Gene Drive in the News

A curated collection of articles from the popular press

African health ministers commit to concerted action to end malaria deaths

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Felista Tarimo,  Outreach Network for Gene Drive Research,  2024.
On March 6, health ministers from African countries with the highest burden of malaria met in Yaoundé, Cameroon, and signed a declaration committing to the fundamental principle “that no one should die from malaria.” The Declaration for Accelerated Malaria Mortality ...

Genetically modified mosquitoes could one day end malaria

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Alexis Akwagyiram,  Semafor,  2024.
Abdoulaye Diabaté, a scientist from Burkina Faso, is at the vanguard of efforts to eliminate malaria by editing the genetic makeup of male mosquitoes and releasing them in the wild to prevent the reproduction of female mosquito species that transmit malaria. The technique is ...

Group trains Nigerian journalists on “gene drives” controversies

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Tosin Omoniyi,  Premium Times,  2024.
The Renevlyn Development Initiative (RDI) held a training for Nigerian journalists on the controversies surrounding the ‘gene drives’ research organisations that allegedly target Africans as “guinea pigs.” The training, the organisers said, was aimed at equipping ...

Bacteria found in mosquito guts could help scientists fight dengue, Zika

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Catherine Offord,  Science,  2024.
A team in China probing the guts of local mosquitoes has found a potential helper in the fight against two human diseases. Researchers identified a new bacterium that disables the viruses responsible for dengue and Zika before they can establish an infection in the insects. ...

Bacterial warriors fight mosquito-borne diseases

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Alejandra Manjarrez,  Drug Discovery News,  2024.
Every time a mosquito bites a person, multiple feasts take place. As in most animals, a meal provides nutrients to the mosquito as well as to the troop of bacteria that inhabits its gut. Occasionally, the mosquito may also ingest a parasite: a Plasmodium protozoan responsible ...

Africa’s Champion Against Malaria, Professor Abdoulaye Diabaté on stage at TED2024

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Nelly Gachanja,  African Media Agency,  2024.
TED2024, a hallmark event celebrating 40 years of innovation, ingenuity, creativity, courage, and generosity, taking place in Vancouver, Canada from 15-19 April, will feature Africa’s esteemed, and leading champion against malaria, Prof. Abdoulaye Diabaté as a speaker. In his ...

African researchers committed to ending malaria

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African Media Agency,  2024.
The need to encourage more young African girls to pursue careers in science cannot be overemphasized.

Biotech company implements controversial offspring-killing method to address dengue fever: ‘Will show a reduction of 20%’

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Jeremiah Budin,  The Cool Down,  2024.
"We can get out of this state of emergency."

Uganda and Djibouti seek Friendly mosquitoes to fight malaria

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Richard Wetaya,  Alliance for Science,  2024.
According to Oxitec CEO Grey Frandsen, the Friendly technology platform was ideally equipped to produce a safe, sustainable solution to manage the Anopheles stephensi mosquito vector based on years of experience creating and deploying other Oxitec solutions at scale.

Researchers reveal how a virus hijacks insect sperm: May help control disease vectors and pests

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Pennsylvania State University,  Phys.org,  2024.
A new study led by researchers at Penn State has uncovered how a widespread bacteria called Wolbachia and a virus that it carries can cause sterility in male insects by hijacking their sperm.

On EAC’s GMO disharmony and little-known GM mosquito research

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Gitura Mwaura,  The New Times,  2024.
A meeting in Dar es Salaam in November 2022 sought to chart the legal way forward for the Target Malaria and Transmission Zero Project, as the research initiative is called.

Brazil’s record dengue surge: why a vaccine campaign is unlikely to stop it

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Mariana Lenharo,  Nature,  2024.
A vaccine shortage and persistent sanitation problems threaten the success of the world’s first public vaccination campaign against dengue virus.

CRISPR could eradicate horrific parasite that’s killing cattle

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Kristin Houser,  Freethink,  2024.
Uruguay is developing a CRISPR gene drive to eradicate the New World screwworm, a parasitic fly that kills cattle in a painful, grisly fashion. Releasing it into the wild would have risks, but if it works, it could help rid South America of this horrific agricultural pest. The ...

Protecting the peppers: Unlocking the potential of the sterile insect technique

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Society of Chemical Industry,  Phys.org,  2024.
For the first time, researchers in Canada have investigated the use of the sterile insect technique for controlling populations of the pepper weevil, Anthonomus eugenii, an economically significant crop pest in North America. The paper, published in Pest Management Science, ...

Gene Drive Systems To Control Aedes Aegypti Mosquitoes Make Headway

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Joshua Ang,  Outreach Network for Gene Drive Research,  2024.
Aedes aegypti mosquitoes are known vectors of several diseases, including dengue, chikungunya, yellow fever, and Zika, which impact millions of people worldwide each year. The effectiveness of existing insecticide-based methods to control this mosquito is threatened by growing ...

Revolutionizing Livestock Biosecurity: Using CRISPR Technology to Combat the New World Screwworm

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Dr. Jessica Nelson,  Medriva,  2024.
The New World screwworm, a persistent parasite responsible for significant damage to the global livestock industry, may soon meet its match. Researchers at Uruguay's National Institute of Agricultural Research (INIA) have developed a gene drive using CRISPR technology to combat ...

Uruguay wants to use gene drives to eradicate devastating screwworms

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Abdullahi Tsanni,  MIT Technology Review,  2024.
On a warm, sunny day in Montevideo, Uruguay, the air is smogless and crisp. Inside a highly secured facility at the National Institute of Agricultural Research (INIA) are a sophisticated gene gun, giant microscopes, and tens of thousands of gene-edited flies, their bright blue ...

Modified mosquitoes may save millions more lives in Latin America

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Marina E. Franco,  Axios,  2024.
A program that uses genetically engineered mosquitoes in Brazil, Colombia and Mexico to reduce the prevalence of diseases that can be fatal may soon serve millions more people. Why it matters: Outbreaks of dengue, chikungunya, zika and yellow fever —diseases carried by ...

Taking the fight against disease to mosquitoes

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Gregory Devine,  Setopati,  2024.
In the medium term it's likely that suppression strategies involving self-limiting genetic modifications, Wolbachia infection and irradiation will be extended to a small number of our most important mosquito vectors of disease.

Biotech Mosquitoes Can Help to Regain Ground in Fight Against Malaria

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Florence Banoba,  East News,  2024.
In response to the recent opinion articles that ran in the National print and online media in the last couple of days (1st and 5th February, 2024), regarding the use of GMO technology as a tool in the fight against malaria, I wish to address the writer’s broad-brush dismissal ...

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