Using genetically modified (GM) mosquitoes to reduce or prevent the spread of infectious diseases is a new but rapidly expanding field of investigation. Among the challenges researchers face is ensuring that GM mosquitoes can compete and mate with their wild counterparts so the desired modification is preserved and spread in the wild population. Investigators at Johns Hopkins University have engineered GM mosquitoes to have an altered microbiota that suppresses human malaria-causing parasites. These GM mosquitos preferred to mate with wild mosquitoes and passed along the desired protection to many generations of offspring.
The research was funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health.
The researchers genetically modified Anopheles mosquitoes, which in nature spread the malaria-causing parasite Plasmodium. The team caged equal numbers of wild and GM mosquitoes and monitored their breeding over 10 generations. Ninety percent of the offspring in each generation passed along the GM trait. Even when combining 10 percent GM with 90 percent wild mosquitoes, the Plasmodium-resistance trait dominated after a few generations. Importantly, the GM mosquitoes maintained their resistance to the malaria parasite for 7 years.
The group also showed that the change in the microbiota resulted in a mating preference among the GM and wild mosquitoes. GM males showed a preference for wild females and wild males preferred GM females; these preferences contributed to the spread of the desired protective trait within the mosquito population.
The authors note that work was conducted in a laboratory setting and that more research is needed to determine if what they observed in the laboratory also will occur under natural conditions. Nevertheless, the study suggests that mosquitoes can be genetically modified to compete in nature with wild populations and spread resistance to the malaria-causing parasite. If implemented, this strategy could eventually result in decreased disease transmission to humans.
Learn more: Disease Resistance Successfully Spread from Modified to Wild Mosquitoes
The Latest on: Genetically modified mosquitoes
[google_news title=”” keyword=”genetically modified mosquitoes” num_posts=”10″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]- Time to Ring Warning Bells on High Risk Technologies of Genetic and Other Modification of Insectson April 30, 2024 at 5:00 pm
This is much discussed in the context of Brazil where there was so much of release of various kinds of modified mosquitoes, including genetically modified mosquitoes, in the name of reducing ...
- Southern California gets ready to fight mosquito season — by releasing more mosquitoeson April 28, 2024 at 5:04 am
RASCOE: Is this a better way of reducing the mosquito population than, you know, using insecticides or releasing genetically-modified male mosquitoes? BIRHANIE: No, this is just an additional tool.
- Southern California gets ready to fight mosquito season — by releasing more mosquitoeson April 28, 2024 at 5:04 am
NPR's Ayesha Rascoe speaks with scientific director Solomon Birhanie about his efforts to fight mosquitoes in Southern California by releasing sterile male mosquitoes into the population.
- dengue feveron April 27, 2024 at 5:00 pm
Sometime next year, genetically modified mosquitoes will be released in the Florida Keys in an effort to combat persistent insect-borne diseases such as Dengue fever and the Zika virus.
- Fact Check: Photo Purportedly Shows 1 Million Dead Mosquitoes. Here's What We Foundon April 26, 2024 at 6:00 am
To confirm whether this claim was true. Snopes conducted a Google keyword search (archived here) using the phrase "1 million mosquitoes sanibel florida." Returned results included dozens of credible ...
- Scientists warn of surge in deadly diseases as UK braces for influx of mosquitoson April 25, 2024 at 6:57 am
READ NEXT: Malaria cases not linked to genetically modified mosquitoes, says Biotech firm The rise, according to the UKHSA, is linked to the resurgence of malaria in many countries and an increase in ...
- Mosquito season is upon us. So why are Southern California officials releasing more of them?on April 25, 2024 at 3:00 am
Vector control officials in Southern California are starting to release sterilized male mosquitoes to combat the summertime onslaught of ankle biters.
- Chinese scientists use gut bacteria to prevent mosquito-borne diseaseson April 19, 2024 at 11:40 am
Chinese scientists have developed a more natural strategy to prevent mosquito-borne diseases by changing insects' gut microbes, which might be used as an alternative to controversial experiments that ...
- Brazil attempts to combat dengue with GM mosquitoeson April 9, 2024 at 4:54 pm
Last year Brazil reported 1.4 million cases of dengue The world’s largest ever swarm of genetically modified mosquitoes has been released in a Brazilian town to combat dengue -- a leading cause ...
- Genetically modified Aedes on a missionon April 1, 2024 at 5:00 pm
It’s a dry winter day in southeast Brazil, but a steamy tropical summer reigns inside the labs at Oxitec, where workers are making an unusual product: genetically modified mosquitoes to fight ...
via Google News and Bing News