Hexapod Allies was a BioSyn Genetics project intended to spread genetic modification to crops using using genetically-modified insects such as locusts. Had it been successful, it would have established BioSyn as a leader in agribusiness, able to sell its modifications to farmers and create crops resistant to disease and climate change. The locusts used in the project were modified so that they could not consume BioSyn agricultural products. However, this led to the locusts eating all the crops of competitors and independent farmers, threatening a worldwide famine. A global plague of hybrid locusts ensued during the early 2020s, being brought to an end by Henry Wu in mid-2022 using methods originally developed by geneticist Charlotte Lockwood.
