Keywords: Oxitec
Florida releases millions of genetically modified mosquitoes from Oxitec in the Florida Keys to try to reduce dengue and Zika by up to 95%, in a real-world experiment that divides residents and ushers in a new era of ecosystem editing.
35351Carla Teles, Click Petróleo e Gás, 2026-01-10 09:57:25.
In a quiet Florida neighborhood, things began with something that seemed mundane. Gray boxes started appearing in backyards and along the edges of mangrove swamps, accompanied by a simple instruction: fill with water and leave. Nobody saw anything special about them, just discreet containers scattered around the neighborhood. What almost nobody realized was that those boxes were capsules for a global experiment: from inside them would emerge millions of mosquitoes. Created in a laboratory, carrying a genetic code designed to attack their own species. In the following months, these boxes became the starting point for waves of millions of mosquitoes A laboratory experiment over the Florida Keys. For some residents, it looked like the beginning of an apocalyptic movie. For others, it was a desperate gamble to contain dengue and Zika outbreaks that had been approaching year after year. And behind it all was Oxitec, a British biotechnology company that transformed a common mosquito into a small flying genetic saboteur.
The ‘mosquito factory’ breeding genetically-engineered insects to fight malaria
35321Rachel Schraer, The Independent, 2025-12-28 11:31:52.
A British company breeding mosquitoes whose offspring cannot spread malaria is set to start releasing the insects into Djibouti city by the end of the year. Genetically-engineered male mosquitoes hatched in boxes placed around the East African capital will produce female babies with genes that cause them to die before they reach adulthood. Only female mosquitoes bite and spread disease. The scheme is designed to slash the number of mosquitoes to reduce cases of malaria, which currently infects up to 10 per cent of the country a year. Malaria is among the world’s biggest killers of children under five. “So much has been achieved with existing tools,” like bed nets and insecticide spraying, says Neil Morrison, chief strategy officer at Oxitec, the British biotech company which produces the altered mosquitoes. “But progress is stalling” as resistance is being built up. As global funding to fight malaria reduces, thanks to cuts by the US, UK and a number of other nations, Morrison adds: “We just need to get a bit smarter in terms of how we think about controlling mosquitoes.”A piece of code is inserted into the genetic material of the mosquitoes at a research facility in the UK, before the “friendly” mosquitoes are transported to a “mosquito factory” in Djibouti, Morrison explains. A chemical antidote is then given to the mosquitoes to “switch off” the code, allowing them to survive and breed within that “factory”.
Controversial genetically modified mosquito release paused after backlash in Qld
35305Brandon Long, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, 2025-12-05 17:32:24.
A plan to release genetically modified (GM) mosquitoes in Queensland has been paused, with the organisation behind the idea withdrawing its licence application. Oxitec Australia — a partnership between Australia's CSIRO and US biotech firm Oxitec Ltd — aimed to sell its so-called "friendly" mosquitoes to reduce the spread of diseases like dengue. The plan received backlash from scientists, health experts, and the public, but CSIRO said the step back was not due to concerns about the technology. "This decision was not related to concerns about the technology itself, rather a determination made around the early stage of the company and the necessary financial requirements of holding a licence," a CSIRO spokesperson said.
Millions of genetically modified insects have been released in Brazil, but why didn’t anyone tell you about this before?
35003Noel Budeguer, Click Petroleo e Gas, 2025-08-04 08:29:56.
Few people realize, but Brazil is one of the most advanced countries in the world when it comes to biological pest control. Instead of relying solely on poisons and traps, Brazilian researchers are investing in technological solutions that, at first glance, seem like the stuff of science fiction: releasing modified mosquitoes and flies into the environment to prevent disease outbreaks and agricultural losses. The initiative may sound controversial, but it has already yielded impressive results—and, in some cases, may have prevented entire epidemics without anyone noticing. The logic behind these techniques is simple yet powerful. By releasing sterile or genetically modified males into the environment, they compete with natural males for females. When they win this contest and mate, the offspring born don't survive—or even hatch at all. The result is a drastic decline in the target pest's population. Two main approaches are used: the Sterile Insect Technique (SIT), which uses radiation to sterilize males, and genetic modification, which prevents reproduction through DNA alterations. Both methods eliminate the use of pesticides and have gained traction as sustainable and highly effective alternatives.
Hordes of genetically modified insects set to be released in Australia: ‘They can smell you’
34740Michael Dahlstrom, Yahoo News, 2025-04-03 17:47:00.
Dengue fever is at record levels around the globe, with this trend now beginning to be reflected in Australia as the mosquito species that carries the virus spreads. It means a simple bite could soon trigger symptoms worse than an annoying itch, with victims often experiencing pain behind the eyes, headaches, muscle aches, and nausea for over a week. Surprisingly, elsewhere in the world, one solution to combatting the spread of dengue fever is breeding more of the mosquitoes in large factories. And that’s what UK-based Oxitec is now planning to do in Australia as it partners with the country’s national science agency, the CSIRO. The company operates the world’s largest mosquito breeding factory, which is located in Brazil. Inside are boxes containing thousands of “friendly” mosquitoes that are genetically engineered so only non-biting males survive. After they’re released by local governments, they breed with wild females, and because their offspring will also be majority male, the overall population can rapidly be reduced by over 95 per cent in a few breeding cycles. Australian governments could be purchasing and releasing Oxitic’s strain of “friendly” mosquitoes in the next one to two years, if the plan receives regulatory approval.
3 reasons why the release of GM mosquitoes in Queensland is risky
34554Dr. Perran Stott-Ross, University of Melbourne, 2025-03-04 11:14:23.
The British company Oxitec, in partnership with Australia's CSIRO, has announced plans to release genetically modified (GM) mosquitoes in Queensland. The initiative aims to reduce transmission of the dengue virus, as well as other pathogens spread by the Aedes aegypti mosquito by reducing the size of the mosquito population. The announcement has received significant attention from the public – there's even a petition to the Queensland Parliament to block the release. While these mosquitoes are unlikely to cause adverse health impacts as some have suggested, there are still legitimate reasons for concern. Here is why we should be wary of releasing GM mosquitoes in Australia. Only female mosquitoes drink blood to feed their eggs, meaning only female mosquitoes spread disease to humans. The mosquitoes developed by Oxitec are a Mexican strain of Aedes aegypti, genetically engineered to express a gene that's lethal to females. This means only male mosquitoes can survive and reproduce in the wild. Male mosquitoes don’t bite so they can’t spread disease, but they can still mate with wild Australian female mosquitoes and pass on their genes – both the lethal gene and other genes naturally occur in the Mexican strain of Aedes aegypti. This technique has advantages over similar technologies because it is effective across multiple generations, making the population reduction last longer. It will also only target Aedes aegypti and won’t affect other mosquito species directly. The mosquitoes will also carry a fluorescent gene making them easy to identify. The GM mosquitoes will be sold to businesses and the public, allowing anyone in Queensland to release them on their own property. They can be raised by adding water to a container and placing it outside. Eventually, male mosquitoes will emerge to mate with the wild population. The technology is already used overseas with trials showing drastic reductions in mosquito populations, but the situation in Australia is markedly different and so carries different risks.
Genetically modified mosquitoes to fight malaria
30493The Naked Scientists, 2024-06-04 17:15:48.
Genetically engineered mosquitoes are taking to the air in an experiment to attempt to curtail malaria in Djibouti. The tiny African nation all but eliminated malaria just over a decade ago. But rising population and urbanisation has seen disease cases skyrocketing again, making it an ideal venue to test the technology, which uses a genetic trick to kill off selectively female mosquitoes; this leaves the males - which don’t bite humans - unharmed to breed and pass on the trait to other members of the species.
Biotech company implements controversial offspring-killing method to address dengue fever: ‘Will show a reduction of 20%’
29069Jeremiah Budin, The Cool Down, 2024-04-02 11:44:22.
"We can get out of this state of emergency."
Uganda and Djibouti seek Friendly mosquitoes to fight malaria
29066Richard Wetaya, Alliance for Science, 2024-04-02 11:40:33.
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.
Taking the fight against disease to mosquitoes
28948Gregory Devine, Setopati, 2024-02-27 18:33:30.
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.
Oxitec concludes GMO mosquito release phase
28361Anonymous, keysnews.com, 2023-11-08 09:35:19.
Oxitec and the Florida Keys Mosquito Control District announced last week that the release phase during the third season of the FKMCD-Oxitec Mosquito Project has concluded for the 2023 season. Mosquito population monitoring will continue for the next several weeks.9
British super mosquitoes being deployed to wipe out malaria from the planet
27622J. Lawton, Daily Star, 2023-08-15 10:00:16.
The Brit-made mosquitoes are all male and carry a special gene to prevent female offspring from surviving into adulthood.Only females bite and spread malaria. Released into the wild Oxitec’s genetically-modified males mate with wild females. All the female offspring then die. Males - which do not bite or spread the disease - survive and go on to mate with other wild females `dramatically’ reducing the world’s mosquito population and the "spread of malaria". according to Gates. Tests have shown the super mozzies pose no risk to the environment or humans. More than one billion have so far been released worldwide with "no negative impacts", Bill wrote in an online blog. In Brazil the Brit buzzers are helping eliminate dengue fever - another mosquito-transmitted disease which kills up to 40,000-a-year. They will be introduced to Djibouti in east Africa next year to stop a rise in the number of malaria cases from 27 in 2012 to 73,000 in 2020.
Genetically modified Brit mosquitoes could stamp out malaria with Bill Gates’ backing
27619K. Williams, Mirror, 2023-08-15 09:49:13.
British super mosquitoes could be deployed worldwide to eradicate malaria. Billionaire Bill Gates is backing the British effort to send the country’s mosquitoes across the world in an effort to stamp out the deadly disease. This would work because the super mozzies, created by UK biotech firm Oxitec, are capable of killing off their disease-ridden rivals that spread the illness responsible for over half a million deaths a year.Oxitec genetically modifies insects to use them as biological insecticides. They work by the British mozzies being entirely male only and they carry a special gene that stops female offspring from surviving into adulthood. This is key because only the females bite and spread malaria. So Oxitec’s all-male mosquitoes are released into the wild and mate with the wild females, whose female offspring all die off. However, the male offspring survive and, unable to bite and spread the disease, go off into the world and mate with other wild females.
EPA Authorized Release Of 2 Billion More GMO Mosquitos
27606T. Mateescu, Health Thoroughfare, 2023-08-09 07:34:11.
A biotechnology company called Oxitec has produced genetically modified mosquitoes named GE mosquitoes. These mosquitoes are being released in the U.S. for a real-world experiment. Oxitec is using Aedes aegypti (A. aegypti) mosquitoes for this experiment. This species is known to carry diseases like yellow fever, dengue fever, chikungunya, Zika, West Nile, and Mayaro, a dengue-like disease. Oxitec genetically engineered the males of this species to carry a “genetic kill switch.” When they mate with wild female mosquitoes, their offspring inherit the lethal gene, and they cannot survive or reproduce in the wild. Oxitec is marketing these insects as “Oxitec Friendly” mosquitoes in the U.S.
CRISPR’d Mosquitoes With All-Male Offspring Could Help Eradicate Malaria
26610V. B. Ramirez, Singuarity Hub, 2023-07-13 13:17:26.
Though at least one vaccine for malaria is in use, it remains one of the deadliest diseases in the world. Almost half of the world’s population lives in areas where malaria transmission occurs, and an estimated 619,000 people died of the disease in 2021. Worse yet, the vast majority of cases leading to death are in young children. Researchers from the University of California in San Diego may have found a way to reduce this burden of disease. They used the gene editing tool CRISPR to alter a gene that controls sexual development in mosquitoes. Male mosquitoes don’t bite humans; it’s the females that spread malaria and other diseases. The UCSD team’s method uses gene editing to kill all female mosquito offspring within a given population of the insects. The mosquito species in question is Anopheles gambiae, commonly called the African malaria mosquito and described as “the most efficient vector of human malaria.” They’re anthropophilic, meaning they like human blood more than animal blood, and they thrive in hot climates with a lot of moisture. Why such an insect exists in the first place is hard to comprehend, is it not?
Oxitec Launches New Technology Program to Develop a Friendly™ Solution for the World’s Most Damaging Cattle Tick
25292Oxitec Ltd, Oxitec Press Release, 2023-05-24 07:45:30.
Oxitec Ltd, the leading developer of insect-based biological solutions to control pests that transmit disease, destroy crops and harm livestock, today announced the launch of development of a targeted, biological Friendly™ solution for the world’s most devastating cattle pest, the Asian blue tick, or Rhipicephalus microplus. In a feasibility project funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Oxitec’s team validated the key methods for development of a Friendly™ R. microplus, and found that, for management of this dangerous tick, this biological approach is anticipated to provide a highly effective alternative to chemical pesticides. The Foundation has now committed $4.8 million to an early development phase to start to build the Friendly™ R. microplus solution, Oxitec’s first targeting a non-insect pest.
Genetically Engineered Mosquito experiment in California’s Central Valley halted
25147H. Bourque, Friends of the Earth, 2023-05-12 14:52:46.
In a victory for environmentalists, scientists and vulnerable agricultural communities across California, the California Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) announced yesterday the withdrawal of a permit request for a mass release of experimental genetically engineered mosquitoes in the Central Valley. The withdrawal of the biotech corporation Oxitec’s request halts the controversial proposed release of billions of genetically engineered insects. Scientists and other experts in the field have raised concerns about Oxitec’s proposal to release genetically engineered mosquitoes due to inadequate scientific review and lack of appropriate and relevant regulations, pressuring the company to disclose data critical to assessing potential public health and environmental impacts.
updated: Genetically Engineered Mosquitoes Research Authorization Application
25149California Department of Pesticide Regulation, California Department of Pesticide Regulation,, 2023-05-11 14:56:36.
In May 2023, Oxitec voluntarily withdrew its research authorization application to test the use of genetically engineered mosquitoes in California. DPR did not issue a decision on the application. For more information on Oxitec’s withdrawal and future plans for research in California, see their letter, PDF. The company applied for a research authorization from the department in March 2022 to release and study the use of genetically engineered Aedes aegypti mosquitoes to reduce the current Aedes aegypti mosquito population in Tulare County, California. DPR must approve a research authorization application before an unregistered pesticide can be field tested in the state. There is no pending research authorization or active application for the study of genetically engineered mosquitoes in California at this time.
Groundbreaking Partnership to Combat Dengue Mosquito in the Republic of the Marshall Islands Will Deploy Oxitec Friendly™ Aedes aegypti Solution
24918Oxitec, Oxitec.com, 2023-03-31 13:30:06.
The Republic of the Marshall Islands has selected Oxitec’s Friendly™ Aedes aegypti solution for a new pilot intervention to control the disease-spreading invasive Aedes aegypti mosquito. The project is a partnership between the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Pacific Island Health Officers’ Association, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and Oxitec. Aedes aegypti has spread globally and is the primary vector of diseases such as dengue, Zika, chikungunya and yellow fever. Deployments of the Friendly™ Aedes aegypti are planned to be conducted on Ebeye Island where, in 2019, a severe dengue outbreak forced a 'State of Health emergency'.
Biotech company released 2.4 billions GM Mosquitoes in two parts of the U.S
24346C. Victorial, NEWSBREAK, 2022-12-27 16:20:57.
Due to the high death rate that mosquitoes have inflicted, The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has approved the release of 2.4 billion genetically modified mosquitoes in selected regions of California and Florida. These modified mosquitoes were created by a biotechnology company called Oxitec. The technology creates non-biting Aedes aegypti, which are common invasive types of mosquito. The males are engineered to only produce other male offspring. Oxitec states that the process will greatly reduce the number mosquitoes, as female mosquitoes are expected to die, while males will reproduce and spread the self-limiting gene to the next upcoming generation. The goal is to eventually decrease the population of all mosquitos to regulated state.
Good news in the fight against vector-borne diseases
24175K. Magori, 2022-12-09 11:07:13.
At the turn of the century, several research groups attempted to apply modern genetic methodologies to achieve similar outcomes without the need for irradiation and the resulting fitness costs. Luke Alphey and his colleagues at Oxford University developed a dominant lethal genetic system for autocidal control in the Mediterranean fruitfly, where a transactivator causes lethality in the early developmental stages of heterozygous insects unless repressed by tetracycline. The company he funded (Oxitec Limited) successfully adapted this system in several agriculturally important pest species, as well as in Aedes aegypti and other mosquitoes. (Full disclosure: I worked at Oxitec Limited in 2007, but own no shares or have any other conflict of interest with them). While the first generation of these mosquitoes proved to successfully reduce wild-type mosquito populations, they required labor-intensive separation of male and female mosquitoes before release in close proximity. While this ensured that only non-biting male mosquitoes are released, it also limited the scalability of this approach.
Oxitec’s mosquitoes are getting “friendly” with California
24109L. Patrick, The Sun Gazette, 2022-12-01 09:34:07.
Biotech company Oxitec is buzzing around Visalia, with the hopes of releasing their genetically engineered mosquitoes in Tulare County. Oxitec has one more hurdle to jump over in order to release their “friendly” Aedes aegypti mosquitoes in Tulare County, and that’s to gain the approval of the California Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR). Though their attempts to release their GE mosquitoes in California have been met with both supportive and hesitant reactions from different state agencies and environmental groups, Oxitec’s Dr. Kevin Gorman said the technology has been researched and reviewed with “much scrutiny,” despite claims that the mosquitoes are ineffective or hazardous. “We have a biological approach to managing pest insects, and the biological approach is a mating-based technology. It’s very targeted, it only affects the species that [they’re] mating with,” Gorman said. “Not only is it environmentally safe, it’s effective.” The male GE mosquitoes from Oxitec have been engineered with a self-limiting gene, and this gene infects wild female mosquitoes to prevent them from reproducing female offspring. This leaves only male mosquitoes in the gene pool, according to Gorman. Female mosquitoes are targeted since they are the only ones that bite, and therefore capable of transmitting diseases. The engineered males will only mate with Aedes aegypti females, and do not leave an environmental footprint, according to Gorman. The release of these mosquitoes is supposed to reduce the natural population of the invasive mosquito, which are known to carry diseases such as dengue, chikungunya, Zika, yellow fever and others.
Turns Out Fighting Mosquitoes With Mosquitoes Actually Works
24018E. Mullin, Wired, 2022-11-21 08:56:57.
In the Brazilian city of Indaiatuba, an effort is underway to eliminate these pests before they have a chance to spread illness. The weapon: more Aedes aegypti mosquitoes—but ones genetically engineered to kill their own kind. Made by British biotechnology firm Oxitec, the mosquitoes seem to be working. The modified mosquitoes carry a synthetic self-limiting gene that prevents female offspring from surviving. This is important, because only the females bite and transmit disease. In a new study, scientists at the company showed that their engineered insects were able to slash the local population of Aedes aegypti by up to 96 percent over 11 months in the neighborhoods where they were released. “This is an area with high levels of Aedes aegypti, and they periodically have outbreaks of dengue,” says Nathan Rose, head of malaria programs at Oxitec. In fact, this summer the Brazilian Ministry of Health reported that dengue fever was continuing to spread in all five regions of the country. Between January 1 and May 31, Brazil had more than 1.1 million cases—an increase of 198 percent compared to the same period in 2021. In those five months, the disease, which causes high fever, rash, and muscle and joint pain, killed 504 people. For the study, which was conducted in 2018 and 2019, the company chose four densely populated neighborhoods with high levels of Aedes aegypti. In two, scientists released a “dose” of 100 male mosquitoes per resident per week. In the others, they cranked that up to 500.
Health experts meet in Dar over use of GMO mosquitoes to fight Malaria
23991M. Chelangat, NATION, 2022-11-16 09:03:01.
Regional health think thanks led by the African Institute for Development and Policy (AFIDEP), East African Community(EAC) Health department, East African Health Research Commission and Ifakara health institute will be meeting in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania for three day starting tomorrow to discuss the development of genetically modified mosquitoes to help in controlling and eliminating malaria.The experts will also be discussing regulatory reforms and policies, given that regulatory frameworks of many African countries do not provide clear guidance on how to develop and test genetically modified mosquitoes. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), genetically modified mosquitoes are mass produced in a laboratory to carry two types of genes.
Calif. Legislature bites back at GE mosquito releases
23866L. Patrick, Sun Gazette, 2022-11-08 10:15:50.
