Genetically engineered mosquitoes with toxic sperm could become a new weapon against tropical diseases, This was announced by Australian scientists after testing a new pest control method.
The “toxic male method” aims to breed mosquitoes that express poisonous proteins in their sperm, killing the females after mating.
Female mosquitoes are targeted because only they bite and drink blood, thereby spreading diseases such as malaria and dengue fever.
Scientist Sam Beach from Australia Macquarie University said the method “can work as quickly as pesticides without harming beneficial species.”
“This innovative solution has the potential to change the way we deal with pests, offering hope for healthier communities and a more sustainable future,” Beach said.
The first proof-of-concept tests used fruit flies, a common laboratory species that takes advantage of a short two-week life cycle.
Scientists found that female flies that bred with “toxic” males had a significantly reduced lifespan.
Researcher Matej Maselka said that the team will now test the method on mosquitoes.
“We still need to implement it in mosquitoes and do rigorous safety testing to ensure there is no risk to humans and other non-target species,” he said.
The researchers said the mosquitoes needed to be genetically modified to only detect the toxic sperm after being released into the wild.
Communications of nature
This can be done using so-called “conditional expression” techniques, which use chemicals or other biological triggers to turn certain genes on or off at will.
This would allow venomous males to successfully mate with females in a laboratory setting, producing enough viable offspring to expand the technique.
Genetic engineering has been used for years to control disease-spreading mosquito populations.
Typically, these approaches slow down reproduction by releasing hordes of male insects genetically modified to be sterile.
Computer models showed that methods of actively killing biting females could be much more effective, the research team said.
The study was described in a the article is published in the peer-reviewed journal Nature Communications on Tuesday evening.
The mosquitoes have killed about 50 billion people throughout human existence.
Africa bears the brunt of malariawith 95% of deaths occurring each year, and about 80% of these deaths are children under the age of 5. The malaria parasite is spread to people bitten by infected mosquitoes and causes the first symptoms, including high fever, headache and chills.
According to the World Health Organization, mosquitoes are responsible for millions of deaths worldwide each year from malaria, dengue fever and other diseases.
Eastern equine encephalitis the virus is also spread to humans through the bite of an infected mosquito. last year, resident of New York who tested positive for EEE died, and in 2019, the CDC reported that at least 15 people in the U.S. have died from this rare disease.