Genetically modified mosquitoes may help scientists swat dreaded midge
Genetically modified mosquitoes may help scientists swat dreaded midge
17057W. Jean, The Times, 2021-05-16 13:41:37.
Scotland’s bloodthirsty midges may finally meet their match thanks to revolutionary genetic manipulation techniques that could stop the pesky insects biting chunks out of the tourist industry. News that a British biotechnology company has created genetically modified non-biting mosquitoes in Florida to help curb dengue and yellow fever, and ultimately malaria, may give hope in the fight against the annual Scottish scourge. Oxford-based Oxitec and its American partners recently released genetically modified male mosquito larvae into the Florida Keys to control the wild, disease-carrying mosquito population rather than use pesticides. While midges share some characteristics with mosquitoes, Dr Simon Carpenter, a Pirbright Institute entomologist who was part of the team that built the first complete genome of the Highland biting midge, said the gene-editing process
