Earlier this year, a remarkable advance was made in the way technology, and specifically genetic modification, is being used to fight vector-borne diseases. A small British company, Oxitec, started commercial production of an ingenuous method for reducing mosquito populations in the wild, using the mosquitoes’ own mating success as the weapon. These genetically modified mosquitoes are now being … [Read more...]
Genetically Modified Mosquito “Selfish Gene” Could Helps Stop Spread of Malaria
Many scientists have played with the idea of creating a genetically modified mosquito that won’t transmit malaria, which kills about 850,000 people a year, and releasing it into the wild. But in the face of the millions of mosquitoes out there that do ferry malaria around, how would the trait spread fast enough to make a difference? Now, scientists have developed a way to cause a “selfish” gene … [Read more...]