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Scientists are genetically modifying mosquitoes in a highly secure laboratory – and hope that these insects will help eliminate some of the mosquito-borne diseases that continue to affect communities around the world.
This is what is called a gene reader: mosquitoes modified to be unable to transmit a particular virus are used to replace the existing insect population over several generations, the modified genes being transmitted to all their offspring.
The idea has sparked controversy because it disrupts the fundamentals of nature, but it is now under study by the World Health Organization (WHO). According to NPR, these tests have entered a new phase with the large-scale publication of genetically modified mozzies at a facility in Terni, Italy.
"It will really be a revolutionary experience," said Rob Stein, entomologist Ruth Mueller, who heads the lab, at the NPR. "It's a historic moment – it's very exciting."
Using the CRISPR "molecular scissors" editing technique, a gene called "doublesex" in bugs has been modified. The gene transforms female mosquitoes by removing their ability to bite and making them sterile.
At the moment, insects are released into cages designed to replicate their natural environments, with warm, moist air, and places to shelter. Artificial lights simulate sunrise and sunset.
The idea is to see if mosquitoes with the genetic code published by CRISPR can eliminate unmodified insects inside the cages. This follows previous proof of concept studies.
Ultimately, these mosquitoes could be released in areas affected by malaria, resulting in the fall of the local mozzies population and saving lives. The disease is responsible for more than 400,000 deaths each year, mostly young children.
Reducing these numbers seems like a good idea, so why controversy? Many scientists call for caution when it comes to changing the genetic code at this fundamental level – we just do not know what impact these genetically modified mosquitoes will have on the world around them.
For this reason, the laboratory has been designed to minimize the chances of leakage of specially designed mosquitoes. The test was also specifically located in Italy, where this species of mosquito – Anopheles gambiae – would not be able to survive outside in the natural climate.
"It's a technology where we do not know where it's going to end up," Nnimmo Bassey, director of the Earth Health Foundation in Nigeria, told NPR. "We need to stop this where it is located.They are trying to use Africa as a large laboratory to test technologies at risk."
Some experts believe that the addition of genetically modified mosquitoes to natural ecosystems could harm other plants and animals that depend on them. There are many unknowns.
The team behind the new experiments counteracts criticism by claiming that they work slowly and methodically – and that the potential side effects are outweighed by the benefits of malaria eradication.
For the moment, scientists only target one mosquito species in hundreds, and several years of research and consultation are planned before the publication of genetically modified mozzies.
"Any technology will be problematic," said one of the members of the research team, Tony Nolan, of Imperial College London, UK.
"But I do not think you should discard a technology without doing your best to understand its potential for transformation into medicine, and if it worked, it would transform."
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