Hexapod Allies

"The locusts are part of a bigger project called Hexapod Allies. You're right about their intent."

—Ian Malcolm to Ellie Sattler at Biosyn headquarters^(src)

Hexapod Allies was a project by Biosyn via locust to spread genetic modifications to crops so they would be resistant to droughts, frosts, and disease. However, it failed, with the rapid breeding and extended life of the locusts leading to a potential global famine, causing Lewis Dodgson to attempt to cover up the evidence.

Prehistoric era, genetically-modified locusts have been devastating the world's crops, not eating Biosyn seeds, and Dr. Ellie Sattler suspects that Biosyn is responsible for that and wrote an article about it. However, she needs proof of her allegations. Therefore, she summons her old friend Dr. Alan Grant to go to Biosyn's research facility in Italy to investigate and get a DNA sample of a locust from their lab. She receives an invitation from Dr. Ian Malcolm, who now works as an in-house philosopher for Biosyn, to visit Biosyn's sanctuary and he secretly helps her investigate the locust problem. Once there, Malcolm gives Sattler an access card to Biosyn's restricted lab, where she and Grant are able to get a sample of a Biosyn locust.

After scrolling through news about locusts spreading across the globe and finding out a sample was obtained by Sattler and Grant, Lewis decides to delete research files about the project and set the insects afire in order to cover up evidence. This caused a wildfire at the sanctuary, causing the dinosaurs to be evacuated into the facility.

After leaving the Biosyn valley, Sattler, Grant, Ramsay Cole and Malcolm testified against Biosyn before the U.S. Senate about the organization's liability for the locust epidemic.

Dr. Henry Wu, then working for Biosyn, successfully created a solution to the locust crisis by using a pathogen carried by one giant locust to alter the DNA of the rest of them, releasing the locust into the swarm and cheering as his efforts succeeded. Wu's work revolutionized modern genetics and Wu publicly attributed the discovery to Charlotte Lockwood's work.

Gallery

Swarm of locusts in West Texas

Dr. Wu with a dissected locust at Biosyn's lab

Trivia

While writing Dominion, director Colin Trevorrow consulted scientists for story ideas, seeking to depict a global ecological crisis caused by genetic tampering which would be first noticed by a paleobotanist. He learned about Insect Allies (a DARPA program in which insects spread pesticides to crops), which inspired the film's locust plot.