A biotech company created millions of genetically modified mosquitoes, but not in the Jurassic Park sense. The lab grown species could actually lower the population of an invasive mosquito that carries a plethora of diseases on its shoulders.On Nov. 3, several members of the California legislature sent a letter to the Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) asking it to delay the release of millions of genetically engineered (GE) mosquitoes in Tulare County by Oxitec, a British biotech company, in the interest of further regulatory review. The GE mosquitoes are meant to lower the population of Aedes aegypti, an invasive mosquito that has been plaguing communities in the county for the last few years. However, members of the legislature are pushing for the DPR to resist the GE mosquitoes because of unforeseen effects they might have on people and the environment. This would be the first experimental release of of the non-biting mosquitoes, which OxiTec calls “friendly mosquitoes,” in Tulare County. Though the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency approved the release of the mosquitoes on March 7, the agency has been awaiting approval from DPR for several months, even after a 15-month scientific evaluation process and a 15-day public comment period that ended on April 19.
Genetically modified mosquitoes cut the insect’s number by 96 per cent
23812M. Fauzia, NewScientist, 2022-10-31 09:18:00.
The release of genetically modified male mosquitoes into a city in Brazil temporarily cut the virus-carrying insects by up to 96 per cent. Although not a permanent fix, periodically releasing such mosquitoes could reduce the burden of infections including dengue, malaria and Zika. Kevin Gorman at the biotechnology firm Oxitec in Abingdon, UK, and his colleagues are particularly looking to control dengue. Although usually mild, the infection can be fatal. Already widespread …
New self-sexing Aedes aegypti strain eliminates barriers to scalable and sustainable vector control for governments and communities in dengue-prone environments
23796S. A. M. Spinner, Z. H. Barnes, A. M. Puinean, P. Gray, T. Dafa’alla, C. E. Phillips, C. Nascimento de Souza, T. F. Frazon, K. Ercit, A. Collado, N. Naish, E. Sulston, G. C. Ll. Phillips, K. K. Greene, M. Poletto, B. D. Sperry, S. A. Warner, N. R. Rose, G, Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology, 10. 2022-10-25 07:35:02.
For more than 60 years, efforts to develop mating-based mosquito control technologies have largely failed to produce solutions that are both effective and scalable, keeping them out of reach of most governments and communities in disease-impacted regions globally. High pest suppression levels in trials have yet to fully translate into broad and effective Aedes aegypti control solutions. Two primary challenges to date–the need for complex sex-sorting to prevent female releases, and cumbersome processes for rearing and releasing male adult mosquitoes–present significant barriers for existing methods. As the host range of Aedes aegypti continues to advance into new geographies due to increasing globalisation and climate change, traditional chemical-based approaches are under mounting pressure from both more stringent regulatory processes and the ongoing development of insecticide resistance. It is no exaggeration to state that new tools, which are equal parts effective and scalable, are needed now more than ever. This paper describes the development and field evaluation of a new self-sexing strain of Aedes aegypti that has been designed to combine targeted vector suppression, operational simplicity, and cost-effectiveness for use in disease-prone regions. This conditional, self-limiting trait uses the sex-determination gene doublesex linked to the tetracycline-off genetic switch to cause complete female lethality in early larval development. With no female progeny survival, sex sorting is no longer required, eliminating the need for large-scale mosquito production facilities or physical sex-separation. In deployment operations, this translates to the ability to generate multiple generations of suppression for each mosquito released, while being entirely self-limiting. To evaluate these potential benefits, a field trial was carried out in densely-populated urban, dengue-prone neighbourhoods in Brazil, wherein the strain was able to suppress wild mosquito populations by up to 96%, demonstrating the utility of this self-sexing approach for biological vector control. In doing so, it has shown that such strains offer the critical components necessary to make these tools highly accessible, and thus they harbour the potential to transition mating-based approaches to effective and sustainable vector control tools that are within reach of governments and at-risk communities who may have only limited resources.
How We’re Reducing Disease With Genetically Modified Mosquitoes
23667V. Wise, HealthMatch, 2022-09-29 08:07:21.
We all know mosquitoes as those annoying insects we swat away from our faces. They carry diseases, so we don’t want them anywhere near us. There are over 200 types of wild mosquitoes bugging us across America and the U.S. territories. Approximately 12 types can spread disease, but most are “nuisance” mosquitoes, which don’t spread germs. Obviously, it’s hard to identify a tiny flying creature, so we need to keep them all away from us just in case. Aedes aegypti¹ is one of the most common mosquitoes in the U.S. that can spread disease. One of the best-known mosquito-borne diseases is malaria, but Aedes aegypti is associated with 54 viruses². West Nile virus, Zika, and dengue are just three diseases these mosquitoes transmit around the U.S With 1 in 150 people becoming seriously ill due to West Nile virus, sometimes fatally, what can we do to prevent mosquito bites?
Can a bold new plan to stop mosquitoes catch on?
23631L. J. Young, Popular Science, 2022-09-13 07:48:42.
In the northwestern outskirts of Visalia in Tulare County, California, Bryan Ruiz drives down a familiar dirt road that cuts through farmland. He comes up to an irrigation pipe that’s created a “pretty nasty” situation—a small patch of vegetation and algae-covered water baking under the early June sun. As his shadow looms over the pool, a wormlike critter less than half an inch long quickly tries to submerge out of sight, but before it can, Ruiz scoops it up with a long metal dipper. He squints at his catch: a larva of Culex, a genus that includes common house mosquitoes.
Fact Check: Bill Gates’ genetically modified mosquitoes are responsible for mosquito-borne viruses in Florida and are part of the next planned pandemic.
23542A. Williams, The Paradise, 2022-09-09 06:00:08.
The genetically modified mosquitoes in Florida are part of a project by Oxitec that Bill Gates did not fund. The virus reported in Florida is the West Nile virus, which has had reported cases in most U.S. states since 1999, with lower cases in 2022 than in previous years. The virus has no correlation to the release of the mosquitoes by Oxitec, and no reports have mentioned they have caused harm. The belief that pandemics are planned by governmental or global business is a known conspiracy and unsubstantiated. Therefore, this claim has been marked as false.
Release the Beast? Genetically modified mosquitos for diease control
23351G. Ferrante, Palatinate, 2022-07-29 08:31:10.
The company Oxitec is an example how genetic technologies can be used in managing unwanted species in a sustainable way.Oxitec jumped to the headlines in March with permits being issued by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to allow the release of around 2.4 billion male mosquitos over two years in Florida and California. This is part of an expansion of their existing trial of releasing a genetically modified mosquito species in a bid to suppress the species Aedes aegypti in the USA. Aedes aegypti also known as the yellow fever mosquito has a main role in spreading debilitating diseases such as Dengue, Chikungunya, Yellow Fever and Zika virus in many countries. Aedes aegypti also is an invasive species in many subtropical regions, spanning from the south-eastern US to the Pacific Islands and South-East Asia. Oxitec’s signature technology involves the use of a ‘self-limiting’ gene which only activates in female mosquitos after reproduction.
The Florida Keys Mosquito Control District & Oxitec Announce Launch of Next Phase of Ground-Breaking Project
23093Oxitec, Oxitec, 2022-06-30 07:38:27.
In a continuation of the FKMCD-Oxitec Mosquito Project, Oxitec and FKMCD announced that a new phase of the project (“Pilot D”) will be initiated on or after July 7th, 2022. This phase of the project will examine single-point releases of Oxitec’s male mosquitoes. In March of this year the EPA granted an extension of the Experimental Use Permit (EUP) for the continuation of this pilot project. Following this national-level approval, the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS), reviewed and approved Oxitec’s state-level permit applications. The 2022 project launched with Pilot B during the week of May 9th, with the placement of Oxitec’s just-add-water mosquito boxes on private property of volunteer residents in three release areas, all on Vaca Key. Untreated comparison sites are monitored with mosquito traps on Key Colony Beach and Vaca Key.
Manipulating Insect Sex Determination Pathways for Genetic Pest Management: Opportunities and Challenges
23084A. Siddall, T. Harvey-Samuel, T. Chapman and P. T. Leftwich, Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology, 10. 2022-06-28 07:14:08.
Sex determination pathways in insects are generally characterised by an upstream primary signal, which is highly variable across species, and that regulates the splicing of a suite of downstream but highly-conserved genes (transformer, doublesex and fruitless). In turn, these downstream genes then regulate the expression of sex-specific characteristics in males and females. Identification of sex determination pathways has and continues to be, a critical component of insect population suppression technologies. For example, “first-generation” transgenic technologies such as fsRIDL (Female-Specific Release of Insects carrying Dominant Lethals) enabled efficient selective removal of females from a target population as a significant improvement on the sterile insect technique (SIT). Second-generation technologies such as CRISPR/Cas9 homing gene drives and precision-guided SIT (pgSIT) have used gene editing technologies to manipulate sex determination genes in vivo. The development of future, third-generation control technologies, such as Y-linked drives, (female to male) sex-reversal, or X-shredding, will require additional knowledge of aspects of sexual development, including a deeper understanding of the nature of primary signals and dosage compensation. This review shows how knowledge of sex determination in target pest species is fundamental to all phases of the development of control technologies.
Inside the Plan to Release Life-Saving Mosquitoes
22903WIRED, 2022-06-10 06:28:48.
The Florida Keys Mosquito Control District is turning towards a novel tool to combat harmful insecticide-resistant mosquitoes like the Aedes aegypti. What are they doing exactly? They're releasing millions of genetically modified male mosquitoes engineered to reduce the population of Aedes aegypti. How exactly does this work? We'll break it down.
Elimination of a closed population of the yellow fever mosquito, Aedes aegypti, through releases of self-limiting male mosquitoes
22519P. B. Patil, S. K. Dasgupta, K. Gorman, A. Pickl-Herk, M. Puinean, A. McKemey, B. Char, U. B. Zehr and S. R. Barwale, PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases, 16:e0010315. 2022-05-16 09:19:04.
Author summary Aedes aegypti L. species is the primary vector responsible for transmission of the dengue virus worldwide including chikungunya, yellow fever and Zika virus. The experiment presented in the manuscript represents a study undertaken to demonstrate suppression of the wild type Ae. aegypti population in large outdoor field cages with natural exposure to the environment (physically-contained field cage facility) by sustained releases of male adults of OX513A Ae. aegypti strain. This investigation is a phase-2 contained study as per the World Health Organization guidelines for evaluation of genetically modified organisms and was recommended by the Indian regulatory board. This experiment demonstrates suppression of wild type Ae. aegypti population by sustained releases of OX513A male adults in a contained facility. The prospect of the project is to demonstrate and implement the technology for controlling/suppression of the Ae. aegypti vector in the open field environment.
Mosquitoes Genetically Modified to Stop Disease Pass Early Test
22448L. Rapaport, WebMD, 2022-05-09 08:57:53.
Genetically modified mosquitoes released in the U.S. appear to have passed an early test that suggests they might one day help reduce the population of insects that transmit infectious diseases. As part of the test, scientists released nearly 5 million genetically engineered male Aedes aegypti mosquitoes over the course of 7 months in the Florida Keys. Male mosquitoes don’t bite people, and these were also modified so they would transmit a gene to female offspring that causes them to die before they can reproduce. In theory, this means the population of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes would die off over time, so they wouldn’t spread diseases any more. The goal of this pilot project in Florida was to see if these genetically modified male mosquitoes could successfully mate with females in the wild, and to confirm whether their female offspring would indeed die before they could reproduce. On both counts, the experiment was a success, Oxitec, the biotechnology company developing these engineered Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, said in a webina
Setting the world’s deadliest animal to self-destruct
22210A. Ossola, QUARTZ, 2022-05-08 15:29:34.
The mosquitoes are coming - and the, hopefully, they're going. This wee, British biotech company Oxitec plans to kick off a months-long experiment in which it will release billions of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes in California and Florida. But these aren't just any mosquitoes - they're genetically engineered so that they don't bite and will, if all goes according to plan, eventually reduce the population of mosquitoes in these areas.
The fight against malaria
22445F. Ammache, Year 2049, 2022-05-06 08:51:20.
Malaria is a disease we’ve been dealing with for thousands of years. Traces of the malaria parasite have been found in the remains of Egyptian mummies. Hippocrates described the fevers caused by malaria in Ancient Greece. The mosquito-filled Pontine Marshes protected Ancient Rome from invaders. Back then, we thought the disease was caused by people breathing “bad air”, or “mal aria”. The relationship between mosquitoes and malaria was unknown. Plasmodium falciparum, the deadliest form of malaria, was introduced by a new breed of mosquitoes around the 5th century. Some historians speculate that P. falciparum played a key role in the fall of the Roman Empire. It wasn’t until 1897 that we understood that mosquitoes transmitted malaria. Sir Ronald Ross, a British doctor based in India, found the malaria parasite in the blood of Anopheles mosquitoes which proved a hypothesis that was first put forward by his predecessor Alphonse Laveran.
State of Florida approves release of millions of genetically modified mosquitoes
22216H. Crawford, FIRSTCOAST NEWS, 2022-05-04 15:34:00.
The state of Florida has given the green light to Oxitec, a U-K biotechnology company, to release millions of genetically modified mosquitoes in Monroe County starting this Spring. It’s a controversial pilot program that began in the Florida Keys in 2021 to evaluate the effectiveness of Oxitec mosquitoes to control the invasive, disease-spreading Aedes aegypti mosquito. According to an email obtained by First Coast News, the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) approved extending the experimental use permit on Tuesday. The department says it does not and will not be making a formal announcement related to the issuance of any pesticide registration. “Yesterday, FDACS authorized the distribution and experimental use of OX5034 AEDES AEGYPTI (EPA EUP NO. 93617-EUP-2) in Florida,” an email from the Division of Agricultural Environmental Services read. The Florida Keys Mosquito Control District has been working with Oxitec on field trials. Since 2021, millions of genetically modified male Aedes aegypti mosquitoes have been strategically released in Monroe County as part of the Oxitec Mosquito Project. In March, the EPA approved the release of 2.4 billion more in Monroe County and California over the next two years under an experimental use permit. Oxitec had to get approval from each state before proceeding. The mosquitoes are designed to kill biting females before they mature.
Genetically Modified Mosquitoes May Protect The World From Disease
22213J. R. Learn, DISCOVER, 2022-05-04 15:29:48.
Forget lions, hippos or venomous spiders. Aedes aegypti mosquitoes may be among the deadliest wildlife in the world. Their bite is relatively harmless in normal circumstances. But many of these mosquitoes carry diseases they transmit from the blood of one host to another, including Zika, chikungunya, dengue and yellow fever. Like the related tiger mosquito that also carries these diseases, the Ae. aegypti are distinguished by black and white stripes along their legs. These mosquitoes thrive in urban areas, which makes the spread of the diseases they carry particularly insidious. They typically breed in small volumes of water, like in discarded tires and flower pots. But a new genetically engineered technology can get the mosquitoes to breed themselves out of existence. “We want to have a tool that’s going to have a real impact on disease transmission, and we want it to be accessible,” says Nathan Rose, head of regulatory affairs at Oxitec. “Our real focus has been on finding environmentally friendly ways of controlling pests.”
Brit firm sparks fury after ‘releasing genetically modified mosquitoes’ into wild
22069C. Lawrence-Jones, Daily Star, 2022-04-29 07:17:13.
A British company has sparked fury after releasing genetically modified mosquitoes into the wild that critics say could produce new strains of super-mozzies. UK-based Oxitec say they've hacked the insects' genetic make up and hope it will ultimately kill off all-female offspring wiping out huge colonies of the bug. Mosquitoes are some of the deadliest creatures in the world with mosquito-borne diseases killing around a million people every year. In time, Oxitec argue, the hybrids could wipe out mosquito-borne diseases like dengue and yellow fever. But the experimental release in California and Florida Keys, an island chain at the very tip of Florida in the U.S. has angered critics.
First U.S. Open-Air Test of Genetically Modified Mosquitoes Deemed a Success
21786S. Kuta, Smithosonian Magazine, 2022-04-21 06:47:16.
A private company that released genetically modified mosquitoes into the open air of the Florida Keys last spring says the experiment was a success, reports Emily Waltz for Nature. Oxitec, a United Kingdom-based biotech firm initially founded at Oxford University, released the bugs in an effort to curb wild mosquito populations. The company has not yet published data from the experiment, but representatives said during a webinar earlier this month that the results were promising. Oxitec had already tested the genetically modified mosquitoes in the field in Brazil, Panama, the Cayman Islands and Malaysia, according to Nature, but this was the first open-air trial of genetically modified mosquitoes in the United States.
Genetically modified mosquitoes for controlling vector-borne diseases? Successful trial gives hope
21821T. Deol, Down To Earth, 2022-04-21 06:07:50.
Preliminary results of an open-air study of genetically engineered mosquitoes — with an aim to suppress a wild population of virus-carrying mosquitoes — in the United States have shown promising results. The aim of the experiment by Oxitec, a United Kingdom-based biotechnology firm, is to reduce the population of wild Aedes aegypti mosquitoes that is a vector for viruses such as chikungunya, dengue, zika and yellow fever. The scientists engineered a gene that will kill the female offspring. The results, achieved after a decade-long fight for public acceptance and regulatory approvals, are not enough. Larger studies are needed to understand whether the goal can be achieved or not. Their findings, yet to be published, were released during a webinar on 6 April. The experiment began in April 2021 in the Florida Keys but not without resistance from the residents. Their concerns ranged from the modified mosquitoes harming people, its impact on mosquito-eating species and other unintended consequences such as the emergence of a deadly virus.
Release of genetically modified mosquitoes created to fight disease a success: Biotech firm
21818C. Greenberg, National Post, 2022-04-20 06:03:19.
The release of genetically modified mosquitoes in the United States created to fight disease has gone according to plan, biotechnology firm Oxitec says.The first phase of the pilot study consisted of releasing almost 5 million modified Aedes aegypti male mosquitoes in the Florida Keys, a group of islands off the southern tip of Florida, in April 2021. The results indicated that the method may eventually succeed in eradicating or downsizing the number of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. Aedes aegypti only make up 4 per cent of the mosquito population in the Keys, but are responsible for spreading yellow fever, dengue, chikungunya and Zika virus, Oxitec said during an online seminar revealing their findings on April 6. “The mosquito is very difficult to control. It likes to live around people, in houses, under houses,” said Andrea Leal, executive director of the Florida Keys Mosquito Control District. “We’re also seeing an increase in resistance to a number of our adulticide products that we use for mosquito control, so at the end of it, we’re looking for new tools to put in our toolbox to help us control this particular mosquito.”
Tests of Genetically Modified Mosquitoes Prove Positive
21816R. Ellis, WebMD, 2022-04-20 05:59:18.
The first open-air study of genetically modified mosquitoes in the United States has yielded positive results, says Oxitec, the UK-based company that ran the study. However, Oxitec says larger tests are needed to determine whether the insects can suppress the disease-spreading mosquito population in the wild, according to Nature. Dengue, Zika, and yellow fever are some of the diseases the experiments hope to reduce. Scientists at Oxitec mass produced and genetically modified male Aedes aegypti mosquito eggs in a lab. The males were released into the wild to mate with females and pass along a gene designed to kill the female offspring, which are the only ones that bite and spread the diseases. The male offspring live on.
Genetically Modified Mosquitoes Work as Intended
21814M. L. Ford, NEWSER, 2022-04-19 05:54:33.
Results are in from a pilot study in Florida, where millions of genetically engineered mosquitoes were released into the wild. Some referred to it as the “Jurassic Park” experiment when it was announced last year, but—so far—everything is going to plan, according to UK biotech firm Oxitec. Per Nature, the experiment is part of a long-term plan to develop new tools in the fight against the invasive Aedes aegypti mosquito, which can carry dengue, Zika, and other gnarly viruses. Genetically modified male mosquitoes were released into the wild to mate with the local females; as hoped, affected female offspring died before reaching adulthood, and male offspring carried the engineered gene. By the way, the engineered males and their offspring do not bite humans. Ultimately, the hope is to suppress if not eradicate A. aegypti; however, this phase was focused on ensuring that the method works. In addition to preventing reproduction, the gene was successfully passed to succeeding generations of males for three months, and then it disappeared from the local population. Oxitec’s work is EPA-approved, and it works closely with state wildlife agencies. Similar experiments will soon begin in California. “I like the way they’re going about it,” Thomas Scott, an entomologist at UC-Davis, told Nature. “They’re doing it in a systematic, thoughtful way. So I’m encouraged.”
Biotech firm announces results from first US trial of genetically modified mosquito
21775E. Waltz, Nature, 2022-04-18 08:09:34.
