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takyon [soylentnews.org] writes:

Scientists Genetically Modify Fungus To Kill Mosquitoes That Spread Malaria [npr.org]

In the hope of finding a new way to fight malaria, scientists have used a spider gene to genetically engineer a fungus to produce a venom that can quickly kill mosquitoes.

The modified fungus was a highly effective mosquito killer in the first tests mimicking conditions in sub-Saharan Africa, where malaria remains a major public health problem, researchers reported Thursday in the journal Science [sciencemag.org] [DOI: 10.1126/science.aaw8737] [DX [doi.org]].

"We're very excited," says Raymond St. Leger [umd.edu], a professor of entomology at the University of Maryland who led the research. "The results are very good. This could save many lives."

[...] [Others] worry the approach may be unsafe. "Fighting malaria is something that everybody should do. But fighting malaria through genetic engineering is dangerous," says Nnimmo Bassey of the Health of Mother Earth Foundation [homef.org], an advocacy group based in Nigeria. Bassey worries the fungus would inadvertently kill other organisms, such as other insects, upsetting fragile ecosystems.

"I'm heavily worried that Africans are the preferred guinea pigs for experimentation, and Africa is going to become a large laboratory for risky experimentation," Bassey says. "We don't want this to happen."

Also at BBC [bbc.com].

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