study identified major contributing factors that can influence efficacy of RNAi trials using a machine learning approach.