Scientists Alter Mosquitoes to Prevent Transmission of Malaria

Phys.org

Now, researchers at the University of California San Diego, Johns Hopkins University, UC Berkeley and the University of São Paulo have developed a new method that genetically blocks mosquitoes from transmitting malaria. Their work appears in Nature.

Biologists Zhiqian Li and Ethan Bier from UC San Diego, along with Yuemei Dong and George Dimopoulos from Johns Hopkins University, created a CRISPR-based gene-editing system that changes a single molecule within mosquitoes, a minuscule but effective change that stops the malaria-parasite transmission process. Genetically altered mosquitoes are still able to bite those with malaria and acquire parasites from their blood, but the parasites can no longer be spread to other people. More

18 Comments on Scientists Alter Mosquitoes to Prevent Transmission of Malaria

  1. How ironical. They’re running spots on the radio warning us In Norcal about a new strain of mosquitos that’s leaving big welts when they bite. My 3 year old granddaughter had a welt about 1/2 dia. on her arm from one.

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  2. And Bill Gates wants to weaponize them for vaccine delivery.
    Got eaten by them today doing a delivery. They were tiny little buggers and left me itching like crazy.

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  3. Where I’m from the damn things don’t bite, they carry you away. A lot of people use mosquito repellant but around here we prefer a 12 gauge semi-auto with unrestricted magazine.

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  4. I’m not buying it. I do however have a bridge to sell….

    Do NOT ever release Franken creatures into the environment.

    Many questions to answer such as durability of the change over ensuing generations, and of course the unknowable of what this genetic branch will lead to.

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  5. Sheesh! All this fuss, work, and expense.
    Just irradiate the damn things to sterilize them, turn them loose, let them “breed” into extinction.

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