Researchers have completed the first open-air study of genetically engineered mosquitoes in the United States. The results, according to the biotechnology firm running the experiment, are positive. But larger tests are still needed to determine whether the insects can achieve the ultimate goal of suppressing a wild population of potentially virus-carrying mosquitoes. The experiment has been underway since April 2021 in the Florida Keys, a chain of tropical islands near the southern tip of Florida. Oxitec, which developed the insects, released nearly five million engineered Aedes aegypti mosquitoes over the course of seven months, and has now almost completed monitoring the release sites. Based in Abingdon, UK, the firm reported the first results from the experiment during a webinar on 6 April, although it has not yet published the data.
Potential Adverse Effects of GE Mosquitoes Unknown
21773B. Giuffre, The Epoch Times, 2022-04-17 08:04:34.
“Safe and sustainable.” That’s what Oxitec, a British biological pest control company, calls its genetically modified (GM) or genetically engineered (GE) mosquito pesticide product. The company claims its product is nontoxic to humans and animals and won’t harm beneficial insects such as bees and butterflies. The experiment’s goal is to test the use of GE mosquitoes for reducing the transmission of diseases such as dengue, Zika, chikungunya, and yellow fever. The method of action is post-CRISPR, but uses similar gene engineering technology—inserting a double whammy into the Aedes aegypti male mosquito: a lethal gene and a fluorescent gene (for tracking). “The goal here is not to kill mosquitoes,” said epidemiologist Thomas Scott of the GE mosquito projects in Science magazine, “It’s to prevent people from getting infected and sick and dying.”
The plan to release genetically engineered mosquitoes in California
21703M. Petersen, Phys Org, 2022-04-12 08:50:04.
In the mosquito breeding rooms of British biotech company Oxitec, scientists line up fresh eggs, each the size of a grain of salt. Using microscopic needles, the white-coated researchers inject each egg with a dab of a proprietary synthetic DNA. For four days, Oxitec technicians care for the eggs, watching for those that hatch into wriggling brown larvae. Those "injection survivors," as the company calls them, face a battery of tests to ensure their genetic modification is successful. Soon, millions of these engineered mosquitoes could be set loose in California in an experiment recently approved by the federal government. Oxitec, a private company, says its genetically modified bugs could help save half the world's population from the invasive Aedes aegypti mosquito, which can spread diseases such as yellow fever, chikungunya and dengue to humans. Female offspring produced by these modified insects will die, according to Oxitec's plan, causing the population to collapse. "Precise. Environmentally sustainable. Non-toxic," the company says on its website of its product trademarked as the "Friendly" mosquito.
Genetically-Modified Mosquitos Could Soon Be Released in California
21693A. Madrigal, KQED, 2022-04-12 08:31:27.
Millions of genetically-modified, non-biting mosquitoes may soon be set loose in California after federal regulators gave the green light to a study aimed at preventing transmission of diseases like Zika and dengue. British biotech firm Oxitech says its technology alters male mosquitos to only produce viable male offspring, leading to population declines as females die off. While it may sound like the plot of a horror movie, the company says the new process is safe and necessary to address the growing global threat of mosquito-borne diseases. But some scientists and other critics say it could create even more virulent mosquitos, among other health and environmental risks. We’ll discuss the plan, which still requires state approval.
Genetically Modified Mosquitoes May Be Released in California, Experts Express Concern
21719Z. Papadakis, NEWSMAX, 2022-04-11 09:25:49.
Millions of genetically engineered mosquitos could soon be set loose in California in an effort to curb the disease-carrying Aedes aegypti mosquito population — but some experts are concerned that it could backfire. On March 7, Oxitec, a private company, obtained a permit from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to release its mosquitos in specific districts in Florida and California. The company reasoned that its genetically modified insects could help to save the world half of the world's population from the invasive Aedes aegypti mosquito which, according to Oxitec, increases the risk of transmission of dengue, chikungunya, Zika, yellow fever, and other diseases. "Given the growing health threat this mosquito poses across the U.S., we're working to make this technology available and accessible," Grey Frandsen, CEO of Oxitec, said in a statement. "These pilot programs, wherein we can demonstrate the technology's effectiveness in different climate settings, will play an important role in doing so. We look forward to getting to work this year."
Will genetic modification of mosquitoes take a bite out of insects’ population?
21708N. Patel, KCRW, 2022-04-11 08:58:40.
An invasive species of aggressive “ankle biters” called the Aedes aegypti mosquito is now in LA, and it’s spreading quickly. These tiny vampires can lay eggs in a space as small as a water-filled bottle cap, and they carry diseases like yellow fever and dengue. A British company called Oxitec is now trying to eradicate them through genetic modification. Oxitec will release millions of modified mosquitoes that can only produce female offspring that will die. Without an ability to reproduce, the mosquito population will collapse. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) granted the company a permit to release their modified mosquitoes in San Bernardino, Fresno, Stanislaus, and Tulare Counties.
An army of genetically engineered mosquitoes is about to be released
21705M. Menard, KNX NEWS, 2022-04-11 08:53:53.
A British biotech company has been altering the DNA of mosquitoes with the goal of killing off a more dangerous breed capable of spreading deadly diseases. And now they’re preparing to release their “friendly mosquitoes” into the wild. In California. Aedes aegypti is an invasive breed of mosquito that has been rapidly spreading throughout the state since their first detection about 10 years ago. It is a known carrier of such diseases as yellow fever, chikungunya and dengue.
California’s first genetically modified mosquitoes may soon be released
21698A. M. Asperin, FOX11 Los Angeles, 2022-04-10 08:41:01.
How would you feel about a few genetically engineered mosquitoes flying into your neighborhood? It's a possibility after the US Environmental Protection Agency on Friday approved pilot projects of Oxitec's mosquitoes in specific districts in California and Florida. The next step is for applications to be submitted to state regulators, who must approve the project for it to move forward.
In California, an army of genetically engineered mosquitoes awaits release. Will it backfire?
21652M. Petersen, Los Angeles Times, 2022-04-08 15:00:55.
In the mosquito breeding rooms of British biotech company Oxitec, scientists line up fresh eggs, each the size of a grain of salt. Using microscopic needles, the white-coated researchers inject each egg with a dab of a proprietary synthetic DNA. For four days, Oxitec technicians care for the eggs, watching for those that hatch into wriggling brown larvae. Those “injection survivors,” as the company calls them, face a battery of tests to ensure their genetic modification is successful. Soon, millions of these engineered mosquitoes could be set loose in California in an experiment recently approved by the federal government. Oxitec, a private company, says its genetically modified bugs could help save half the world’s population from the invasive Aedes aegypti mosquito, which can spread diseases such as yellow fever, chikungunya and dengue to humans. Female offspring produced by these modified insects will die, according to Oxitec’s plan, causing the population to collapse.
Federal Government Approves Release of Millions of Genetically Engineered Mosquitoes in California
21681A. Jose, The Western Journal, 2022-04-08 08:10:32.
Genetically modified Aedes aegypti mosquitoes could soon buzz around in California and Florida after the federal government greenlighted a plan to release the insects in the states. The project is spearheaded by biotechnology firm Oxitec, which, among other things, specializes in biological pest control solutions. “Oxitec’s Friendly™ safe, non-biting male mosquitoes are designed to suppress local wild populations of disease-spreading mosquitoes,” Oxitec’s website states. According to the company, the genetically modified mosquitoes have a “self-limiting gene,” which ensures that when the “Friendly™ mosquito males mate with wild females, their offspring inherit a copy of this gene.” The gene stops female offspring from maturing into adulthood, culling their reproducibility. However, male offspring carrying the gene will survive and pass those on to their offspring, the company said.
Billions of Genetically Modified Mosquitoes Are Set to Descend on California and Florida This Summer
21658J. Rossen, MENTAL FLOSS, 2022-04-06 15:11:44.
Californians may not know it on sight, but there’s going to be something different about their mosquitoes this summer. An invasive species of the bite-prone insects has been genetically modified in an attempt at controlling disease spread. According to Smithsonian, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has approved plans by biotech firm Oxitec to release 2.4 billion male Aedes aegypti mosquitos in both California and Florida that have been altered so their genes can only participate in producing surviving male offspring. (Females will die before reaching adulthood.) The insects will be introduced as eggs, which will then hatch when exposed to water. Because male mosquitoes do not bite, the theory is that a declining female mosquito population will reduce transmission of Zika, yellow fever, dengue, and other infectious diseases that can be passed on to humans from the bites. The goal is halting outbreaks before they begin. In 2021, Oxitec released 144,000 genetically modified mosquitoes in the Florida Keys. The insects have also been introduced in Brazil, the Cayman Islands, Panama, and India. While there is no spread of such diseases in California, the firm says a growing mosquito population could eventually pose a problem and that such pilot programs are necessary to assess effectiveness
Genetically modified mosquitoes, a potential antidote to deadly diseases
21634TRTWorld, TRTWorld, 2022-04-01 08:08:35.
The US approved the release of billions of genetically modified mosquitoes to reduce the transmission of diseases but critics point to possible unintended consequences. Can genetically modified animals combat the spread of deadly diseases? The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EFA) thinks so. The agency has approved the release of over 2 billion mosquitoes that were genetically altered specifically to reduce the transmission of deadly transmissible diseases such as Zika, chikungunya, dengue, and yellow fever.The program in Florida and California will be put into action by the British biotechnology company Oxitec that genetically modify the mosquitos, mainly male Aedes aegypti eggs, in a lab. The mosquitos then will mate with females, only to pass the modified gene that would kill the female offspring. As a result, only the male offspring will stay alive as only the female ones spread the disease. The project also needs the approval of both states’ regulators and will be carried out in partnership with the Delta Mosquito and Vector Control district in Tulare county.
Why a U.S. Company Plans to Release 2.4 Billion Genetically Modified Mosquitoes
21569M. Osborne, Smithosonian Magazine, 2022-03-30 12:35:35.
The Environmental Protection Agency has cleared the release of 2.4 billion genetically-modified mosquitoes in California and Florida. The mosquitoes, created by biotech firm Oxitec, will be non-biting Aedes aegypti males engineered to only produce viable male offspring, per the company. Oxitec says the plan will reduce numbers of the invasive Aedes aegypti, which can carry diseases like Zika, yellow fever and dengue. Female mosquitoes will die, while males will reproduce and spread the self-limiting gene to the next generation, eventually leading to population declines. While these diseases aren’t yet spreading in California, the invasive insect has been flagged as a growing risk as their numbers increase across the state, reports the Guardian’s Gabrielle Canon. “Given the growing health threat this mosquito poses across the U.S., we’re working to make this technology available and accessible,” Oxitec CEO Grey Frandsen says in a statement. “These pilot programs, wherein we can demonstrate the technology’s effectiveness in different climate settings, will play an important role in doing so.”
US poised to release 2.4bn genetically modified male mosquitoes to battle deadly diseases
21571G. Canon, The Guardian, 2022-03-26 12:38:38.
Genetically modified male mosquitoes may soon be buzzing across areas of California, in an experiment to stop the spread of invasive species in a warming climate. Earlier this month, the EPA cleared the UK-based biotech company Oxitec to release a maximum of roughly 2.4bn of its genetically modified mosquitoes through 2024, expand its existing trial in Florida and start a new pilot project in California’s Central Valley, where mosquito numbers are on the rise. Oxitec’s modified mosquitoes are male, and therefore don’t bite. They were developed with a special protein so that when they pair with a female mosquito the only viable offspring they produce are also non-biting males. The project specifically targets the Aedes aegypti mosquito, one of more than 3,500 mosquito species and a dangerous invasive insect that has spread diseases like dengue, Zika, Chikungunya, and yellow fever in other countries.
Millions of genetically engineered mosquitoes are here to protect us
21551M. Kaufman, MASHABLE, 2022-03-26 12:06:29.
Aedes aegypti almost certainly traveled to California in cargo, like many invasive species do. The species, which flourishes in warmer climes, has colonized places like Los Angeles County, and is expected to multiply and spread in these temperate regions as the climate continuously warms. The invasive species has already thrived in the Gulf states for centuries. Crucially, Aedes aegypti aren't simply an itchy annoyance (the females voraciously bite for blood meals): The mosquitoes spread viral diseases like dengue fever, yellow fever, Zika, among others. Future outbreaks in new and old parts of the U.S. have a realistic, unsettling potential. To prepare, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently allowed for the carefully regulated, experimental release of over 2.4 million genetically-modified mosquitoes in California and Florida over the next couple of years. It's a pilot project intended to prove that Aedes aegypti populations can be repressed by genetically-altered mosquitoes. The modified mosquitoes are non-biting males carrying a manipulated gene that, after mating, kills the insects' offspring. The biotechnology company Oxitec devised this mosquito-control strategy, and will run the tests.
A scourge of genetically modified mosquitoes could be unleashed in California
21236J. Bote, SFGATE, 2022-03-21 05:16:37.
A genetically modified scourge of mosquitoes could be unleashed throughout California as municipalities across the state grapple with increasing bouts of an invasive mosquito species. The mosquitoes, developed by the British biotech firm Oxitec, are known as OX5034 — a modified male version of Aedes aegypti, the species that first emerged in Los Angeles County about a decade ago before spreading to at least 22 different counties across the state. They are an invasive species known to carry dengue, Zika and a host of other diseases, and naturally spread in contained, urban spaces with standing water, such as flowerpots and open water bottles. Up to 2 million OX5034 mosquitoes could be released in the coming years throughout the state, pending state approval by the California Department of Pesticide Regulation. The male species, which naturally do not bite humans, carry a gene that will ensure that female offspring do not grow into childhood. Male offspring, however, will survive — and continue to pass down the gene to further generations, hopefully eradicating the invasive species for good.
Billions of GE Mosquitoes May Soon Be Released in California and Florida
21009A. N. Mitra, Earth Island Journal, 2022-03-16 06:18:31.
he US Environmental Protection Agency’s decision last week to allow the release of billions of genetically engineered mosquitoes in California and Florida has several environmental and public health groups worried about the potential impacts of the experimental releases on public health and the environment. The EPA move follows last year’s pilot field trial in the Florida Keys where, starting April 2021, the British biotechnology company Oxitec and the Florida Keys Mosquito Control released half a billion of these transgenic mosquitoes. The purpose was to test if they could help reduce populations of Aedes aegypti, a mosquito species that can carry viruses that cause deadly diseases like yellow fever, dengue, chikungunya, and Zika — none of which are major concerns in the United States.
California’s first lab-grown mosquitoes may take flight—stirring controversy
21022L. M. Krieger, Phys Org, 2022-03-15 06:51:22.
A biotech firm is seeking permission to release genetically modified mosquitoes into the open air of California for the first time later this year, aiming to reduce the expanding populations of invasive mosquitoes and prevent deadly disease. The controversial research project—planned for the Tulare County community of Visalia, with potential expansion into Fresno, San Bernadino and Stanislaus counties—will over time introduce 2 million male mosquitoes with a "kill switch" built into their DNA. When they mate with wild insects, their offspring die, causing an eventual collapse of the population. Their target: Swarms of the mosquito, first detected in Los Angeles County in 2011, which have since spread northward into 20 California counties. While California's native mosquito emerges at dusk, these black-and-white-striped invaders hunt for blood during the day, when people are outside. Elsewhere, they transmit potentially fatal Zika, dengue, yellow fever, chikungunya and other viruses.
Fall armyworms with offspring-killing gene tested on farms in Brazil
21020M. Le Page, New Scientist, 2022-03-15 06:46:51.
Fall armyworms genetically modified to wipe out wild populations of the pests have been released in corn fields in São Paulo State in Brazil in the first farm trial of the new technology. The test was a success and is now being expanded, says Oxitec, the UK-based company that created the modified armyworms. Fall armyworms (Spodoptera frugiperda) are in fact moth caterpillars. They get their name from the fact that they multiply very fast and feed on many plants. Swarms of armyworms can devastate everything from lawns to crops in just days. They are native to the Americas, but in recent years have spread across Africa, Asia and Australia, reducing harvests of some crops by up to half. Conventional control methods aren’t working well because some strains have evolved resistance to many pesticides. “There is a lot of interest in new solutions to this pest,” says Neil Morrison at Oxitec. “Growers are struggling to control it through insecticidal means.” For its method of control, Oxitec took a strain of fall armyworm that is still susceptible to pesticides and modified males so that their female offspring can survive only in the presence of a specific chemical. In other words, the males carry a gene that kills all their female offspring in the wild.
Genetically modified mosquitoes kill their own offspring
21024C. Ward, SYFY, 2022-03-14 06:55:40.
Oxitec, a biotech company, has developed a strain of A. aegypti which they call Friendly. Their modified mosquitos are all males and carry a gene which prevents the birth of females in subsequent generations. In short, they’re reducing disease-carrying mosquitos by killing their babies before they hatch. The Environmental Protection Agency has granted permission for the release of the experimentally modified mosquitos in Florida, and those same mosquitos may soon be released in California. While the federal government has agreed to the program, permission must also be obtained from the states where the releases will occur before they can proceed. Should California grant permission, populations of modified mosquitos could be released in Stanislaus, Fresno, Tulare, and San Bernadino counties soon. Once released, modified male mosquitos breed with wild females, delivering the desired gene sequence to the next generation. Any females in the next generation are terminated before being born and all males which are produced carry the same gene, allowing them to continue the cycle through several generations. Oxitec considers the modification inherently self-limiting and estimates that it will vanish from the overall population after a few generations, at which point mosquito populations will return to normal reproduction.
Millions Of Genetically Modified Mosquitoes To Be Set Loose In US
20638H. Wilmerding, Daily Caller, 2022-03-11 08:11:40.
Millions of genetically modified mosquitoes will be released in the United States as part of an initiative to replace the insects carrying deadly diseases, the company behind the plan announced Tuesday. The program, led by biotechnology company Oxitec, will release roughly 2 million genetically altered mosquitoes in California and Florida to fend off other mosquitoes carrying deadly diseases like Zika, yellow fever, dengue and chikungunya, the company said in a press release. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) approved Oxitec’s plan on March 8. “Given the growing health threat this mosquito poses across the U.S., we’re working to make this technology available and accessible,” Oxitec chief executive officer Grey Frandsen said in the press release.
Florida Begins Release of Genetically Altered Mosquitoes to Prevent Spread of Zika
20632Entrepreneur staff, Entrepreneur, 2022-03-11 08:01:36.
Since 2016, Zika , a disease transmitted by a virus that spreads an invasive species of mosquito, has plagued various regions of the world, including areas of Florida and Texas in the United States. In May 2020, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) approved a program to release millions of genetically altered mosquitoes that, in theory, will help reduce the population of female Aedes aegypti specimens, the species that carries the virus. n 2016, the disease became a public health issue throughout the world and caused multiple cases of a condition called microcephaly, in babies of women who were infected during pregnancy. Infected babies were born with smaller heads than expected due to partial collapse of the skull and limited movement in some of their joints. The Zika virus has spread to more than 30 countries, including Bolivia, Brazil, Guatemala, Honduras, Venezuela, El Salvador, Mexico, and parts of the United States.This week the first step was taken in a program that, if successful, could culminate in the release of up to 750 million genetically altered flies that would help control the spread of the disease. The first phase will last 12 weeks and will consist of introducing up to 12,000 genetically modified eggs in small areas. In theory, the specimens that hatch from these eggs are capable of transmitting a gene that only kills the females (they are the ones that bite and infect people) before they reach adulthood and start biting.
2 Billion Genetically Modified Mosquitoes Have Been Approved For Release In Florida And California
20609J. U. Nisa, Wonder Engineering, 2022-03-10 12:21:31.
The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has sanctioned the release of 2 billion genetically modified mosquitos in Florida and California, Oxitec, the company that created the genetically modified mosquitoes, said. Oxitec’s experimental program intends to reduce the spread of hazardous diseases like dengue, Zika, and yellow fever by destroying the offspring of a common type of mosquito, Aedes aegypti, which transmits diseases through its sting. Scientists at Oxitec, located in the United Kingdom, mass generate and genetically engineer male Aedes aegypti eggs in a lab. These male mosquitos will be released into the wild to mate with females and pass on a gene that kills the female offspring, which are the only ones that sting and carry disease. The male offspring survive.
Billions of genetically modified male mosquitos will be released in California and Florida as a ‘natural pest control’ to stop the spread of diseases like Zika, yellow fever and Dengue
20599R. Morrison, Daily Mail, 2022-03-10 12:07:54.
Billions of genetically engineered male mosquitos will be released in California and Florida over the next two years, as part of a mission to kill off biting females. Oxitec, based in Oxford UK, is a biological pest control development firm, that has produced the edited version of the flying insects to combat mosquito-borne diseases like Dengue, yellow fever and Zika. Male Aedes aegypti mosquitos don't bite humans, but females do, and so the genetic modification causes females to die off soon after being born. The project has been cleared by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the first wave is due to be released this year, although it isn't clear exactly when this will happen, as it requires state regulatory approval in Florida and California. It isn't likely to be a problem in Florida, as the state played host to a trial last year that saw millions of the same type of Oxitec mosquitos released in the Florida Keys.
