Keywords: mosquitos

Quality Control Methods for Aedes albopictus Sterile Male Transportation

G. D. Mastronikolos, A. Kapranas, G. K. Balatsos, C. Ioannou, D. P. Papachristos, P. G. Milonas, A. Puggioli, I. Pajović, D. Petrić, R. Bellini, A. Michaelakis and N. T. Papadopoulos,  Insects,  2022.
Genetic based mosquito control methods have been gaining ground in recent years for their potential to achieve effective suppression or replacement of vector populations without hampering environments or causing any public health risk. These methods require the mass rearing of ...
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Crisp Genes

J. Mckenna,  The Simple Science,  2022.
Imagine we had the power to use genetic technologies to stop one of humanity’s most dangerous predators. What is that predator? Sharks? Crocodiles? Snakes? Think far, far smaller. It is in fact, the mosquito.Mosquitos cause all sorts of nasty diseases like the Zika Virus, ...
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Field Trials of Gene Drive Mosquitoes: Lessons from Releases of Genetically Sterile Males and Wolbachia-infected Mosquitoes

J. M. Marshall and V. N. Vásquez,  Genetically Modified and other Innovative Vector Control Technologies,  2021.
The discovery of CRISPR-based gene editing and its application to homing-based gene drive has been greeted with excitement, for its potential to control mosquito-borne diseases on a wide scale, and concern, for the invasiveness and potential irreversibility of a release. At the ...
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Modelling the Wolbachia incompatible insect technique: strategies for effective mosquito population elimination

D. E. Pagendam, B. J. Trewin, N. Snoad, S. A. Ritchie, A. A. Hoffmann, K. M. Staunton, C. Paton and N. Beebe,  BMC Biology,  18:13. 2020.
We introduce a simple Markov population process model for studying mosquito populations subjected to a Wolbachia-IIT programme which exhibit an unstable equilibrium threshold. The model is used to study, in silico, scenarios that are likely to yield a successful elimination ...
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Genetic engineering and bacterial pathogenesis against the vectorial capacity of mosquitoes

M. Qasim, H. M. Xiao, K. He, M. A. A. Omar, F. L. Liu, S. Ahmed and F. Li,  Microbial Pathogenesis,  147:8. 2020.
Here we aimed to focus on the role of bacterial pathogenesis and molecular tactics for the management of mosquitoes and their vectorial capacity.
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Vector genetics, insecticide resistance and gene drives: An agent-based modeling approach to evaluate malaria transmission and elimination

P. Selvaraj, E. A. Wenger, D. Bridenbecker, N. Windbichler, J. R. Russell, J. Gerardin, C. A. Bever and M. Nikolov,  PloS Computational Biology,  16:21. 2020.
Here, we investigate the reduced efficacy of current vector control measures in the presence of insecticide resistance and evaluate the likelihood of achieving local malaria elimination using gene drive mosquitoes released into a high transmission setting alongside other vector ...
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Disrupting female flight in the vector Aedes aegypti

O'Leary, S. and Z. N. Adelman,  bioRxiv,  862300:862300. 2019.
Aedes aegypti is a vector of dengue, chikungunya, and Zika viruses. Current vector control strategies such as community engagement, source reduction, and insecticides have not been sufficient to prevent viral outbreaks. Thus, interest in novel strategies involving genetic ...
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Out for blood: the fight against the planet’s deadliest creature

Matsangou, E.,  The New Economy,  2019.
The deadliest creature on the planet is not a great white shark, a starved lion, an enraged hippopotamus or a poisonous snake – it’s the minute mosquito. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), mosquitoes kill millions of people each year, with malaria – the most ...
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Dit Afrikaanse dorp krijgt, als eerste plek ter wereld, gentechmuggen tegen malaria

Boersma, Hidde,  de Volkskrant,  2019.
Dit Afrikaanse dorp krijgt, als eerste plek ter wereld, gentechmuggen tegen malaria
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Identifying and detecting potentially adverse ecological outcomes associated with the release of gene-drive modified organisms

Hayes, KRH, G. R.; Dana, G. V.; Foster, S. D.; Ford, J. H.; Thresher, R.; Ickowicz, A.; Peel, D.; Tizard, M.; De Barro, P.; Strive, T.; Dambacher, J. M.,  Journal of Responsible Innovation,  5:S139-S158. 2018.
Synthetic gene drives could provide new solutions to a range of old problems such as controlling vector-borne diseases, agricultural pests and invasive species. In this paper, we outline methods to identify hazards and detect potentially adverse ecological outcomes at the ...
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A synthetic maternal-effect selfish genetic element drives population replacement in Drosophila

Chen, CHH, H. X.; Ward, C. M.; Su, J. T.; Schaeffer, L. V.; Guo, M.; Hay, B. A.,  Science,  316:597-600. 2007.
One proposed strategy for controlling the transmission of insect-borne pathogens uses a drive mechanism to ensure the rapid spread of transgenes conferring disease refractoriness throughout wild populations. Here, we report the creation of maternal-effect selfish genetic elements ...
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Possible replacement of malaria mosquitoes

S. Avery Jones,  Transactions of The Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene,  51:469-470. 1957.
Sir,--The purpose of this letter is to draw the attention of research workers in control of mosquito colonies to the possible value of investigating the factors governing the infection of mosquitoes with parasites of human malaria. If a strain of a vector species could be ...
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