Mutant Mosquitoes to Combat Malaria?
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In a plan that may seem better fitted for a Hollywood science-fiction blockbuster, scientists in the UK are exploring a new route in the ongoing fight against malaria: genetically-modified mosquitoes. Malaria kills over 1 million people every year, mostly children.
From the AP:
Millions of bed nets have been handed out, and villages across the continent have been doused with insecticide. But those measures haven’t put a significant dent in most malaria cases…Some scientists think creating mutant mosquitoes resistant to the disease might work better.
[The scientists] are now planning to create sterile male mosquitoes to mate with wild female mosquitoes, thus stunting population growth. They are also trying to engineer a malaria-resistant mosquito.”
There’s definite worth to the classic “if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em” adage, but many wonder if there could be unintended consequences when one “fools with mother nature.”
Lead scientist Andrea Crisanti considers this project one worth the risk.
Crisanti acknowledged there might be unintended consequences of releasing genetically modified mosquitoes into the wild, although he could not predict what they might be.
“I think there is a moral good to doing it” he said. “If we do this right, the mosquitoes will get rid of malaria for us.”
You can read the full piece here.
-Betsy Avila, ONE Intern
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June 24, 2008 at 3:48 pm
weird
June 24, 2008 at 4:14 pm
When is the movie coming out?
June 24, 2008 at 5:00 pm
Here’s hoping there aren’t any unwanted side-effects…I’m sure the scientists will have thought out all the possible scenarios before releasing the mosquitoes into the wild, but I can’t help feel a little skeptical about a plan that has the potential to tip the balance of nature so drastically so soon.
Or maybe I’m just over-thinking it.
June 24, 2008 at 5:06 pm
This is the end, people.
It’s only a matter of time now.
Actually, the idea seems reasonable to me – we catch it from mosquitoes, if we can’t cure the humans, cure the mosquitoes.
As to the movie… I can see the teaser now. “The deadliest creature in Africa…” *shot of hunter in the wilderness at night, obviously somewhat panicked* “Just got deadlier!” *hunter spins to face the camera with a look of horror, there is a buzzing of wings, cut to black* “X-Swarm. Available on dvd soon. Inspired by true events.”
Or someone makes a terrible mistake and it ends up being about mutant mojitos and is a thriller comedy about tourists in Cuba.
June 25, 2008 at 10:17 am
actually, i’m quite pleased to hear this. millions of lives saved and improved by a scientific process like to the pests, not the people, sounds good to me. we spay and neuter our animals here in the west, and much of our farm stock is treated with veterinarian and medical processes we don’t even know about . . . yet we are a somewhat healthy and functioning society. it sounds healthier than spraying and longer lasting and more permanent and fa- reaching than bednetting as well.
it could take a long time for the genetically-modified mosquitoes to migrate to deep recesses of the continent . . . . i’m thinking the sooner they get started, the better.
great post virginia . . . . i’m glad the Gates Foundation found this a viable project worth investing in. bottom line, mosquitoes are more plenteous and far-reaching than bednets, we will need both. The UN’s desire to get bednets to all who need them by 2010, that’s only a year and a half out, and funding of a project this massive comes from ? we need to look at all options, inside and outside the box, to eradicate this pandemic.
staying close,
sammi in seattle =)
June 28, 2008 at 1:49 pm
Wow, this is really trippy and really exciting. One of the most interesting stories I’ve read in quite a while. ^.^
Using mosquitoes to cure malaria is pretty poetic.