2 billion genetically modified mosquitos are about to be released in the US
20635J. Hawkins, yahoo, 2022-03-10 08:06:35.
Scientists have been playing god with mosquitos for a couple of years now. Back in 2021, British company Oxitec released 750 million lab-modified mosquitos in Florida. Now, the company is gearing up to release another 2 billion genetically modified mosquitos across more of Florida and in California as well.The new species, codenames OX5034, is made up entirely of male mosquitos. The new species is derived from the Aedes aegypti family of mosquitos. Just like others the company has released, this new 2 billion should produce larvae that die off before they reach adulthood. This is thanks to the self-limiting gene that Oxitec has created. The new gene essentially disrupts the generation of essential proteins the larvae need to develop. Without the needed proteins, it is unable to complete its development process.
2 Billion Genetically Altered Mosquitoes Will Be Released in Fla. and Calif. to Fight Disease
20628A. Adams, People, 2022-03-10 07:50:39.
Billions of genetically modified mosquitoes are expected to be released within the next two years as part of an expanded version of an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) study — but the project is receiving criticism from advocacy groups that believe it could be dangerous.The EPA said in an announcement on Monday that it will extend its current study into reducing the population of the Aedes aegypti, a mosquito commonly found in the United States, through April 2024. The EPA looking to broaden its work to Monroe County in Florida and four counties in California: Stanislaus, Fresno, Tulare and San Bernardino. Under the project's revised Experimental Use Permit (EUP), the EPA is permitted to release nearly 2.5 billion Aedes aegypti mosquitoes containing a protein called Tetracycline Trans-Activator Variant (tTAV-OX5034) into the wild.
Genetically modified mosquitoes could be tested in California soon
20605S. Milius, Science News, 2022-03-09 12:15:25.
Genetically modified mosquitoes might soon be whining on both U.S. coasts. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has approved two more years of testing Oxitec’s genetically modified mosquitoes as living pest controls, continuing a pilot program started in 2021 in the Florida Keys and expanding it to up to four counties in California. Now the Florida and California state governments will consider whether to grant permission. The male mosquitoes, OX5034 Aedes aegypti engineered by the biotech company Oxitec, carry daughter-killing genes that get passed generation to generation. When these males mate with local females outside a lab, only the sons should survive. Those inheriting the sabotage gene will grow up to mate with normal females, dooming their daughters too.
Why millions of genetically modified mosquitoes could be released across US
20601J. Rogers, New York Post, 2022-03-09 12:11:08.
The US could soon be swarming with genetically altered mosquitoes after the Environmental Protection Agency approved a plan to test the insects. It is hoped the new altered mosquitoes will ward off their natural, disease-causing counterparts. Biotechnology company Oxitec has developed altered Aedes aegypti mosquitoes which have been genetically modified so that males, which do not bite, are released into the wild and mate with females, which do bite. Their offspring, either male or female, never survive to reach maturity, according to the company.
Genetically Modified Mosquitoes May Be Released in Fla and Calif
20597R. Ellis, WebMD, 2022-03-09 12:04:50.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has approved the release of 2 billion genetically altered mosquitoes in Florida and California, the company that created the genetically modified mosquitoes said. The experimental program created by Oxitec is designed to reduce the transmission of harmful diseases such as dengue, Zika, and yellow fever. The program is an extension of one in which millions of mosquitoes were released last year in the Florida Keys, USA Today reported. State agencies in Florida and California will have to approve the programs before the releases occur. The aim of the program is to reduce cases of diseases like yellow fever by killing off the offspring of a common kind of mosquito, Aedes aegypti, which spreads diseases through its bite.
2 Billion Genetically Modified Mosquitoes Cleared for Release in California and Florida
20595E. Cara, gizmodo, 2022-03-09 11:59:00.
British biotech firm Oxitec announced this week that it has received approval from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for its genetically modified mosquitoes to be released in parts of Florida and in California, following the completion of a pilot program last year. The modified male insects are designed to produce infertile offspring, ideally reducing local populations and rates of mosquito-borne illness. The male mosquitoes developed by Oxitec—codenamed species OX5034—are derived from Aedes aegypti, a notorious carrier of many diseases, including Zika, dengue, and yellow fever. When these mosquitoes mate with the native females in an area, they’re said to produce female larvae that simply die off before reaching adulthood, thus dooming the population as a whole. And because only female mosquitoes bite and suck blood from humans, the modified insects are thought to pose no danger to people.
Genetically Modified Mosquitoes Set to Be Released in California and Florida
20591K. Roberts, The Epoch Times, 2022-03-09 11:33:43.
Millions of genetically modified mosquitoes are set to be released in California and Florida in an effort to reduce the number of real, disease-carrying invasive mosquitoes. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Monday approved use of the genetically engineered insects in pilot projects in specific districts across both states. The mosquitoes were made by UK-based biotechnology firm Oxitec, which is funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, in an effort to combat insect-borne diseases such as dengue fever, yellow fever, and the Zika virus. According to Oxitec, its “sustainable and targeted biological pest control technology does not harm beneficial insects like bees and butterflies and is proven to control the disease-transmitting Aedes aegypti mosquito, which has invaded communities in Florida, California, and other U.S. states.” Since it was first detected in California in 2013, the Aedes aegypti mosquito has spread rapidly to more than 20 counties throughout the state, increasing the risk of mosquito-borne diseases being transmitted to humans.
Proposed moquito release for Tulare County draws concern
20584E. Smith, The Business Journal, 2022-03-08 11:20:42.
News of the approval to release genetically-modified mosquitoes in Tulare County and Monroe County, Florida has drawn the ire of activists who say the company behind the project has not provided data demonstrating the insects are safe. At the same time, the company says it has the studies to demonstrate the safety of the program it calls “another tool in the integrated approach to pest control.” The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has granted U.K.-based Oxitec an experimental-use permit giving the company the first green light to release male, non-biting mosquitoes in Tulare County and Monroe County in Florida, according to Rajeev Vaidyanathan, director of operations for Oxitec. The test is to see whether the engineered mosquitoes can reduce the number of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes that have spread throughout the country with the potential to carry tropical diseases such as dengue, yellow fever, Zika and chikungunya. Before they can begin the program, the California Department of Pesticide Regulations has to approve the proposal.
Millions of genetically modified mosquitoes may soon be buzzing in Florida and California. Here’s why.
20582R. W. Miller, USA Today, 2022-03-08 11:13:28.
Millions of genetically altered mosquitoes that seek to ward off their natural, disease-causing counterparts may soon be released in Florida and California after the Environmental Protection Agency approved a plan to further test the modified insects. Developed by the biotechnology company Oxitec, the Aedes aegypti mosquitoes are genetically modified so that males, which do not bite, are released into the wild and mate with females, which do bite. Their offspring are either male or females that never survive to reach maturity, the company says. Millions of the mosquitoes were released in the Florida Keys in a pilot project last year, and the EPA has authorized the extension of the project in Florida as well as the expansion into four counties in California, pending approval from the states' regulators.
‘Halt this nightmare immediately’: EPA approves release of genetically-engineered mosquitoes
20579J. Corbett, AlterNet, 2022-03-08 11:05:13.
Environmental and public health advocates responded with alarm after the Biden administration on Monday gave a British biotechnology company a green light to unleash billions of genetically engineered mosquitoes in the United States. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) granted Oxitec an experimental use permit that could lead to the release of genetically engineered (GE) mosquitoes in four California counties and extend a widely criticized program in Florida's Monroe County. While the release is intended to investigate whether the GE mosquito can reduce the population of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes—which carry various viruses—the species is not common in California and there are no reported cases of the targeted diseases. "This experiment is unnecessary and even dangerous, as there are no locally acquired cases of dengue, yellow fever, chikungunya, or Zika in California," declared Jaydee Hanson, policy director for the International Center for Technology Assessment and Center for Food Safety. Oxitec's altered male mosquitoes are supposed to pass on a gene that causes their offspring to die before reaching maturity. However, a peer-reviewed study published in September 2019 by Yale University researchers showed that releasing the GE mosquitoes in Brazil not only failed to reduce populations of Aedes aegypti but also resulted in hybrid mosquitoes.
Genetically Engineered Mosquito Imminent Mass Release Ignores Science, Public Health and Environmental Risks
20577H. Bourque, Friends of the Earth, 2022-03-07 11:00:22.
In defiance of science and public health concerns, today the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) approved the mass release of billions of experimental genetically engineered (GE) mosquitoes into the United States’ most populous and agriculturally significant states. The biotechnology company Oxitec was granted an Experimental Use Permit for the release of a genetically engineered version of the species Aedes aegypti across Fresno, Tulare, San Bernadino and Stanislaus Counties in California and in Monroe County in Florida. This will be the biggest release of GE insects in the world. EPA’s approval came despite growing concerns raised by scientists, public health experts and environmental groups about potential impacts of the experimental releases to public health, the environment and endangered species. No publicly available data supports Oxitec’s claims that GE mosquitoes will reduce incidence of mosquito borne diseases. An independent peer-reviewed study from Yale University scientists revealed that over two years of continual releases of the GE mosquitoes at a test site in Brazil failed to reduce populations of Aedes aegypti. The Yale study also found that the GE mosquitoes bred with local Aedes aegypti, resulting in hybrid mosquitoes in the wild that may be more aggressive, more difficult to eradicate and may increase the spread of mosquito-borne disease.
GMO mosquitoes set for release in California to quell disease
20572M. Renda, Courthouse News Service, 2022-03-07 10:48:47.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency approved the experimental use of genetically engineered mosquitoes in California and Florida to reduce the populations of invasive mosquitoes that carry a host of infectious diseases like Zika and dengue fever. “With mosquito and vector-borne diseases a growing concern in California, we see Oxitec’s technology as an important additional option to control the invasive Aedes aegypti mosquito,” said Dr. Mustapha Debboun, general manager of the Delta Mosquito and Vector Control District, a government agency in the Central Valley. “We look forward to working in partnership with Oxitec and have been impressed with results from their previous projects in Brazil and the Florida Keys.” The Aedes aegypti mosquitoes were historically relegated to tropical and subtropical zones but have since invaded every continent on Earth except Antarctica. They are capable of bringing the diseases that plague tropical regions with them.
New tech fights fall armyworm by letting offspring die
20568V. Ouma, Sci Dev Net, 2022-03-01 09:43:19.
Scientists have developed a new technology that could control the devastating fall armyworm crop pest by releasing genetically-controlled males that suppress populations as subsequent offspring cannot survive, a study says. The fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda, which was detected in Sub-Saharan Africa for the first time in 2016, could lead to one-third maize yield losses in some countries and up to US$6.3 billion loss annually, according to the study published in the journal BMC Biotechnology. The gene technology developed by Oxitec, a UK-based biotechnology company that genetically modifies insects to assist in insect control, enables production of male-only cohorts of the friendly fall armyworm that when released into farmer fields will mate with pest female fall armyworms, and their female offspring cannot survive, resulting in fewer pests on the crops and therefore less damage
A Closing Window of Opportunity for Gene Drive Governance in the United States
20445K. L. Warmbrod, M. Montague and G. K. Gronvall, Health Security, 20:3-5. 2022-02-15 09:35:05.
The COVID-19 pandemic has brought forth a number of biotechnological advances to enhance the public's health: new diagnostic tests, mRNA vaccines, and new antiviral medications. Biotechnology is also being used to address global challenges like climate change, food insecurity, and building the bioeconomy, which directly or indirectly improve public health. Gene drives are one such biotechnology. They are genetically engineered systems that can alter the inheritance patterns in a host species, such as a mosquito, so that a greater percentage of its progeny inherit a specific desired trait. Research and investments in biotechnology have been used to reduce arthropod-borne infectious diseases, such as malaria and Zika, and to manage or eliminate invasive species.2 Funding thus far has been adequate. For example, Target Malaria, a global consortium of researchers developing a gene drive to decrease the burden of malaria, has an average of US$11.5 million per year in funding.3 Although no gene drive has been released into the environment yet, technologies with similar attributes have been released in field trials, notably by Oxitec in Florida
Self-limiting fall armyworm: a new approach in development for sustainable crop protection and resistance management
20232C. E. Reavey, A. S. Walker, S. P. Joyce, L. Broom, A. Willse, K. Ercit, M. Poletto, Z. H. Barnes, T. Marubbi, B. J. Troczka, D. Treanor, K. Beadle, B. Granville, V. de Mello, J. Teal, E. Sulston, A. Ashton, L. Akilan, N. Naish, O. Stevens, N. Humphreys-Jo, BMC Biotechnology, 22:5. 2022-01-27 09:04:56.
Here, we describe the first germline transformation of the fall armyworm and the development of a genetically engineered male-selecting self-limiting strain, OX5382G, which exhibits complete female mortality in the absence of an additive in the larval diet. Laboratory experiments showed that males of this strain are competitive against wild-type males for copulations with wild-type females, and that the OX5382G self-limiting transgene declines rapidly to extinction in closed populations following the cessation of OX5382G male releases. Population models simulating the release of OX5382G males in tandem with Bt crops and non-Bt ‘refuge’ crops show that OX5382G releases can suppress fall armyworm populations and delay the spread of resistance to insecticidal proteins
Monitoring Needs for Gene Drive Mosquito Projects: Lessons From Vector Control Field Trials and Invasive Species
20177G. Rašić, N. F. Lobo, E. H. Jeffrey Gutiérrez, C. H. Sánchez and J. M. Marshall, Frontiers in Genetics, 12:780327. 2022-01-25 09:18:49.
As gene drive mosquito projects advance from contained laboratory testing to semi-field testing and small-scale field trials, there is a need to assess monitoring requirements to: i) assist with the effective introduction of the gene drive system at field sites, and ii) detect unintended spread of gene drive mosquitoes beyond trial sites, or resistance mechanisms and non-functional effector genes that spread within trial and intervention sites. This is of particular importance for non-localized gene drive projects, as the potential scale of intervention means that monitoring is expected to be more costly than research, development and deployment. Regarding monitoring needs for population replacement systems, lessons may be learned from experiences with Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes, and for population suppression systems, from experiences with releases of genetically sterile male mosquitoes. For population suppression systems, assessing monitoring requirements for tracking population size and detecting rare resistant alleles are priorities, while for population replacement systems, allele frequencies must be tracked, and pressing concerns include detection of gene drive alleles with non-functional effector genes, and resistance of pathogens to functional effector genes. For spread to unintended areas, open questions relate to the optimal density and placement of traps and frequency of sampling in order to detect gene drive alleles, drive-resistant alleles or non-functional effector genes while they can still be effectively managed. Invasive species management programs face similar questions, and lessons may be learned from these experiences. We explore these monitoring needs for gene drive mosquito projects progressing through the phases of pre-release, release and post-release.
Oxitec wraps mosquito trials for the season
19698T. O'Hara, Keynews.com, 2021-12-15 19:12:16.
The private bio-tech company Oxitec has wrapped up its test release of genetically modified mosquitoes in the Florida Keys
No, genetically engineered mosquitoes aren’t about to be released in Berkeley
19619K. D. Rauch, Berkeleyside, 2021-12-13 21:34:24.
Judith Pierce, public outreach coordinator for the Alameda County Mosquito Abatement District, would like to make one thing clear: A release of genetically engineered mosquitoes is not coming to Berkeley — or anywhere in Alameda County — in the near future. Not to her knowledge, anyway, and if it were official, she would know. The Berkeley City Council’s robust discussion of this at a council meeting in early November was based partially on misleading information, said Pierce.The council, at its Nov. 9 meeting, considered whether to send a letter to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) opposing a potential California pilot study of mosquitoes engineered to combat Zika, dengue, chikungunya, yellow fever and other diseases.Councilmember Ben Bartlett sponsored the item, sending out an email to constituents ahead of time urging them to take action to prevent the EPA from “releasing billions of genetically engineered mosquitoes across California, specifically in Alameda County.” The sample letter Bartlett presented to the council was focused statewide, but background information he shared, as well as discussion at the meeting, focused on keeping the mosquitoes out of the county.
In Real Life: GMOsquitoes
19544Newsy, 2021-12-06 20:41:41.
The release of genetically modified mosquitoes in Florida gives hope of reducing the spread of disease while causing concerns among some citizens.
The economic value of genetically engineered mosquitoes as a Malaria control strategy depends on local transmission rates
19788K. Lacy, K. A. Schaefer, D. P. Scheitrum and E. Y. Klein, Biotechnology Journal, 10. 2021-12-06 14:26:13.
This paper assesses the economic value of genetically engineered (GE) Anopheles gambiae mosquitoes as a malaria control strategy. We use an epidemiological-economic model of malaria transmission to evaluate this technology for a range of village-level transmission settings. In each setting, we evaluate public health outcomes following introduction of GE mosquitoes relative to a "status quo" baseline scenario. We also assess results both in contrast to-and in combination with-a Mass Drug Administration (MDA) strategy. We find that-in low transmission settings-the present value (PV) public health benefits of GE mosquito release are substantial, both relative to status quo dynamics and MDA. In contrast, in high transmission settings, the release of GE mosquitoes may increase steady-state infection rates. Our results indicate that there are substantial policy complementarities when GE mosquito release is combined with local MDA-the combined control strategy can lead to local eradication.
Major phase of Florida Keys GMO mosquito release complete, company says
19393D. Goodhue, Miami Herald, 2021-11-23 17:29:49.
A British biotechnology company and the Florida Keys Mosquito Control District on Tuesday announced they have “successfully concluded” a major phase in a controversial trial project aimed at wiping out an invasive species of mosquito known to spread dangerous diseases like dengue fever, Zika and chikungunya. In April, the company, Oxitec, placed up to 130 boxes, each filled with millions of genetically altered male Aedes aegypti mosquito larvae, in several locations in the Middle and Lower Keys — hoping they would fly away after hatching and breeding with the naturally occurring local females in the area. Scientists designed a “death mechanism” in the males meant to ensure no viable female offspring would result from the mating. The male offspring, according to Oxitec, will pass on a “self-limiting gene” to half of their young, with the goal of Aedes aegypti breeding themselves out of existence in the Keys, according to the company.
Evaluation of Transgenic Aedes aegypti L. Strain in India: A Friendly Mosquito
19979P. B. Patil, K. K. Yadav, S. K. Dasgupta, U. B. Zehr, S. R. Barwale and B. Char, Genetically Modified and other Innovative Vector Control Technologies, 2021-11-21 11:56:31.
Aedes aegypti L. is a primary vector of dengue and is also responsible for transmission of other arboviral diseases including chikungunya, yellow fever, and Zika virus worldwide. India is attributed with as much as 34% of the global burden of dengue infection as per the recent reports. It is generally acknowledged controlling the vector population in the environment is the key to effectively curb the transmission of vector-borne diseases. Existing conventional methods for controlling the vector populations are not alone sufficient for reducing populations below disease transmission thresholds and would need integration of innovative strategies. With the advancement in modern biotechnology, scientists have been trying to explore the use of genetically engineered insects for their potential use in area-wide method for vector control. One among such strains being widely tested is OX513A Ae. aegypti strain termed as Friendly™ mosquitoes, a genetically engineered strain with a repressible dominant homozygous lethal gene construct and DsRed2 fluorescent marker gene. Male adults of OX513A strain are intended to suppress the wild population of Ae. aegypti in the released environment by population suppression strategy. The lethal gene renders mating events between OX513A males and wild-type females unsuccessful by passing a copy of gene to all the progeny of mated female adults leading to the death of the progeny during development stages in the absence of repressor antidote tetracycline. This OX513A strain was reviewed and recommended for carefully planned pilot deployment and randomized control trials with epidemiological outcomes to build evidence for routine programmatic use against Ae. aegypti-borne diseases by World Health Organization’s Vector Control Advisory Group in the year 2016. The strain is being tested globally in different countries including India for its efficacy and has been deregulated in Brazil for its use in vector control program. This chapter reviews our research investigations conducted on transgenic OX513A Ae. aegypti strain and its potential for use in dengue vector control in India.
Science Has Given Us the Power to Undermine Nature’s Deadliest Creature: Should We Use It?
19304E. Herold, leaps.org, 2021-11-16 13:32:15.
