Gene Drive in the News
A curated collection of articles from the popular press
Mosquito transgenics and courtship songs
14824H. Hurd, BugBitten BMC, 2020-10-23 17:38:45.
As a female flies into the swarm she is detected by the sound of her wing beat and males identify females by a phonotactic response to the specific sound frequency produced by her wing beat. A male and female will then attune to each other by altering the frequency of their wingbeats in a form of reciprocal tuning that is highly specific.
WHO Refers to GM Mosquitoes as Beneficial Technology
14820ISAAA, Crop Biotech Update, 2020-10-21 17:27:43.
The World Health Organization (WHO) released its official statement to clarify its stance on the evaluation and use of genetically modified (GM) mosquitoes and its use to control vector-borne diseases (VBD). WHO says it supports the investigation of all potentially beneficial technologies, and these include GM mosquitoes.
Researchers help complete world first wasp genome project
14798Staff, The National Tribune, 2020-10-21 15:12:01.
In a world first, New Zealand researchers have sequenced the genome of three wasps, two of which are invasive wasps in New Zealand, paving the way for new methods of control for these significant pests.
Researchers complete world first wasp genome project
14796University of Otago, Phys Org, 2020-10-21 15:07:20.
In a world first, New Zealand researchers have sequenced the genome of three wasps, two of which are invasive wasps in New Zealand, paving the way for new methods of control for these significant pests.
Fruit fly breakthrough puts killer mozzies on notice
14812V. Tressider, The Lighthouse, 2020-10-19 15:34:08.
A new designer fruit fly paves the way for scientists to replace disease-carrying mosquitoes with harmless, genetically modified versions, says Macquarie University researcher Dr Maciej Maselko.
WHO Releases a Position Statement on Genetically Modified Mosquitoes for the Control of Vector-Borne Diseases
14793E. R. Fletcher, Health Policy Watch, 2020-10-19 14:56:43.
WHO announced their support for the continued investigation into genetically modified mosquitoes as an alternative to existing interventions to reduce or prevent vector-borne diseases.
Driven to Exterminate
14724Z. Moloo and J. Thomas, etc group, 2020-10-14 18:16:08.
Gates’s ‘let’s deploy it’ response may not seem out of character, but it was an unusually gung ho response given how risky the technology is widely acknowledged to be.
Gene Drives Could Kill Mosquitoes And Suppress Herpesvirus Infections
14588A. Berezow, American Council on Science and Health, 2020-09-30 20:03:47.
A team of researchers writing in the journal Nature Communications has shown that a gene drive can be used to suppress infection with cytomegalovirus, a type of herpesvirus.
Do Africans Want Genetically Modified Mosquitoes?
14591U. Effiong, The Pursuit, 2020-09-30 13:38:38.
The recent publication by fellow Nigerian scientists—Patricia Okorie and colleagues—originally drew my attention to the issue of GMMs.
You should be excited that scientists are releasing 750 million genetically modified mosquitoes this year
14568L. Westreich, Massive Science, 2020-09-27 19:27:28.
GM mosquitoes are successful in reducing mosquito populations, and reducing disease spread
The Con Job at Mosquito Control Board
14571E. Russo and B. Wray, keysnews.com, 2020-09-26 19:32:07.
Shouldn’t there be a consensus among scholars, scientists, experts and the public that this new technology is safe?
Can a Genetically Modified Bug Combat a Global Farm Plague?
14470E. Nitler, Wired, 2020-09-24 17:24:48.
Executives from the US-owned, but UK-based, firm Oxitec and its multinational partner Bayer announced today that they have developed a fall armyworm that has a self-limiting gene introduced into the male of the species.
Gene Drive Control Worry Eased by Genetic Neutralizing Elements
14452Staff, Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology News, 2020-09-21 17:17:09.
Bier and his colleagues have developed two new active genetic systems that address such risks by halting or eliminating gene drives in the wild, offering two new solutions based on elements developed in the common fruit fly. T
Biologists create new genetic systems to neutralize gene drives
14442University of California San Diego, ScienceDaily, 2020-09-18 11:24:50.
Now, scientists at the University of California San Diego and their colleagues have developed two new active genetic systems that address such risks by halting or eliminating gene drives in the wild.
Why the UK could end up deploying risky gene drives while ignoring natural biological control
14385J. Mathews, GM Watch, 2020-09-14 15:10:57.
First they cloned Dolly the sheep. Now they’re targeting grey squirrels
The Evolving Arsenal Against Mosquito-Born Diseases
14369J. Smith, Labiotech.eu, 2020-09-10 16:01:02.
As the global climate continues to warm, disease-spreading mosquitoes such as Aedes aegypti are expected to establish themselves in the US and Europe.
Mutant mosquitoes: GM insects ‘engineered’ in ‘new approach to pest control’
14337T. Fish, EXPRESS, 2020-09-09 18:44:38.
This cutting-edge research provides the foundations for plans to prevent genetically modified organisms from reproducing with wild organisms.
Engineering speciation events in insects may be used to control harmful pests
14328University of Minnesota, Phys Org, 2020-09-08 17:55:45.
A team of scientists led by Mike Smanski, Ph.D., in the College of Biological Sciences (CBS) has generated speciation events in fruit flies so that engineered strains can reproduce normally with each other, but mating with unmodified flies results in non-viable offspring.
How to fight the deadly dengue virus? Make your own mosquitoes
14320J. Emont, Wall Street Journal, 2020-09-07 15:13:25.
When the bacteria-laden male mosquitoes are released into the open and mate with naturally-born females, the resultant eggs won’t hatch.
GMOs make war on mosquitoes
14323Staff, Kenosha News, 2020-09-05 15:13:38.
Given that recent record, we were a bit surprised to read that there was a ruckus over genetically modified mosquitoes going on in the Florida Keys.

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