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posted by mrpg on Friday September 28 2018, @05:11AM   Printer-friendly
from the nature-will-find-a-way dept.

Controlling mosquitos with a gene drive that makes females infertile:

We've known for a long time that we can limit malaria infections by controlling the mosquitos that transmit them. But that knowledge hasn't translated into control efforts that have always been completely successful. Many of the approaches we've used to control mosquitos have caused environmental problems, and mosquito populations are large enough that they have evolved resistance to many of our pesticides.

That made the development of what are called "gene drive" constructs exciting (if a bit scary). They have the potential to rapidly spread genes throughout a population—including a mosquito population. But the prospect of a modern genetic control of mosquito populations has run up against the very old problem of evolution, as the gene drives often stall due to genetic changes that allow mosquito populations to escape their impact.

Now, a team has figured out a way that might avoid this problem: use gene drive to target a gene that's fundamental to how mosquitos develop as male or female. In doing so, it makes the females sterile and, at least in the lab, causes mosquito populations to collapse.


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  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday September 28 2018, @06:42AM (2 children)

    by Anonymous Coward on Friday September 28 2018, @06:42AM (#741229)

    i dislike mosquitoes as much as the next guy errr... person but mosquitoes dont only drink blood. before being fertilized both sexes acctually live from nectar from plants, which, it seems, the plant make and "give away free" for a reason.
    ofc mosquitoes are also great as a natural SA used with zonening laws to deter development of swamp land until some elite off spring needs a steady income in the form of a housing estate ... other cheap mechanisms in the SA (later) SS arsenal of corrupt and repressive "governments" are tolarance of unruly youth, a love for mangy diseased dogs living on the public roads, unilateral sanctioned smear campaigns and taking away free things only to give it back to appear generous ..
    (*) maybe one has to close one eye when reading the title ; )

  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday September 28 2018, @06:53AM (1 child)

    by Anonymous Coward on Friday September 28 2018, @06:53AM (#741233)

    Get that through your heads.

    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday September 28 2018, @03:52PM

      by Anonymous Coward on Friday September 28 2018, @03:52PM (#741383)

      Depends on your perspective. From my point of view all sunlight is free.