British biotech company Oxitec has engineered male mosquitoes to have a genetic "kill-switch" that could potentially crash the local population of Aedes aegypti, at least in the short-term. The modified males that are being released are intended to mate with wild females. Males don't bite; it's the female that's deadly, always seeking out blood to gorge on to help mature her eggs. After settling her filament-thin legs on her prey, she sinks a needlelike proboscis into the skin and sucks the blood until her translucent belly is bloated and glowing red. The kill-switch will ensure that the female offspring die before they reach maturity and thus, be unable to reproduce. Should a small number of them survive, they will be rendered unable to bite. The genetic modification means the proboscis, the sickle-like needle that pierces the skin, won't form properly. The idea is that the lack of females for the males to mate with, over a few generations, will collapse the local population of Aedes aegypti. The modified mosquitoes are the second genetically engineered insect to be released in the U.S. by Oxitec. The first was a modified diamondback moth, an agricultural pest that doesn't bite humans. But with the mosquitoes, there are many questions about the long-term effects on wild ecosystems, other species in the food chain, and human health. With the Keys initiative, there has been vociferous opposition from environmental groups and some local residents, but some scientists and public health experts say that genetically modified insects pose less of a risk than the diseases they carry and the powerful, indiscriminant pesticides used to combat them.
Uncle Sam’s Dangerous Game
19218X. Ping, XINHUANET, 2021-11-07 21:33:52.
Since the very beginning, residents in Florida Keys doubted if the “self-limiting” gene of Genetically Modified (GM) mosquitoes brought and released there by Oxitec, a biotech firm, and approved by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Florida Keys Mosquito Control District (FKMCD), was as powerful as the company described. Oxitec said that the male Aedes aegypti mosquitoes carried a “self-limiting” gene that produces a fatal protein which can kill their female offspring. In this way, population of mosquitoes in FKMCD was expected to crash rapidly. But for many residents in Florida Keys, those GM mosquitoes were like a Trojan Horse: it was sent to their doorstep, without any notice in advance, but they did not know what could be hidden on the inside. In fact, this "horse" has already been sent to other places multiple times. Before 2021, when Oxitec started the GM mosquitoes experiment in Florida, the firm had already been testing their immature research in Brazil, Malaysia, and the Cayman Islands for a decade. Yet in 2019, scientists from Yale University found out that Oxitec’s technology might actually strengthen offspring of mosquitoes rather than kill them. Residents in Florida Keys therefore rejected the program, pointing out that the firm had not been forthright in telling them the possible health consequences of the experiment. The Florida Keys Environmental Coalition, a local voluntary organization, launched a petition with over 200,000 signatures against the Oxitec project.
Plan for California’s Genetically Modified Mosquitoes Draws Fire
18813T. Baltz, Bloomberg Law, 2021-09-29 15:13:31.
A U.K.-based biotech company’s proposal to release genetically engineered mosquitoes in California as a disease-control measure is prompting criticism that the program could create unnatural consequences. Oxitec says it would unleash safe, non-biting male mosquitoes to reduce the population of mosquitoes that spread dengue, Zika, yellow fever, and other diseases. It applied in August for an Environmental Protection Agency permit to release the genetically modified organisms, or GMOs, for pilot projects in the state. Opponents say the company’s plan lacks rigorous assessments of potentially serious health and environmental impacts, and could have “disastrous consequences” in the U.S. and other countries. ...
Genetically Modified Mosquitoes — What’s The Real Story?
18289SPW Staff, Southeast Product Weekly, 2021-09-02 14:58:32.
You’ve heard about the genetically modified mutant mosquitoes being released in the Florida Keys — but what exactly is going on, and how, and why? Basically, researchers in parts of the Florida Keys are releasing male mosquitoes that have been genetically modified to produce only male offspring. In a generation or two, there are no more girl mosquitoes to have baby mosquitoes. That’s the simple explanation. t might help to know this experiment was tried once before — successfully — in Brazil.There’s now a new, science-based online information resource about genetically modified mosquitoes from University of Florida scientists at the UF/IFAS Florida Medical Entomology Laboratory. “Genetically Modified Mosquitoes” is the latest publication on Ask IFAS, UF/IFAS’ Electronic Data Information Source (EDIS) peer-reviewed site, that provides relevant information regarding the pilot projects in select areas of the Florida Keys. The experiments, which are a collaboration between the Florida Keys Mosquito Control District and the biotechnology company Oxitec founded in the United Kingdom out of Oxford University, are permitted by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
EPA Seeks Public Comment on Proposed Amendment to Experimental Use Permit for Genetically Engineered Mosquitoes
18279PCT Staff, Pest Control Technology, 2021-09-01 14:19:37.
EPA is seeking public comment on a proposed amendment to extend and expand an approved Experimental Use Permit (EUP). The EUP currently allows Oxitec Ltd. to field test the use of genetically engineered Aedes aegypti mosquitoes as a way to reduce mosquito populations in Florida and Texas through April 2022. The proposed amendment would extend field testing in Florida by another 24 months on up to 6,240 acres and expand testing to California on up 84,600 acres. This amendment is still being reviewed by EPA and has not yet been approved. Once EPA finishes reviewing the proposed amendment and public comments, EPA will make a decision about whether to extend and expand the EUP. In May 2020, EPA granted Oxitec’s EUP after extensive evaluation of the best available science, consideration of public input, and consultation with technical experts at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Starting in late April 2021, Oxitec has been measuring how effective OX5034 genetically engineered mosquitoes are in suppressing Aedes aegypti mosquito populations in Florida. They release genetically engineered male mosquitoes that have a gene that makes a specific protein. This protein, as produced in female mosquitoes, prevents female offspring from surviving. The absence of female mosquito emergence in the release area results in mosquito population decline, and potentially, the reduction of vector pathogens that cause mosquito-borne illnesses such as the dengue, Zika and chikungunya viruses.
UF/IFAS Researchers Explain Science Behind Genetically Modified Mosquitoes
18276PCT Staff, Pest Control Technology, 2021-09-01 14:14:47.
South Florida residents seeking science-based information about genetically modified mosquitoes can access a new, online resource from University of Florida scientists at the UF/IFAS Florida Medical Entomology Laboratory.“ Genetically Modified Mosquitoes” is the latest publication on Ask IFAS, UF/IFAS’ Electronic Data Information Source (EDIS) peer-reviewed site, that provides relevant information regarding the pilot projects in select areas of the Florida Keys. The experiments, which are a collaboration between the Florida Keys Mosquito Control District and the biotechnology company Oxitec founded in the United Kingdom out of Oxford University, are permitted by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The UF/IFAS publication describes the mosquito species being targeted, what to expect from the pilot projects, why this approach is being used as well as answers to other frequently asked questions about genetically modified mosquitoes. The publication also lists additional linked resources for readers interested in more detailed information on the topic and science. “The rationale for producing this document is to help inform the public and those who are interested or impacted by the current trials run by Oxitec,” said Eric Caragata, an assistant professor at UF/IFAS FMEL. “As scientists who are not directly involved in the project, we wanted to clearly address some of the important questions and concerns.”
Mobilizing Mutant Mosquitoes to Fight Malaria
18227D. Mclaughlin and J. Recht, United Nations Foundation, 2021-08-18 15:49:29.
World Mosquito Day today marks the 1897 discovery by Sir Ronald Ross that female Anopheles mosquitoes spread malaria. Since that breakthrough, the world has fought this deadly disease through scientific research and new technology. While astounding progress has been made against the ancient disease, more than 400,000 people died from malaria in 2019, two-thirds of them children under 5, the vast majority in Africa.Existing malaria controls such as spraying insecticides indoors or sleeping beneath long-lasting insecticidal bed nets work by blocking mosquitoes from biting people and transmitting malaria. Such tools have helped halve malaria in many countries throughout sub-Saharan Africa. Yet this remarkable progress is in jeopardy as mosquitoes develop resistance to these insecticides. As the dangerous mosquito continues to adapt, health interventions must continue evolving to protect families from this disease and move us closer to a malaria-free world. Now, there is a promising new tool, seemingly ripped from the pages of a science fiction novel, to stop malaria’s spread: genetically modified mosquitoes.
Genetically Modified Mosquitoes
18286E. P. Caragata, Y. Lee and E. A. Buckner, UF IFAS Extension Service, 2021-08-17 14:49:18.
Genetically modified (GM) mosquitoes are controversial, partly because of misinformation. This publication provides science-based information about GM mosquitoes to the public and anyone involved in mosquito control. It explains what GM mosquitoes are and why they are being investigated as a tool for mosquito control. Describes a GM mosquito pilot project in Florida, and includes FAQs and answers explaining how GM mosquitoes are created and their potential impacts on people and the environment.
Oxitec mosquito release expands
18082T. Java, Keynews.com, 2021-08-11 17:17:55.
Beginning this week, less than 200,000 genetically modified Aedes aegypti male mosquitoes will emerge from Oxitec’s designer bo…
Oxitec eyes California for its next GM mosquito pilot projec
18075J. Conrow, 2021-08-11 17:09:34.
Buoyed by its success in the Florida Keys, Oxitec Ltd. is now looking to California to test its program for controlling mosquito pests through genetic engineering, rather than insecticides. The field research is intended to show that genetically modified (GM) mosquitoes are a viable alternative to spraying insecticides in a bid to control a disease-carrying species of mosquito. Due to climate change, the invasive Aedes aegypti mosquitoes are spreading into new regions throughout the Western United States, including more than 300 cities and towns across California. Aedes aegypti transmit dengue, Zika, heartworm and other diseases, many of which have no treatments or vaccines.
Oxitec Advances Process to Bring Friendly™ Mosquito Technology to California to Help Government Agencies Protect Public Health
18046Oxitec, Oxitec, 2021-08-09 15:11:08.
Following successful launch of its Friendly™ Aedes aegypti pilot program in the Florida Keys, Oxitec, the leading developer of biological solutions to control pests that transmit disease, destroy crops and harm livestock, has requested approval from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to pilot its technology in California in partnership with local government agencies that have demonstrated interest in evaluating the technology.
Oxitec and MosquitoMate in the United States: lessons for the future of gene drive mosquito control
17890C. E. Schairer, J. Najera, A. A. James, O. S. Akbari and C. S. Bloss, Pathogens and Global Health, 2021-07-27 12:51:01.
ABSTRACTIn response to growing concerns regarding mosquito-borne diseases, scientists are developing novel systems of vector control. Early examples include Oxitec?s OX513A genetically-engineered mosquito and MosquitoMate?s Wolbachia-infected mosquito, and systems using ?gene-drive? are in development. Systems based on genetic engineering are controversial and institutions around the world are grappling with the question of who should have a say in how such technologies are field-tested and used. Based on media coverage and public records, we created comparative timelines of the efforts of Oxitec and MosquitoMate to navigate federal and local governance and bring their products to market in the United States. We analyze these timelines with particular attention to the role of public input in technology governance. These cases illustrate how governance of technology in the US is diverse, complex, and opaque. Further, the public response to proposed field trials of the Oxitec product highlights inconsistencies between public expectations for governance and actual practice. As gene-drive mosquito control products develop, both federal and local agencies will find their legitimacy tested without a better procedure for transparently integrating public input.
Yes, genetically modified mosquitoes do exist, but they don’t bite and aren’t harmful to humans
17815E. Jones and M. Chamberlin, WKYC Studios, 2021-07-19 14:35:11.
In 2021, Oxitec, a biotechnology company that develops genetically modified insects that safely and sustainably control pests that spread disease, damage crops and harm livestock across the globe, partnered with the Florida Keys Mosquito Control District (FKMCD) to evaluate the effectiveness of Oxitec mosquitoes to control the invasive, disease-spreading Aedes aegypti mosquito in the Florida Keys. Aedes aegypti mosquitoes typically live in tropical and subtropical climates, according to the CDC. The agency says Aedes aegypti mosquitoes are more likely to spread Zika, dengue, chikungunya and other viruses than other types of mosquitoes because they live near and prefer to feed on people. “One of the things that sort of works against the Aedes aegypti is that they are anthropophilic,” said Dr. Floyd Shockley, the collections manager in the Department of Entomology at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. “Most of the mosquitoes that feed on humans tend to fly at night, but Aedes aegypti flies during the day. It's actually the mosquito that you usually run into when you're out hiking.” Dr. Nathan Rose, the head of Regulatory Affairs at Oxitec, tells VERIFY the company produces genetically modified male mosquitoes to target the wild Aedes aegypti female mosquitoes because they are the main vector for viral diseases.
Unique effort underway to control deadly mosquitos in Florida Keys
17823K. Corso and L. Aguirre, Local10.com, 2021-07-12 14:48:28.
According to the World Health Organization, more than 50% of the world’s population is under the threat of mosquito borne diseases. In South Florida, the Keys are a hot spot for infection and now the first place in the United States for a novel approach to eradicating these deadly insects. A mosquito control effort in the works for over a decade is now off the ground. The Oxitec Project uses genetically modified Aedes Aegypti male mosquitos to mate with females of the Aedes Aegypti species which carry some of the deadliest diseases “Ades Aegypti themselves are responsible for transmitting Yellow Fever, Dengue Fever, Chikungunya, Zika virus, said Andrea Leal, entomologist and executive director of the Florida Keys Mosquito Control District. Only the female mosquitos bite so the Oxitec Project targets the female population of the species. “So with this project, we’re releasing males only and they’ve been modified with a female lethal gene which means as they go out and they mate with our wild females, all those female offspring will die,” Leal said.
Why Are Gates and Pentagon Releasing GMO Mosquitoes in Florida Keys?
17516F. W. Engdahl, LewRockwell.com, 2021-06-21 14:40:32.
On April 30 the Florida Keys Mosquito Control District and the Oxitec biotechnology company announced they will begin release of what will ultimately be some 750 million genetically manipulated or gene-edited Aedes Aegypti mosquitos using CRSPR gene editing technology. The Aedes Aegypti makes up only about 4% of the mosquito population in the Keys. The release is bitterly opposed by residents and environmental groups who demanded a referendum in last year’s election ballot, but which the Mosquito Control Board refused, curiously. Oxitec and the Board claim the release is to kill off the presence of the Aedes Aegypti mosquito which is believed to carry dengue fever, Zika and other diseases. The project, which sounds positive in the press statements, is alarming in many respects. First, the refusal to allow a citizen vote on the controversial GMO release. Second, there exists no cost-benefit analysis of the risks versus benefits of releasing millions of mosquitoes whose genetic traits are mutating in often unpredictable ways. Is it worth the risk that an ever more robust variety of mosquito will mutate from the project? No one can say. Traditional mosquito control techniques have worked well until now.
Genetically Modified Mosquitoes; ‘Truth Like Oil’ Novel
17487Here and Now, WBUR, 2021-06-16 15:10:42.
Florida Keys officials are working on a unique experiment: hatching thousands of genetically modified mosquitos and releasing them. Andrea Leal of the Florida Keys Mosquito Control District explains.
The First Genetically Modified Mosquitoes Have Just Been Released in The US
17303Admin, Science World, 2021-06-11 11:14:27.
The biotech firm Oxitec has released its genetically modified mosquitoes in the Florida Keys, with the goal of suppressing wild, disease-carrying mosquito populations in the region. This is the first time genetically modified mosquitoes have been released in the US. Oxitec previously released its modified Aedes aegypti mosquitoes in Brazil, the Cayman Islands, Panama, and Malaysia, and the company reported that local A. aegypti populations fell by at least 90 percent in those locations, Live Science previously reported. A. aegypti can carry diseases such as Zika, dengue, chikungunya, and yellow fever, and releasing modified mosquitoes offers a way to control the population without using pesticides. Oxitec's modified mosquitoes, all male, have been engineered to carry a lethal gene; when the modified pests mate with wild female mosquitoes, the lethal gene gets passed on to their offspring.
Bill Gates Releasing Genetically Modified Mosquitoes in Florida? Here’s the Whole Story
17558M. Dapcevich, Snopes, 2021-06-03 14:44:33.
Bill Gates is not himself releasing mosquitoes into the wild. However, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation did award grants that funded biotech company Oxitec's work to develop genetically modified mosquitoes that may help reduce the spread of malaria and other mosquito-borne diseases. In April 2021, it was announced that approximately 150,000 mosquitoes would be released across six locations in Florida. Several state and federal agencies have been involved in the approval of this project. A multi-year research project to genetically modify Aedes aegypti, a mosquito species that is known to carry and transmit infectious diseases to humans, was slated to move from the lab to the fields of Texas and Florida in mid-2021. Under the project, thousands of A. aegypti were altered to make their reproduction more difficult, thus slowing and eventually preventing the spread of mosquito-borne illnesses like Zika, and dengue fever. But when the internet caught wind that Bill Gates may have been behind the project, posts circulated on social media that questioned the real motivation behind the project.
Mutant mosquitoes carrying ‘death gene’ released as ‘bio-engineered’ insects terrify
17185J. Caven, Daily Star, 2021-06-02 20:16:02.
Mutant mosquitoes which carry a ‘death gene’ have been released into the skies in a bid to curb diseases from spreading to humans. Tens of thousands of genetically modified male insects will mate with female Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, which transmit illnesses, in Florida Keys, US. Although the males don’t bite, they carry a gene which passes on and kills female offspring in the early larval stages. The pilot project aims to wipe out a generation of potential disease-carriers. Scientists say usual methods to stop the spread of disease from mosquitoes are becoming less effective due to resistance. But critics have slammed the programme and say they are being used as “guinea pigs in a sci-fi experiment”, the Times reported.
‘Death gene’ in genetically modified male mosquitoes
17181J. Goddard, The Times, 2021-06-02 20:10:43.
Tens of thousands of bio-engineered mosquitoes have taken flight in the Florida Keys under a pilot project that aims to breed insects programmed with a “death switch”. Genetically modified males produced by Oxitec — a British-founded biotechnology company — have begun mating with local populations of invasive Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, whose female progeny are programmed to die before they mature, wiping out a generation of potential disease-carriers. “Mosquito-borne disease is a very real issue and conventional controls are losing their effectiveness,” said Dr Nathan Rose, head of regulatory affairs at Oxitec in Milton Park, Oxfordshire.
Genetically Altered Mosquitoes Target Deadly Dengue Fever and Zika
17174R. L. Hotz, Wall Street Journal, 2021-05-31 19:52:20.
Across the Florida Keys this week, newly hatched mosquitoes are swarming from damp flowerpots, waterlogged spare tires, trash cans and drainage ditches. In six neighborhoods, however, a change is buzzing in the air. Scientists have genetically modified thousands of these mosquitoes and, for the first time in the U.S., set them free to breed. These genetically engineered insects, known by their model number as OX5034, are a laboratory offshoot of the Aedes aegypti mosquito that transmits dengue, Zika and other infectious ills. After a decade of public debate and regulatory delays, these insects are being released by a U.K. biotechnology company called Oxitec. Using genetic-engineering techniques, the company altered the male mosquitoes to pass down a gene that makes females need a dash of the antibiotic tetracycline to survive. Without it, females that spread the disease die as larvae. Altered males, which don’t bite, seek out wild females to mate and spread the lethal trait to future generations. Gradually, more females die. The swarms dwindle and disappear, with no need for chemical insecticides.
Mosquitoes are deadly pests, genetically-modified mosquitoes could help stop disease
17127T. Browne, ClickOrlando, 2021-05-27 19:04:12.
Hearing the words “genetically modified mosquitoes” can sound like the plot for a science-fiction movie but Meredith Fenson, a native Floridian turned biological pest control specialist says, “mosquitoes are the world’s deadliest animal by far” and a study happening right now in the Florida Keys could help change the tide. Fenson works as the head of global public affairs for Oxitec and sat down with News 6 anchors Matt Austin and Ginger Gadsden on Florida’s Fourth Estate podcast to talk about how genetically modified mosquitoes work, concerns surrounding their release and Oxitec’s plans to release more in the future. Aedes Aegypti, the yellow fever mosquito, only makes up about 4% of the population in the Florida Keys but Fenson says they are responsible for virtually all the diseases spread from mosquitoes to humans. She says this includes Zika, dengue fever and Chikungunya.
Oxitec takes on growing cattle tick challenges
17119Annonymous, The Cattle Site, 2021-05-25 18:50:21.
Oxitec Ltd, the leading developer of biological solutions to control pests that transmit disease, destroy crops and harm livestock, announced that the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has awarded a grant for a feasibility project to develop an Oxitec self-limiting solution for the disease-spreading cattle tick, Rhipicephalus microplus. As part of this grant, Oxitec will work with Clinglobal, one of the world’s largest science-based animal health service providers, incorporating Clinglobal’s deep and industry-leading expertise in animal vector control practices. As a species-specific approach to controlling pests, Oxitec’s Friendly technology platform offers a safe, environmentally friendly, and sustainable solution, proven to significantly reduce target pest populations to very low levels. A future Friendly cattle tick solution would reduce reliance on pesticides and offer cattle farmers a new way of protecting the health of their animals without the use of chemical pesticides.
