GMO mosquitoes, resistant to malaria

[Tonington]

Researchers have developed a malaria resitant mosquitoe through genetic modifications that they hope one day could be released to outcompete natural populations which carry malaria.

Recent estimates place the number of malaria deaths at 700,000 to 2.7 million, 75% of those being African children.

Starting with equal numbers of resistant and control mosquitoes, within nine generations the resistant mosquitoes comprised 70 % of the population.

The research is not yet ready for the field. The investigation has been facilitated with the mouse strain of malaria. The mosquitoes were also infected with a larger amount of parasite than occurs naturally in nature, with more mosquitoes being infected than per norm.

 

[hermanntrude]

sounds like an interesting take on the malaria problem. Instead of treating the disease in humans you basically break the chain of infection. very clever stuff

 

[Tonington]

I think so too. Some day...

Microbiology has so many useful facets. Theres a perfectly good solution to the Tar Ponds in Sydney Nova Scotia. There are companies that specialize in growing bacteria in specific substrates, specifically to use for environmental clean up. So in this case you would have colonies of bacteria growing in this substrate for generations. A little genetic modification, and when they finish consuming all the toxic waste you add an inert chemical (except to the bacteria) to the site which kills off the bacteria.

They've cleaned up gold mines with bacteria which can consume the cyanide left behind. I think Ford may have even used bacteria in some of their remediation of lands on their properties.