Gee Whizz ...
Hot off the wires for you this morning ... a genetically-modified (GM) strain of malaria-resistant mosquito has been created that is better able to survive than disease-carrying insects. Gosh.
It gives new impetus to one strategy for controlling the disease: introduce the GM insects into wild populations in the hope that they will take over and destroy the disease-ridden lower classes. These new lab-insects carry a gene that prevents infection by the malaria parasite. In the lab, equal numbers of genetically modified and ordinary "wild-type" mosquitoes were allowed to feed on malaria-infected mice. As they reproduced, more of the GM mosquitoes survived. After nine generations, 70% of the insects belonged to the malaria-resistant strain.
If all goes well with testing, they will soon find their way into the great outdoors.
The only slight hiccup being it that they're 7 foot long and fly at the the speed of an F-16.
Stu
Hot off the wires for you this morning ... a genetically-modified (GM) strain of malaria-resistant mosquito has been created that is better able to survive than disease-carrying insects. Gosh.
It gives new impetus to one strategy for controlling the disease: introduce the GM insects into wild populations in the hope that they will take over and destroy the disease-ridden lower classes. These new lab-insects carry a gene that prevents infection by the malaria parasite. In the lab, equal numbers of genetically modified and ordinary "wild-type" mosquitoes were allowed to feed on malaria-infected mice. As they reproduced, more of the GM mosquitoes survived. After nine generations, 70% of the insects belonged to the malaria-resistant strain.
If all goes well with testing, they will soon find their way into the great outdoors.
The only slight hiccup being it that they're 7 foot long and fly at the the speed of an F-16.
Stu
posted by Stu at 7:47 am
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home