Genetically Modified Mosquitoes: What to Know
17138N. Pathak, WebMD, 2021-05-25 13:11:47.
It sounds like something out of a movie: a biotech company releases genetically modified mosquitoes into the wild. But this is the real deal, a test that’s been done in a handful of countries around the world and that is underway in the U.S. Scientists hope these bugs can help them stop the spread of some dangerous viruses over time. What Is a Genetically Modified Mosquito? There are more than 200 types of wild mosquitoes buzzing around America and the U.S. territories. One type that’s common in many parts of the country, Aedes aegypti, can spread diseases like dengue, Zika, yellow fever, and chikungunya through its bite.Aedes aegypti mosquitoes that have had their genes changed in a lab are intended to control the disease-carrying wild ones. It’s a possible alternative to insecticides, which are used so much in the U.S. that some mosquitoes have become resistant to them, meaning they shrug off the deadly effects. And certain insecticides can be toxic to beneficial bugs like bees.
Florida Environmental Group Says GMO Mosquitoes Fall Short on Scientific Rigor
17079C. Drukier, NTD, 2021-05-20 15:01:00.
America’s first genetically modified mosquitoes are now buzzing around six locations in the Florida Keys as part of a pilot project. Developed by UK biotech company Oxitec, the bugs are designed to kill off the wild population of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes that carry diseases like Dengue fever, yellow fever, and the Zika virus. Some people who live in the Keys aren’t happy about being part of a science experiment. Barry Wray, executive director of the Florida Keys Environmental Coalition explains why his organization has been fighting the GMO bugs for the last decade.
Genetically Modified Mosquitoes Take Flight to Fight Invasive Species in Florid
17073T. Machemer, Smithosonian Magazine, 2021-05-17 14:46:06.
In late April, the biotechnology company Oxitec placed blue-and-white hexagonal boxes on the properties of six private volunteers around the Florida Keys. After pouring in water, the genetically modified mosquito eggs inside activated and hatched. Now the first larvae have developed into full-grown male mosquitoes and taken flight, Susan Millis reports for Science News. About 12,000 of Oxitec’s male mosquitoes will fly out of the boxes each week for the next 12 weeks. Over several mosquito generations, Oxitec’s genetically modified Aedes aegypti could reduce the population of female mosquitoes—which bite and spread disease—and then lower the entire population in the Florida Keys in turn. The current trial marks the first time that genetically modified mosquitoes have been released to fly freely in the United States.
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
British Firm Develops ‘Friendly’ Fall Armyworm To Save Crops
17176J. Choubey, Zenger, 2021-05-14 19:57:00.
The genetically modified fall armyworm, a pest that has invaded farms across Asia, Africa, and the Americas, has been developed by U.K-based biotechnology firm Oxitec to reduce the species’ population. The fall armyworm, or Spodoptera frugiperda, is a lepidopteran pest belonging to the family of butterflies and moths. It feeds on leaves, stems, and the reproductive parts of plants. The pest is causing significant damage to economically important cultivated grasses like maize, rice, sorghum, sugarcane, and wheat, along with 75 other crop species. Oxitec is collaborating with Bayer, a German multinational pharmaceutical and life sciences company, for the technology.
Bliotech firm behind CRISPR mosquitoes is working on other gene-hacked creatures
17217D. Robitzski, Futurism, 2021-05-14 16:08:11.
Brazil’s regulatory agency CTNBio gave Oxitec and Bayer the approval they needed to launch a field test of the gene-hacked armyworm — technically a caterpillar — on commercial crops, so there may be genetically altered bugs crawling across corn farms in the area soon. For years, Brazilian farmers have been trying to control fall armyworms with chemical pesticides. But as the pests grew to resist the sprays — which were already difficult to time in a way that actually impacted the nocturnal insect — they had to spray more and more harmful chemicals in the environment, according to Zenger‘s reporting. If Oxitec’s technology works — there’s reason to doubt that its similar mosquito tech does what the company claims — then that excessive pesticide spraying may be able to stop. “Our technology potentially reduces the need for additional pesticides in the long term,” Oxitec head of agricultural programs Neil Morrison said, according to Zenger. “Besides reducing populations of the pest, it also has the potential to slow the resistance development to insecticides and biotechnology enhanced crops.”
First Genetically Modified Mosquitoes Released in U.S. Are Hatching Now
17046D. Coffey, Scientific American, 2021-05-14 11:50:11.
This week, mosquito eggs placed in the Florida Keys are expected to hatch tens of thousands of genetically modified mosquitoes, a result of the first U.S. release of such insects in the wild. A biotechnology firm called Oxitec delivered the eggs in late April as part of a federally approved experiment to study the use of genetic engineering—rather than insecticides—to control disease-carrying mosquito populations. The move targets an invasive species, called Aedes aegypti, that carries Zika, dengue, chikungunya, yellow fever and other potentially deadly diseases, some of which are on the rise in Florida. The experiment relies on a genetic alteration that will be lethal to a large number of future offspring. In this case, male mosquitoes have been modified to carry a gene that makes their female progeny dependent on the antibiotic tetracycline—and thus fated to die in the wild. As the mating cycle repeats over generations, female numbers are depleted, and the population is suppressed. The modified insects eventually die off, making this approach self-limiting. Oxitec overcame significant regulatory hurdles before getting the go-ahead from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2016 and then the Environmental Protection Agency in 2020. If the current pilot effort is successful, the firm is set to release as many as 20 million more males in the prime of Florida’s mosquito season later this year. The results of the experiment could ultimately help address concerns about releasing genetically modified organisms into the wild.
In a World-First, Genetically Modified Mosquitoes Are Hatching in the US
17044B. Bergan, INTERSTING ENGINEERING, 2021-05-14 11:44:58.
Mosquito eggs placed in the Florida Keys are about to hatch tens of thousands of genetically altered mosquitos, the first such release of "synthetic" insects in the world, according to an initial report from Scientific American. Pilot program for genetically modified mosquitoes could see millions more released this year. The biotechnology firm called Oxitec delivered the modified mosquito eggs late in April as part of a federally-endorsed experiment to study the use of genetic engineering, as opposed to insecticides, to control the populations of illness-spreading mosquitoes. This project targets one specific species of mosquito called Aedes aegypti, known to carry Zika, chikungunya, yellow fever, dengue, and other possibly deadly diseases. And some of these diseases have been on the rise in Florida. The new genetic contribution given to the mosquitoes will be deadly to many future offspring, with males altered to carry a gene causing female offspring to become dependent on the antibiotic called tetracycline — which is a death sentence for the female mosquitoes. After several generations, there won't be enough female mosquitoes of the species to maintain population numbers, putting a ceiling on them. But this is a temporary measure, since the genetically modified male mosquitoes will eventually all die.
The U.S.’s first open-air genetically modified mosquitoes have taken flight
17041S. Milius, Science News, 2021-05-14 11:35:37.
The first genetically modified mosquitoes that will be allowed to fly free outdoors in the United States have started reaching the age for mating in the Florida Keys. In a test of the biotech company Oxitec’s GM male mosquitoes for pest control, these Aedes aegypti started growing from tiny eggs set out in toaster-sized, hexagonal boxes on suburban private properties in late April. On May 12, experiment monitors confirmed that males had matured enough to start flying off on their own to court American female mosquitoes. This short-term Florida experiment marks the first outdoor test in the United States of a strain of GM male mosquitoes as a highly targeted pest control strategy. This strain is engineered to shrink local populations of Ae. aegypti, a mosquito species that spreads dengue and Zika (SN: 7/29/16). That could start happening now that the GM mosquitoes have reached mating age because their genetics makes them such terrible choices as dads.
Use of genetically modifed mosquitoes to minimize the burden of diseases casused by mosquitoes in South Texas.
17016MDN Staff, MegaDoctor News, 2021-05-11 13:00:04.
Of the many species of mosquitoes, female Aedes aegypti is the primary vector that is responsible for transmission of several diseases and has been most extensively studied. The efforts of the World Health Organization and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention to prevent and/or control mosquito-borne illness have yielded success, but it remains a serious global challenge. More recently, several approaches to create transgenic mosquitoes with the ultimate objective of preventing and/or controlling mosquito-borne illness have undergone field studies. Infecting mosquitoes with different strains of Wolbachia resulted in the reduction of egg laying rates, transmission ability and shorter lifespan. Similarly, using genetic technology, a self-limiting strain of male mosquitoes (OX513A) when released in the field have shown an 81%-95% suppression of population of this strain as compared to adjacent no-release control field. These encouraging results prompted the issuance of authorization by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for the use of second generation genetically modified mosquitoes (OX5034) in Florida and Texas” said Sohail Rao, MD, MA, DPhil, President and Chief Executive Officer, DHR Health Institute for Research & Development. As the first-ever use of genetically modified mosquitoes in the United States, over 750 million OX5034 will be ultimately released in the Florida Keys an area devastated by mosquito-borne illnesses
Monster Mosquito–Why the Technology of Genetically Modified Mosquitoes is Dangerous and Should Be Stopped Worldwide
17001B. Dogra, counter currents, 2021-05-10 15:32:17.
After sparking controversy in other countries including India, the technology of genetically engineered mosquitoes is now leading to widespread protests in Florida USA. Here the biotechnology giant company Oxitec in collaboration with local officialdom is moving ahead with a pilot project to release millions of genetically engineered mosquitoes in Monroe County over a period of two years or so. The stated aim is to control the population of Aedes aegypti, a species that can carry both the dengue and the yellow fever virus. The idea is for genetically altered male, non-biting mosquitoes to mate with local , biting females , producing offspring that die at larval stage. Pointing out the inherent dangers of such technologies a spokesperson of Florida Key Environmental Coalition said that everyone should be writing to the White House to stop the release, at least until regulations to protect people are in place. Friends of the Earth has commented—scientists have raised concerns that genetically engineered mosquitoes could create hybrid wild mosquitoes which could worsen the spread of mosquito borne diseases and could be more resistant to insecticides than the original wild mosquitoes.
Florida releases genetically modified mosquitoes in hopes to reduce spread of disease
17011A. Fahim, Reuters, 2021-05-10 12:50:27.
Genetically modified mosquitoes have been released for the first time in the United States, taking flight in the Florida Keys in a pilot program intended to reduce the spread of deadly diseases such as dengue, yellow fever and the Zika virus.After an odyssey spanning more than a decade to secure regulatory approval, British-based biotechnology firm Oxitec, along with the Florida Keys Mosquito Control District (FKMCD)launched the project in hope of reducing the Aedes aegypti species that spread the diseases.While Oxitec and local authorities have high hopes for the program, local residents and environmental groups worry that not enough is known about the long-term effects of the new technology.Nevertheless, the Environmental Protection Agency granted an experimental use permit (EUP) to Oxitecon May 1.A half-dozen boxes containing the OX5034 mosquito created by Oxitec have been deployed in the Florida Keys, an archipelago stretching 120 miles (195 km) off the southern tip of the state.Only female Aedes aegypti bite and spread disease, so Oxitec has created males that pass on a gene that kills female offspring before they mature. Their male offspring then continue mating and passing on the altered gene.
Why Florida is releasing genetically modified mosquitoes
16999M. Murphy, The Telegraph, 2021-05-09 15:19:45.
The thousands of lab-grown mosquitoes hatching in humid gardens across Florida’s tropical Key West next week will be blissfully ignorant of the controversy they have caused. Billboards have already begun appearing near busy motorways in protest of their arrival, with one splashed with the words “risky, unnecessary, unwanted” aside a giant picture of the blood-thirsty insect. “The word ‘genetically modified’ scares people,” says Douglas Mader, a local vet and newspaper columnist living in the Lower Keys. “They think oh my god, they’re releasing genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and they are going to bite me and I’m going to turn into a zombie”. The creatures are the creation of Oxitec, a Bill Gates-backed biotechnology company based in Abingdon, Oxfordshire. Grey Frandsen, its chief executive, and around 20 scientists at Oxitec’s labs, have made it their mission to stop the spread of diseases such as dengue, Zika and malaria by controlling mosquitoes’ reproduction.
Genetically Modified Mosquitoes Have Come to the U.S. Will They Work?
16996A. de la Garza, TIME, 2021-05-09 15:13:05.
“Our Mosquito Project Takes Flight,” reads a baby-blue billboard off US-1 in the Florida Keys, alongside an image of an insect tracing a path in the shape of a heart. Sponsored by the local mosquito control board and U.K.-based biotech firm Oxitec, the ad promotes a contentious plan to release millions of genetically modified Aedes aegypti mosquitoes here to test a new method of bioengineered pest control. It’s the first-ever such experiment in the United States, and one that has turned this chain of sun-soaked island communities into a battleground over scientific truth, government authority, and humanity’s right to modify nature. Even this bit of roadside signage is contested. Four months ago, the billboard carried a different ad, paid for by the Coalition Against GMO Mosquitoes, an organization with the mission of stopping releases of the genetically modified insects in the U.S., “WARNING!!!,” it read then, “GENETICALLY MODIFIED MOSQUITOES TO BE RELEASED IN THE KEYS!!” That release began in late April, when, after a decade of planning, regulatory review and debate, Oxitec workers and local mosquito control personnel added water to a dozen plastic boxes containing the company’s “Friendly™” mosquito eggs in six locations around the Keys, triggering their hatching process. Oxitec’s Aedes aegypti mosquitoes—which the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) approved for use last year—are genetically modified to include a “self-limiting” gene that produces a fatal protein. The mosquitoes are raised in a laboratory in the presence of tetracycline, an antibiotic that prevents the added gene from activating. The mosquitoes’ eggs are then left to hatch in the wild, without the antibiotic. The gene kills immature egg-laying females—the only ones that bite—but the males reach maturity, mate with wild females, and pass on their faulty gene. Then their female progeny die, causing the bloodsuckers’ population to crash.
Bill Gates finances the creation of transgenic mosquitoes
16992Explica.co, explica, 2021-05-07 15:03:11.
Male mosquitoes (they do not bite. They feed on nectar, not blood) from Oxitec will emerge from release boxes placed in six locations in the Florida Keys to mate with local female mosquitoes (they do bite. They do feed on blood). The female offspring from these encounters cannot survive, and the Aedes aegypti population will be controlled in this way.. The Aedes aegypti mosquito makes up about four percent of the mosquito population in the Keys. The project has the approval of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) and the collaboration of the Florida Keys Mosquito Control District (FKMCD). In 2021, the United States expects the release of 750 million transgenic mosquitoes. “An important part of the FKMCD’s mission is to protect the residents of the Florida Keys from the disease-transmitting mosquito, Aedes aegypti. As we are seeing the development of resistance to some of our current control methods, we need new tools to fight this mosquito. And given the unique ecosystem we live in, those tools must be safe, environmentally friendly and specific. That’s why we collaborate with Oxitec on this project. With the full approval of the US EPA and from the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, and with the support of the US Centers for Disease Control and an independent advisory board, we are pleased to announce that this project will be underway soon, ”says Andrea Leal, executive director of the FKMCD.
Genetically Modified Mosquitoes Released In US For First Time To Combat Disease
16985J. Van Zijl, IFL Science, 2021-05-06 16:11:16.
A landmark project, spearheaded by the biotechnology company, Oxitec, has released genetically modified mosquitos in the Florida Keys. This marks the first time that genetically modified mosquitos have been released into the wild in the US. The reason: to combat the Aedes aegypti mosquito species responsible for spreading mosquito-borne diseases such as dengue and Zika in the region. Aedes aegypti only accounts for about 4 percent of the total mosquito population in Florida keys – however, it is responsible for almost all mosquito-borne diseases to humans. Current methods to control the species, such as spraying or fogging chemical insecticides, have failed due to the species becoming resistant. So an alternative solution was needed.
Genetically Modified Mosquitoes Released In Florida ‘Jurassic Park Experiment’
16978D. Richardson, UNILAD, 2021-05-06 15:58:18.
Mosquitos are not only annoying but they can carry disease in their bites. In response to this, a company called Oxitec has genetically modified male mosquitos to pass on a killswitch to females. It is hoped that these genetically modified pests will help stop the transmission of deadly diseases, including yellow fever, dengue and Zika virus. The Florida Keys project, which was greenlit by the US Environment Protection Agency in May 2020, has approved the release of 750 million modified mosquitos. However, at the moment only 144,000 will be released during a three-month trial period. Nonetheless, some people in the trial areas are concerned.
Gravitas: Genetically modified mosquitoes arrive in Florida
16962P. Sharma, WION, 2021-05-06 15:03:25.
Genetically engineered mosquitoes have arrived in U.S. 20 million 'modified mosquitoes' will be released in Florida to help prevent Dengue. But, Florida residents fear a 'mosquito apocalypse'
Reengineered mosquitoes released in Florida pilot program
17021S. W. Tan, The Washington Times, 2021-05-06 13:12:32.
Genetically engineered mosquitoes have been released in the U.S. for the first time in the Florida Keys, with hopes of quelling wild, disease-carrying mosquito populations in the region. British-based biotech firm Oxitec genetically engineered Aedes aegypti non-biting male mosquitoes to carry a lethal gene that gets passed onto their offspring when they mate with wild biting female mosquitoes. The offspring are unable to survive, hence controlling the population of disease-carrying species, according to the Florida Keys Mosquito Control District (FKMCD), one of the entities that approved the firm’s project. Release boxes containing the genetically engineered male mosquitoes were placed in six locations last week — two on Cudjoe Key, one on Ramrod Key and three on Vaca Key — with thousands starting to emerge this month. Around 12,000 mosquitoes are expected to emerge each week for about 12 weeks.
First genetically modified mosquitoes released in US
16972N. Lanese, LiveScience, 2021-05-05 15:42:05.
The biotech firm Oxitec has released its genetically modified mosquitoes in the Florida Keys, with the goal of suppressing wild, disease-carrying mosquito populations in the region. This is the first time genetically modified mosquitoes have been released in the U.S. Oxitec previously released its modified Aedes aegypti mosquitoes in Brazil, the Cayman Islands, Panama and Malaysia, and the company reported that local A. aegypti populations fell by at least 90% in those locations, Live Science previously reported. A. aegypti can carry diseases such as Zika, dengue, chikungunya and yellow fever, and releasing modified mosquitoes offers a way to control the population without using pesticides. Oxitec's modified mosquitoes, all male, have been engineered to carry a lethal gene; when the modified pests mate with wild female mosquitoes, the lethal gene gets passed on to their offspring. Though the gene does not affect the males' survival, it prevents female offspring from building an essential protein and thus causes them to die before reaching maturity. Only female mosquitoes bite people (male mosquitoes exclusively drink nectar), so the modified mosquitoes and their surviving male offspring can't pass diseases to humans.
Bill Gates-backed startup releases millions of genetically modified mosquitoes
16952ENTREPRENEUR STAFF, Entrepreneur, 2021-05-04 20:35:48.
The British company Oxitec released a cloud of hundreds of millions of genetically modified mosquitoes to study how to control their reproduction and thus stop the spread of dengue, Zika, malaria, etc. As reported by Axios , the company, which is funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation , released the mosquitoes a week ago from the Florida Keys. In a statement, Oxitec explained that this experiment seeks to study ways to stop the reproduction of Aedes aegypti , the main transmitters of potentially fatal diseases. Why are Oxitec mosquitoes different? According to the company , the males in their insect cloud have a modified gene, called OX5034, that restricts the survival of the females they mate with. Thus, mosquitoes will not grow large enough to bite humans (only females consume blood; males feed on nectar). Oxitec noted that this species only represents 4% of the mosquito population in Florida, but it is the most disease-transmitting species. The startup has already released millions of modified insects around the world, including in Brazil and the Cayman Islands.
First US Field Test of GM Mosquitoes Begins in Florida
16950C. Wilcox, The Scientist, 2021-05-04 20:30:49.
he first US field test of genetically modified mosquitoes for population control has begun in Florida. Approximately 144,000 mosquitoes engineered by the UK-based biotech firm Oxitec are to be expected to be set free over the next three months, the first of up to 750 million approved for release over the next two years by the US Environmental Protection Agency. The trial aims to test whether the mosquitoes are effective at reducing populations of invasive Aedes aegypti, a species that can transmit dangerous diseases to people. The Florida Keys Mosquito Control District, which has partnered with Oxitec, has said this species makes up only 4 percent of the mosquito community in the Keys but is responsible for nearly all disease transmission and has become increasingly resistant to available pesticides, Nature reports. According to Oxitec, the modified mosquitoes are all male and carry a gene that makes female mosquitoes dependent on an antibiotic not available in the animals’ environment, thereby killing all of the male’s female offspring. Adult mosquitoes only live for a few weeks, and just the females bite, so the firm expects its modified males can spread the female-killing insert through the population and drastically reduce the number of potential disease vectors in the region. If successful, the mosquitoes could be used in place of pesticides in control efforts. A small but vocal group of Florida residents that has opposed the “mutant mosquitoes” from the get-go are continuing to seek legal action to stop it, CNN reports. Key Largo resident Mara Daly tells CNN she hopes “civil unrest happens,” and suggests residents could have their communities sprayed with pesticides in an effort to “opt out” of the trial.
The first transgenic mosquitoes were releaseed in the United States.
16947D. Davis, Prudent Press Agency, 2021-05-04 20:19:07.
After a decade of fighting for regulatory approval and public acceptance, the biotech company has released GMO mosquitoes outdoors in the United States for the first time. The experiment, which began this week in the Florida Keys, despite objections from some local critics, is testing a method for suppressing populations of wild Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, which can transmit diseases such as Zika, dengue fever, chikungunya and yellow fever mosquitoes. Oxitec, the UK-based company Abingdon that developed mosquitoes, has previously tested the insects in the field in Brazil, Panama, the Cayman Islands and Malaysia. But so far, due to a tortuous series of regulatory decisions and Florida residents’ disapproval (see “Long Road”), no GM mosquitoes have been tested in the United States, although the country had previously allowed evidence of a GM diamond. Moth (Plutella xylostella) in New York and pink worm (Pectinophora gossypiella) in Arizona, both developed by Oxitec. “When something new and revolutionary comes along, people’s immediate reaction is to say, ‘Wait,’” says Anthony James, a molecular biologist specializing in mosquito bioengineers at the University of California, Irvine. [Oxitec] Was able to conduct a trial on the ground in the United States a big problem. “
The Bill Gates Corporation, Backed by Bill Gates, Releases Thousands of Genetically Modified Mosquitoes
16975T. Meeks, Aviation Analysis, 2021-05-04 15:50:15.
British company Oxitec has launched transgenic mosquitoes in the Florida Keys, in the United States, to study how to control their reproduction and thus limit the spread of chronic diseases transmitted by insects such as dengue fever and the Zika virus. The company, funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, announced the placement of its confined release funds, non-release funds, and quality control funds this week in six locations: two in Cudjoe Key, one in Ramrod Key, and three in Vaca Key. Why is the Oxitec mosquito different? According to the company, the males in its insect cloud carry a modified gene called OX5034, which restricts the survival of the females they mate with. As of early next month, fewer than 12,000 mosquitoes are expected to appear per week for about 12 weeks. Untreated comparison sites will be controlled with mosquito traps at Key Colony Beach, Little Torch Key, and Summerland Key. “We started looking at this a decade ago because we were in the middle of an outbreak of dengue fever in the Florida Keys,” Andrea Lyell, executive director of the Florida Keys area for mosquito control, said during a videoconference. “So we are very excited to further this partnership, and work with both Oxitec and members of the community.” Last year the Keys authorities approved the pilot project with mosquitoes Aedes aegyptiShe is not a Florida native. This insect transmits many diseases to humans, especially in the Keys island chain, where dozens of dengue cases were recorded last year.
Next gen insect control
16960E. Unglesbee, Progressive Farmer, 2021-05-04 14:58:12.
Dubbed "self-limiting" insects by their makers, a UK-based biotechnology company called Oxitec, these insects are genetically modified (GM) with an inserted gene that permits only male offspring to survive. Once released into a pest community, the GM insects gradually lower the population, accomplishing a new type of pest control. Then, rather politely, they die off themselves. "After we stop releasing the self-limiting males, the gene declines in a population over a short period of time and within a few generations, disappears," Neil Morrison, head of agriculture programs for Oxitec, told DTN. "It's a gene that prevents survival of half its carriers -- the females -- so it's essentially programmed to decline and disappear quite rapidly." Sound too sci-fi to be real? It's actually happening right now, in the Florida Keys. After gaining EPA and state regulatory approval for the project last year, Oxitec is working with the Florida Keys Mosquito Control District to deploy the country's first largescale release of Oxitec's self-limiting Aedes aegypti mosquitoes.
Genetically modified mosquitos: Biohacking for disease prevention.
16941D. Maloney, HACKADAY, 2021-05-03 15:02:07.
Mosquito control is basically a numbers game, stacked in their favor. Since each female lays 100 to 200 eggs in a clutch, in wet climates, mosquitos are simply too prolific to get ahead of using standard means. Coupled with collateral damage to the environment — draining wetlands carries potentially huge impacts on a wide range of species, as does the indiscriminate use of pesticides — the search for new control methods with less harmful ecological side-effects has led to research into genetic methods of reducing mosquito populations. The idea of genetically engineering insects is nothing new. The fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster has had its genome extensively modified for over 100 years, first using standard mating and crossing techniques and later using transgenic methods to insert, delete, and edit genes. The result has been a wealth of knowledge about how the genetics of higher organisms work, as well as models for human diseases ranging from diabetes to Parkinson’s. But in general, transgenic fruit flies are simply model organisms destined to live and die in the lab. The concept of building a genetically modified insect for release into the wild is fairly new. Oxitec, the company behind the planned releases of transgenic mosquitos in Florida, has been working on the genetic control of a range of pest insect species since it was founded in 2002. They are currently on their second generation of genetically modified Aedes aegypti mosquitos, which is the insect that will soon be tested in Florida. The mosquito, dubbed OX5034, has been genetically engineered to be self-limiting. Both male and female OX5034 mosquitos carry a synthetic gene that is lethal only to females. The plan is to release OX5034 male mosquitos into a wild population where they’ll breed with unmodified females. These females will take a blood meal and lay eggs that carry the synthetic gene. Only the male eggs in the clutch will develop into adulthood; the females will all die during the larval and pupal stage, which will eventually reduce the number of blood meals taken and the potential for disease spread.
First genetically modified mosquitoes released in the United States
16939E. Waltz, Nature, 2021-05-03 14:56:33.
After a decade of fighting for regulatory approval and public acceptance, a biotechnology firm has released genetically engineered mosquitoes into the open air in the United States for the first time. The experiment, launched this week in the Florida Keys — over the objections of some local critics — tests a method for suppressing populations of wild Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, which can carry diseases such as Zika, dengue, chikungunya and yellow fever. Oxitec, the firm based in Abingdon, UK, that developed the mosquitoes, has previously field-tested the insects in Brazil, Panama, the Cayman Islands and Malaysia. But until now, owing to a circuitous series of regulatory decisions and pushback from Florida residents (see ‘A long road’), no genetically engineered mosquito had been trialled in the United States — even though the country previously allowed tests of a genetically engineered diamondback moth (Plutella xylostella) in New York and an engineered pink bollworm (Pectinophora gossypiella) in Arizona, both developed by Oxitec. “When something new and revolutionary comes along, the immediate reaction of a lot of people is to say: ‘Wait.’,” says Anthony James, a molecular biologist focused on bioengineered mosquitoes at the University of California, Irvine. “So the fact that [Oxitec] was able to get the trial on the ground in the United States is a big deal.”
Oxitec releases first genetically modified mosquitoes in U.S.
16928J. Knutson, Axios, 2021-05-01 15:46:09.
Oxitec, a British startup determined to prevent instances of mosquito-borne disease, released thousands of genetically modified mosquito eggs in the Florida Keys this week as part of a test approved by the Environmental Protection Agency and Florida's agriculture department. Why it matters: It marks the first release of genetically modified mosquitoes in the U.S. and has some locals worried about how this will impact the broader ecosystem, according to CNN. How it works: Oxitec expects to target Aedes aegypti, an invasive species of mosquito that carries several dangerous diseases like yellow fever, dengue and Zika virus.
Armyworm meets Friendly moth
17066M. Francisco, Nature Biotechnology, 39:532-532. 2021-05-01 14:11:25.
The fall armyworm moth, a pest so named for its caterpillar’s invasive and destructive behavior, may now have to contend with a ‘Friendly’ foe. UK-based Oxitec and agbiotech giant Bayer have jointly developed a genetically modified variety to combat the fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda), an insect pest causing severe destruction to corn, rice and sorghum crops in more than 100 countries. Brazil has approved field trials of the GM ‘Friendly’ fall armyworm moths. The technology, originally developed at Oxford University, uses male self-limiting fall armyworm moths. When males are released into infested areas, the moths mate with wild females, but as they produce no female offspring in the next generation, this reduces the population of crop-eating caterpillars. The approach is species specific, is self-limiting in the environment, and has no impact on beneficial insects such as bees. Oxitec has successfully used the technology with mosquitoes to control dengue and Zika in Brazil, and is currently releasing Friendly mosquitoes in the Florida Keys as part of a US Environmental Protection Agency trial. Though some groups remain opposed to the technology, most experts agree that GMOs must be part of an integrated pest management solution, in addition to rotating crops, encouraging the growth of a pest’s natural predators, and using pesticides selectively to mitigate resistance buildup.
Genetically modified mosquitoes have landed in the Keys. Here’s what you need to know
16918G. Filosa, Miami Herald, 2021-05-01 13:54:49.
More than 20 million genetically modified mosquitoes are coming to the Florida Keys this year, in a landmark project by British biotech company Oxitec and Monroe County’s Mosquito Control District. This mosquito control method hasn’t been used in the U.S. before. It’s a pilot program and the first trial began over the past week. The project is aimed at reducing the population of the invasive Aedes aegypti, which carries diseases like Zika. This is the first time in the country that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has issued the “experimental use permit” for this method.
What Are GMO Mosquitoes and What Is Their Purpose?
17038A. Krosofsky, GREENMATTERS, 2021-05-01 11:29:18.
Scientists have made GMO corn, strawberries, even many types of farm animals. Now, it seems, they have managed to genetically modify mosquitoes as well. But what is the purpose of GMO mosquitoes, and why would scientists go out of their way to create something that is already a problem for a huge portion of the planet’s population? As it turns out, GMO mosquitoes are a way to fight fire with fire. By creating and releasing their own genetically modified mosquitoes into existing populations, a few clever scientists have managed to curb the spread of dangerous mosquito-borne diseases like the Zika virus. According to the CDC, GMO mosquitoes are modified from the Aedes aegypti mosquito species. Aedes aegypti mosquitoes are commonly found in many parts of the U.S., including Florida and Texas. They are well known for spreading and carrying viruses like Zika, dengue, and chikungunya, but the GMO versions of these insects are designed to stop the spread of those diseases right at the source: the carriers themselves.
Genetically modified mosquitoes | Connect the Dots
16905thv11, THV11, 2021-04-30 17:56:23.
This is a local TV story from Arkansas of the Oxitec trial being conducted in Florida.
‘Home to GMO Mosquitoes?!’ Florida Unleashes a Billion Lab Grown Mosquitoes
16925Anonymous, B and T MAGAZINE, 2021-04-30 15:40:06.
Up to a billion genetically engineered mosquitoes are going to be released in the Florida Keys—but locals are having none of it, with billboards erected saying ‘no!’ to the damned blood suckers. The genetically-modified mosquitoes, known as the OX5034, were made in a laboratory in London by British biotech firm Oxitec, in a bid to kill-off a species in the Florida Keys that carries dengue fever, Zika virus, and yellow fever. It comes after more than 7,300 dengue cases were reported in the US in the past decade, Vice reports. While most were contracted outside America, 71 were transmitted in Florida, according to the CDC.
The Release of 1 Billion Exterminator Mosquitoes Has Begun
16922D. Noor, Gizmodo, 2021-04-30 15:32:45.
Tens of thousands of male mosquitoes are descending on the Florida Keys. But these are no ordinary mosquitoes: They’re genetically modified, and they were planted around the state on purpose. It’s part of a plan to curb disease by releasing 1 billion mosquitoes across two states—but it’s giving some folks the heeby jeebies. Workers placed boxes of mosquitoes’ eggs—two on Cudjoe Key, one on Ramrod Key and three on Vaca Key—on Thursday, and expect them to hatch in about a week. They’ll repeat the process over the coming months, releasing 12,000 of the bugs per week for 12 weeks. That’s 144,000 mosquitoes overall—gross. The project marks the first time GMO mosquitoes have ever been released in the U.S., was launched by the Florida Keys Mosquito Control District (FKMCD) with the private British firm biotech Oxitec. It’s an attempt to curb the spread of dengue, Zika and yellow fever.
First-ever US release of genetically modified mosquitoes begins in Florida Keys
16920S. LaMotte, CNN, 2021-04-30 15:27:44.
The first release of genetically modified mosquitoes in the United States began this week in the Florida Keys -- the culmination of a decade-long effort by local mosquito control authorities to see if a genetically modified organism is a viable alternative to spraying insecticides in the region.For the first 12-week phase, blue-and-white boxes containing about 12,000 GMO eggs developed by a US-owned, British-based company called Oxitec have been placed in six small areas of Ramrod Key, Cudjoe Key and Vaca Key. When water is added, the mosquitoes hatch, mature and enter the environment over the next week or so. A small, vocal group of Florida Key residents have fought the release of what they call "mutant mosquitoes" since the project was announced -- and they are incensed. "Our opposition has been long and strong," said Barry Wray, the executive director of the Florida Keys Environmental Coalition. "We live here, this our home, and they're forcing this down people's throats." "The only thing you can do legally at this point is stand in your yard with an insect fogger," said Mara Daly, a resident of Key Largo, Florida, who has fought the release for eight years. "You can't touch a box, but you can fog the s**t out of your own yard if you don't want to be a part of the trial."
The first genetically modified mosquitoes released in the U.S. to buzz in the Florida Keys
16897K. Weintraub, USA Today, 2021-04-29 17:37:24.
On Thursday morning, workers from a British company placed basketball-sized cardboard boxes into six yards in the Florida Keys. Then they added water. In a week or so, 12,000 male Aedes aegypti mosquitoes will – one by one – begin buzzing out of each box, the first genetically modified mosquitoes to be released in the United States. Local officials argue the trial is necessary at a time when pesticides are increasingly ineffective against these dangerous pests. A 2016 vote on the project claimed a solid majority of support in most of the surrounding counties. "At the end of the day, our hope is to be able to control this mosquito more efficiently and keep our population below any sort of disease transmission threshold," said Andrea Leal, executive director of the Florida Keys Mosquito District. "Our toolbox for Aedes aegypti control is shrinking, unfortunately, and that's making us think outside of the box."
A Billion Lab-Grown Mosquitos Are Being Released and People Are Freaking Out
16895V. Kipnis, Vice, 2021-04-29 17:08:03.
On Thursday afternoon, six Florida Keys residents will walk out into their yards and set out aquamarine cardboard boxes filled with mosquito larvae. Then, water will be poured into the containers. For the next ten days, as the mosquitoes grow into adults, their neighbors will be waiting to see what happens next. That’s because these aren’t just any mosquitoes: These are genetically-modified organisms, known as the OX5034, and they were made in a laboratory in London. Under a two-year Experimental Use Permit approved by the EPA, the British biotech firm Oxitec has been green-lit to release over 1 billion genetically modified mosquitoes across 6,600 acres in Florida and Texas. For their pilot project, they’re focusing on the lower Florida Keys, where in the coming 12 weeks, they plan to release 144,000 non-biting male mosquitoes from six different locations—making this the first time ever that a genetically-engineered mosquito will be let out into an open ecosystem in the United States.
The mosquito-bite fight begins
16883F. Billingsley, Click2Houston, 2021-04-29 15:10:43.
Anyone who thought February’s freeze would kill all the mosquitos is biting up the wrong leg. They are back and, seemingly so, with a vengeance (did surviving just make them stronger, one wonders?). In Florida this week, an interesting and controversial fight against the bite begins after more than a decade of getting there. The company Oxitec will be releasing 144,000 Genetically Modified Mosquitoes in the Florida Keys designed to fight the mosquito population. Did you ever take the antibiotic tetracycline? I took it to fight acne as a kid but it treats lots of other bacterial infections. Oxitec has engineered all their mosquitoes with a gene that makes only the females depend on tetracycline. Without it, the females die and it’s the females that bite. So all the eggs from the engineered mosquitoes will be shipped to Florida and when they hatch, the engineered female mosquitoes won’t have any tetracycline and they are toast.
Nearly 144K GMO Mosquitoes to be Released in South Florida: What We Know
16902J. Prigeon, 6 South Florida, 2021-04-28 17:46:54.
Nearly 144,000 genetically modified mosquitoes will be released in South Florida this week as part of an effort to reduce the population disease-carrying mosquitoes. The landmark release of GMO insects marks the beginning of the U.S.-approved program to control the number of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes in the area. The project will place boxes loaded with Oxitec’s non-biting male mosquitoes in six areas around the Florida Keys to mate with biting female mosquitoes. As a result of the encounters, the female offspring will not survive and – hopefully – will reduce the dangerous mosquito's population in the area.
Nation’s first trial of genetically modified mosquitoes starts in Florida Keys
16889S. Brock, TODAY, 2021-04-28 15:15:04.
To control the population of potentially disease-spreading mosquitoes, a controversial project is getting underway in the Florida Keys, highlighted by the release of even more mosquitoes that have been genetically modified. NBC’s Sam Brock reports for TODAY from Miami.
Florida Unleashing Thousands of Mosquitoes
16886Anonymous, The Weather Channel, 2021-04-28 15:11:10.
Florida will begin releasing thousands of genetically modified mosquitoes in the Keys this week to combat diseases like Zika and dengue. But the government’s green light has some residents seeing red.
GMO mosquitoes to be released in Florida Keys
16880NBC News, WRCBtv, 2021-04-28 15:02:40.
Florida will begin releasing genetically modified mosquitoes this week as part of its efforts to control one of the disease-spreading species of the biting insect. The state will release almost 144,000 nonbiting male mosquitoes in the coming weeks engineered by the British firm Oxitec that are meant to mate with biting females, with any resulting female offspring unable to survive. The project was approved after years of public comment and official review. "As we are seeing development of resistance to some of our current control methods, we are in need of new tools to combat this mosquito," Andrea Leal, executive director of the Florida Keys Mosquito Control District said in a press release. The project is meant to control the population of the Aedes aegypti mosquito, which can spread dengue fever, Zika virus and yellow fever, as well as heartworm to pets and animals.
Nearly 150,000 Gene-Hacked Mosquitoes to Be Unleashed in Florida
16878S. Kim, Newsweek, 2021-04-28 14:58:55.
Nearly 150,000 mosquitoes that have been genetically modified by Oxitec, a biotechnology company based in the U.K., will be released across parts of Monroe County's Florida Keys region starting this week. The release is part of an experiment to help combat a disease-transmitting local mosquito population (the Aedes aegypti mosquito species) that is responsible for "virtually all mosquito-borne diseases transmitted to humans" such as dengue, Zika and yellow fever, the company says. Speaking to Newsweek, a spokesperson for Oxitec said: "We are releasing 12,000 [mosquitoes] per week for 12 weeks," which equates to a total of 144,000 mosquitoes, the spokesperson added. The experiment—a collaboration between the Florida Keys Mosquito Control District (FKMCD) and Oxitec—received approval from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS). It is also supported by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as well as an independent advisory board, Oxitec says.
Genetically modified mosquito larvae to be released in Florida Keys
16869E. Helmore, The Guardian, 2021-04-28 14:13:40.
The Florida Keys will this week see the release of genetically modified, non-biting male mosquito larvae as part of a controversial program designed to curb the spread of insect-borne diseases such as dengue, Zika and yellow fever. The Florida Keys Mosquito Control District and British firm biotech Oxitec announced last week that 12,000 of the invasive Aedes aegypti mosquito species are expected to emerge each week for twelve weeks from six locations: two on Cudjoe Key, one on Ramrod Key and three on Vaca Key. US researchers seek citizen scientists as billions of Brood X cicadas set to emerge Eventually it is planned that hundreds of millions of the mosquitoes might be released. Oxitec’s non-biting male mosquitoes will mate with the local biting female mosquitoes and since the female offspring cannot themselves survive to reproduce, the population of Aedes aegypti is subsequently controlled. According to the CDC, the genetically modified mosquitoes carry two types of genes: a fluorescent marker gene that glows under a special red light, and a self-limiting gene that prevents female mosquito offspring from surviving to adulthood.
Florida set to release swarms of GMO mosquitoes as residents decry ‘criminal experiment’ by Bill Gates-backed biotech
16866rt com, rt com, 2021-04-28 14:04:30.
A plan to release thousands of genetically modified mosquitoes in an effort to combat disease in the Florida Keys has triggered dire concerns among locals, some saying the “criminal” experiment will turn them into guinea pigs. Spearheaded by the Florida Keys Mosquito Control District (FKMCD) and Oxitec, a British biotech firm that’s received backing from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the project aims to turn the first swarms of gene-edited bugs loose into the Keys starting sometime this week, the two bodies announced in a joint statement. For the first leg of the plan, set to be expanded later, mosquito boxes will be placed at six locations, which over 12 weeks will release around 144,000 Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, a species most closely linked with transmitting illnesses such as dengue, Zika and yellow fever. If all goes according to plan, the male, non-biting bugs will mate with local biting females, whose female offspring are programmed to die off, helping to control the Aedes aegypti population and reduce the spread of disease. While the particular species makes up only about 4% of the overall population in the Keys, it is behind “virtually all” mosquito-borne diseases passed to humans, as well as some that are transmitted to animals, such as heartworm, according to Oxitec.
BUZZ OFF Florida residents blast pest control ‘TERRORISTS’ over plans to unleash a BILLION mutant mosquitoes in the Keys
16857J. Bentley-York, The SUN, 2021-04-27 20:46:15.
The areas Mosquito Control District (FKMCD) are set to release the gene hacked ‘fraken-squitoes' in a bid to fight insect-borne viruses like yellow fever. A BILLION mutant mosquitoes are set to be released in the Keys to fight insect-borne viruses like yellow fever Florida pest control chiefs have been branded “terrorists” over the plans. The trial is set to begin this week, seeing a first phase of up to 144,000 modified mosquitoes released over the next 12 weeks. The project aims to reduce the numbers of Aedes aegypti species which are known for carrying diseases including dengue, chikungunya, zika and yellow fever. The male mosquitoes, developed by British biotech company Oxitect, do not bite, and will be introduced in small areas in a select number of neighborhoods in the Monroe area. However, Florida residents are calling on the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to end "this live experiment" as they blasted the organisation as “terrorists.” Barry Wray of the Florida Keys Environmental Coalition said: “People here in Florida do not consent to the genetically engineered mosquitoes or to being human experiments.”
Florida to release a billion genetically modified mosquitoes and people are worried
16871B. Robinson, indy100, 2021-04-27 14:19:58.
It sounds like the pitch for a horror movie, but Florida’s about to release up to a billion genetically modified mosquitoes in the Keys. What could go wrong? Florida residents and environmentalists are already voicing their concerns after state officials and Oxitec, a biotechnology a UK-based biotechnology company, announced plans to release the critters over a two year period in Monroe County, in the Florida Keys section of the state. But why? In a press release from Friends of the Earth, they state that the project attempts to reduce the number of Aedes aegypti, one of the many species of mosquitoes that carry infectious diseases such as Yellow Fever and Zika.
Thousands of genetically modified mosquitoes being released in Florida
16863T. Lapin, New York Post, 2021-04-27 13:58:39.
Thousands of genetically modified mosquitoes have begun to be released in Florida this week as part of an effort to combat a disease-spreading species of the insect. The buzzy project, from British biotech company Oxitec, aims to curb the population of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, which can spread diseases such as Zika and dengue fever, The Miami Herald reported. The project aims to have genetically modified male mosquitoes mate with non-modified females, which are the ones that bite. A so-called “death mechanism” would then act to prevent any resulting female offspring from surviving.
Halt This Nightmare’: Alarm as Florida Set to Begin Release of Genetically Engineered Mosquitoes
16861J. Johnson, Common Dreams, 2021-04-26 20:59:02.
Environmentalists and Florida residents voiced concern and outrage Monday as state government officials and the biotechnology giant Oxitec announced plans to move ahead this week with a pilot project that involves releasing up to a billion genetically engineered mosquitoes in Monroe County over a two-year period. Presented by local authorities as an effort to control the population of Aedes aegypti—a mosquito species that can carry both the dengue and yellow fever virus—critics warn that the effort's supposed benefits and its potential negative consequences have not been sufficiently studied. Responding to news that the first boxes of genetically modified mosquitos are set to be placed in six locations in Monroe County this week, Friends of the Earth noted in a press release that "scientists have raised concerns that GE mosquitoes could create hybrid wild mosquitoes which could worsen the spread of mosquito-borne diseases and could be more resistant to insecticides than the original wild mosquitoes."
Florida residents claim ‘pest control trial’ that will release up to a BILLION genetically engineered mosquitos in the Keys to reduce species carrying diseases is ‘TERRORISM’
16859S. Liberatore, Daily Mail, 2021-04-26 20:54:47.
The Florida Keys will soon be buzzing with close to a billion 'fraken-squitoes' – gene-hacked mosquitoes aimed at eradicating a disease carrying mosquito. The Florida Keys Mosquito Control District (FKMCD) and Oxitec, a British biotech company, are starting the first-ever U.S. release of genetically engineered (GE) Aedes aegypti mosquitoes this week, which will see up to a billion over a two-year period. The project aims to reduce the numbers of Aedes aegypti, one of several mosquito species that can carry diseases including dengue, chikungunya, Zika and yellow fever. Floridians, however, are calling on the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to end 'this live experiment' saying they are being subjected to terrorism by the FKMCD.
Coalition Against GMO Mosquito Condemns Release of Genetically Engineered Mosquitoes
16853GMO Free USA, 3BL CSRwire, 2021-04-26 20:40:26.
Despite a decade of community opposition, the experimental release of genetically engineered mosquitoes begins today in the Florida Keys. British biotech corporation, Oxitec, in collaboration with the Florida Keys Mosquito Control District, plans to release up to a billion genetically engineered mosquitoes in two phases. GMO Free USA and the Coalition Against GMO Mosquitoes condemn the uncontrolled release and are airing radio spots to educate Florida Keys residents about the health and environmental risks. This unprecedented mass release of a genetically engineered insect is the first of its kind in the United States and many Florida Keys residents remain unaware. The Coalition Against GMO Mosquitoes recently launched an educational website, StopGMM.com, and sponsored a local billboard to increase public awareness and galvanize opposition. The new radio spot will run daily on multiple stations. Oxitec and the FKMCD have failed to provide sufficient answers to the most pressing questions posed by concerned residents. Some residents have reached out to government officials at the EPA, in Congress and the White House to request intervention to halt the experiment until thorough research is conducted.
Nation’s First Trial Of Genetically Modified Mosquitoes Starts In Florida Keys
16851N. Klingener, WLRN, 2021-04-26 20:35:50.
Boxes containing the eggs of genetically modified Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, water and a little food are being placed in six locations in the Lower and Middle Keys this week — in a trial that will be the first of its kind in the United States. The genetic modification is intended so that female offspring won't survive. Female mosquitoes are the ones that bite and can transmit diseases like dengue and zika. The genetically modified males are supposed to breed with wild females — and then their female offspring won't survive, either. Andrea Leal is in charge of the Florida Keys Mosquito Control District. The district has been working with the British firm Oxitec for more than a decade, since a 2009-10 outbreak of dengue fever in Key West.
Genetically-engineered mosquitoes set for release in Florida Keys: Science offers tool to fight Zika, dengue, malaria but critics claim it’s unnecessary and potentially dangerous
16808J. Musto, Genetic Literacy Project, 2021-04-22 16:02:53.
U.K.-based biotechnology company Oxitec has partnered with the Florida Keys Mosquito Control District in an effort to control the invasive and disease-spreading female Aedes aegypti mosquitoes in the region. Oxitec’s [genetically modified] male mosquitoes — which don’t bite, unlike the recently-discovered yellow fever-carrying Aedes scapularis mosquitoes — will be introduced in small areas in a select number of neighborhoods between mile markers 10 and 93 in the Keys. In recent reporting from Undark, the non-profit digital science magazine notes that Oxitec had been proposing an experimental release in the Keys for years and that it had been rejected before in both Key Haven and Key West — though some residents in surrounding areas voted in support of the release.
UK biotech firm’s 750 mn GM mosquitoes will mate with females off Florida, sow a deadly gene
16819S. Ramesh, The Print, 2021-04-20 16:27:48.
Oxitec, a UK-based biotechnology company, plans to release genetically modified mosquitoes in the Florida Keys islands off the US this month as part of a trial to curb mosquito-borne diseases like dengue and the one caused by the Zika virus. This is the latest genetic engineering experiment targeting mosquitoes that is aimed at tackling diseases that continue to kill thousands every year — an approach that has critics as well as backers. Only females of mosquitoes bite, while males feed on all nectar. The mosquitoes Oxitec plans to release will all be male, carrying a protein that will kill all their female offspring. The exact locations where the mosquitoes will be released have not been made public. The objective over time is to reduce the population of the Aedes aegypti mosquito, which spreads both the above-mentioned diseases as well as chikungunya and yellow fever. Mosquito populations in Florida are believed to have grown resistant to a common group of insecticides, prompting worries.
Florida to release genetically modified mosquitoes to fight disease
16812K. Jones, WND, 2021-04-17 16:07:26.
A biotechnology company will soon release genetically modified mosquitoes in certain areas of the Florida Keys in order to combat infectious diseases spread by the parasitic insects.The findings could lead to a new method for combating the spread of diseases such as the Zika virus and dengue fever, according to experts. Both diseases are commonly attributed to mosquito bites in humans.Fox News reported that a strain of mosquitoes developed by a United Kingdom-based company called Oxitec -- partnered with the Keys' Mosquito Control District -- will soon be released into a select number of neighborhoods in Florida. The aim of the experimental program is to control the population of the female Aedes aegypti mosquitoes which make life insufferable for many residents of the Keys.
Dengue fever and Zika The first genetically modified mosquitoes are released in Florida to fight disease
16805M. Woolridge, The Daily Guardian, 2021-04-17 15:46:01.
Biotechnology Corporation Oxitec Planning to release transgenic mosquitoes in Florida Keys. The company says its technology aims to combat dengue fever, a deadly disease transmitted by mosquitoes Aedes aegyptiIn addition to other diseases such as Zika.According to Who is the And the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the United States. However, some neighbors are against releasing this transgenic mosquito because they fear that they will become so Guinea pigs. Oxitec Attempts to release genetically modified mosquitoes from 2011But it was always getting delayed due to discussions of places and some scholars. Despite this, the Florida Keys Mosquito Control District agreed to Exam, Which will take place at various locations at Keys.
Oxitec Receives Landmark Biosafety Approval for New Fall Armyworm Control Solution
16810Oxitec, Oxitec, 2021-04-15 16:03:00.
Approval of Oxitec’s Friendly™ fall armyworm technology by the Brazilian government’s regulatory agency CTNBio confirms that it is safe for people, animals and the environment. Oxitec’s Friendly™ fall armyworm is a new, safe, and sustainable solution to one of the world’s most devastating crop pests. CTNBio’s decision is a significant step towards deployment on commercial corn fields in Brazil. This is the world’s first commercial biosafety approval of an agricultural Friendly™ insect solution, following the regulatory approval in Brazil for Oxitec’s Friendly™ Aedes aegypti mosquito in 2020
Scientists are now playing god with mosquitoes
16794M. Wehner, BGR, 2021-04-15 13:13:24.
Preventing illnesses in humans is a high priority for scientists that devote their lives to finding cures and techniques that keep people healthy, but sometimes a plan comes along that is so wild it can cause even the most devoted science fans to furrow their brow. In Florida, dengue fever regularly sickens over 100 people per year, and many of those individuals that contracted the virus are believed to have received it locally via mosquitos. Now, in what can only be described as the real-life equivalent of a made-for-TV sci-fi movie, scientists in Florida are prepared to unleash a swarm of genetically modified mosquitoes that will hopefully cut down on the number of the biting insects and, as a result, lower the numbers of mosquito-borne illnesses. The company behind the “OX5034” modified mosquitos is called Oxitec, and while it’s gained approval from the Environmental Protection Agency, there are still plenty of critics that fear unforeseen consequences.
First GMO mosquitoes to be released in the Florida Keys
16688T. White, UNDARK, 2021-04-12 15:18:49.
Oxitec says its technology will combat dengue fever, a potentially life-threatening disease, and other mosquito-borne viruses — such as Zika — mainly transmitted by the Aedes aegypti mosquito. While there have been more than 7,300 dengue cases reported in the United States between 2010 and 2020, a majority are contracted in Asia and the Caribbean, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In Florida, however, there were 41 travel-related cases in 2020, compared with 71 cases that were transmitted locally. Native mosquitoes in Florida are increasingly resistant to the most common form of control — insecticide — and scientists say they need new and better techniques to control the insects and the diseases they carry. “There aren’t any other tools that we have. Mosquito nets don’t work. Vaccines are under development but need to be fully efficacious,” says Michael Bonsall, a mathematical biologist at the University of Oxford, who is not affiliated with Oxitec but has collaborated with the company in the past, and who worked with the World Health Organization to produce a GM mosquito-testing framework.
Village hears from experts as genetic-mosquito release experiment nears.
16678J. McCarthy, KEYSWEEKLY, 2021-03-26 14:56:47.
On March 18, Islamorada Village Council heard from several independent scientists who discussed information and issues behind the genetically modified mosquitoes for population and disease suppression. The scientists collectively said they’re neither for nor against the release. A representative from the Florida Keys Mosquito Control District and one from Oxitec responded following the presentation. Fred Gould, professor of North Carolina State’s Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, briefly explained the strain of mosquitoes (OX5034) set for release. He said he was involved with another strain of genetically modified mosquitoes in development in 2010 when a field case study was conducted in Mexico. “In the laboratory, it turned out the male mosquitoes flew fine and mated well. But in the real environment, they weren’t as strong as the wild type mosquitoes and they basically had 3% of the matings. Instead of having half the matings, they had very few,” he said. Gould went on to say that this is also shown in work by Oxitec in Brazil, where it turns out that the genetic mosquitoes “are not very fit.” “It would take 30 of them, at least, to be equal to an individual wild type in terms of how many matings you have,” he said. “When you’re thinking about that, you have to recognize you have to release a lot of mosquitoes in order to have any activity. I just want to bring that home to you that it goes up and down as to what that percent fitness is, and we don’t know what that’ll look like in Florida. “Will it work? I want to say it might work just fine,” he continued. “There’s a chance that they’ll be doing these releases and it won’t be a simple thing.”
Mosquito anxiety prompts query from congressman
16592T. Java, Keynews.com, 2021-03-10 20:09:26.
Anxiety among some residents over the pending release of hundreds of millions of genetically modified mosquitoes next month in undisclosed locations throughout the Florida Keys has prompted Congressman Carlos Gimenez to seek answers from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The Florida Keys Mosquito Control District and Oxitec, a British-based biotech company, plan to release genetically modified Aedes aegypti mosquitoes in selected neighborhoods between mile markers 10 and 93 as a way to control the wild population of the disease-carrying pest. This is the first experiment of its kind in the U.S.
Engineered expression of the invertebrate-specific scorpion toxin AaHIT reduces adult longevity and female fecundity in the diamondback moth Plutella xylostella
16653T. Harvey-Samuel, X. Xu, E. Lovett, T. Dafa'alla, A. Walker, V. C. Norman, R. Carter, J. Teal, L. Akilan, P. T. Leftwich, C. M. Reitmayer, H. A. Siddiqui and L. Alphey, Pest Management Science, 2021-03-04 17:21:00.
To increase the flexibility of future genetic pest management systems in the diamondback moth, we aimed to assess the use of a non-cell-autonomous, invertebrate-specific, neurotoxic effector ? the scorpion toxin AaHIT. This AaHIT effector was designed to be secreted by expressing cells, potentially leading to effects on distant cells, specifically neuromuscular junctions. We demonstrated the feasibility of using non-cell-autonomous effectors within a GPM context for the first time in Lepidoptera, one of the most economically damaging orders of insects. These findings provide a framework for extending this system to other pest Lepidoptera and to other secreted effectors.
Tensions rise as GM mosquito release nears in Florida Keys
16520T. O'Hara, Keynews.com, 2021-03-03 20:29:44.
Tensions seem to be rising as a planned release of genetically modified mosquitoes nears. The British-based biotech company Oxitec plans to release genetically modified Aedes aegypti mosquitoes in the Florida Keys sometime after April, but has yet to disclose exact locations in the Keys or a date.
Florida Keys moves forward with genetically modified mosquitoes
16524H. Vela, local10.com, 2021-03-03 18:08:13.
The feared GMO mosquitoes are not going away. Opponents of the technology fear the date of the release in the Florida Keys is getting closer, and they are not ready for the possible repercussions of the experiment. The fight over whether or not to release genetically modified mosquitoes in Monroe County has been going on for almost a decade. Barry Wray said the mosquito control team’s contractor wants to deliver the first batch in April. Wray, the executive director of the Florida Keys Environmental Coalition, said he doesn’t believe there is enough evidence to prove that the technology is safe. He said there is a need for independent scientific investigation. “You don’t really know what the long-term outcomes could be or how to quantify those risks, and if you can’t do that scientifically, then you don’t know how to responsibly mitigate it or detect if something is going awry,” Wray said.
When and where will millions of mosquitoes be released? Here are details for Florida Keys
16485D. Goodhue, Miami Herald, 2021-02-25 21:09:17.
The Florida Keys Mosquito Control District announced this week a wide and vague planned range of deployment for the lab-designed mosquitoes — neighborhoods from mile marker 10 to 93. The trial is being conducted by British biotech company Oxitec. It’s a method approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the state of Florida, and the mosquito control district’s five-member board, to try to eradicate or significantly reduce the local population of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes.
Mosquito trial will begin in April, but Keys locations won’t be disclosed
16483S. Matthis, KEYSWEEKLY, 2021-02-23 20:54:42.
FKMCD spokesman Chad Huff wrote in an email, “The physical location of each box is still being finalized. Since most will be situated on private property at owner request, FKMCD-Oxitec will NOT be providing specific addresses due to privacy concerns and protection of project integrity.” Phil Goodman, chairman of the FKMCD said the decision to keep addresses confidential was an operations decision, not a decision by the elected board. “Right now, we don’t have any specific sites that are 100 percent selected,” said Andrea Leal, executive director of the FKMCD. “We are just narrowing down areas with potential.”
Locals protest over genetically modified mosquito plan in Florida Keys
16479D. Goodhue, Miami Herald, 2021-02-23 14:11:23.
Sometime this year, somewhere in the Florida Keys, a British biotech company is expected to release millions of genetically modified male mosquitoes in an effort to breed out of existence an invasive species of bug responsible for the transmittal of deadly diseases like dengue fever, chikungunya and Zika. But, the pilot project remains controversial, and a large segment of people who live in the island chain are trying to stop it. About two dozen people gathered Sunday morning outside the Murray Nelson Government and Cultural Arts Center in Key Largo to protest the planned release of the lab-designed bugs.
Oxitec gears up for test releases
16386T. O'Hara, Keynews.com, 2021-02-10 15:10:19.
The United Kingdom-based biotech company Oxitec will soon announce the test locations and timetable for releasing its genetically modified mosquitoes in the Florida Keys.
GeneConvene Global Collaborative Webinar Series | Genetic Biocontrol 2021
16249David O'Brochta and Hector Quemada, GeneConvene Global Collaborative, 2021-02-05 21:53:11.
In the mid 20th century various ideas emerged concerning how genetics and genetic principles could be directly applied to age-old problems of managing insects that threaten food security and public health. This series of webinars will explore the current state-of-the-art of what has been termed genetic control, genetic pest management and genetic biocontrol. It will cover the use of sterility, conditional dominant lethality and Wolbachia-induced cytoplasmic incompatibility. Gene drive, another type of genetic biocontrol, will not be covered in this series; it was recently the focus of webinar series dedicated to the topic.
‘Clever Approach’: Scientists Create GM-Free Organisms Using Genetic Engineering
15955A. Paleja, The WIRE, 2021-01-11 17:07:06.
Farther to the north, researchers at the University of Minnesota have developed a novel way to resolve this problem. They used genetic engineering to create organisms for release that are not genetically modified. Maciej Maselko was a postdoctoral associate at the university when he was part of the study. “Slow and expensive regulatory approvals for GM insect release” inspired the team’s work, he told The Wire Science. “We looked for a way to get the benefits achieved with GM insect release but without needing to release GM insects.” He conceptualised the experiment with PhD scholar Siba Das and molecular biology professor Michael Smanski. The results were published in November 2020. In a typical control intervention, researchers release sterile male mosquitoes into the environment. These compete with wild males to mate with wild females. Mosquitoes mate only once in their lifetime. Since mating with sterile mosquitoes produces no offspring, the local mosquito population begins to fall. The methods to select these male mosquitoes to subsequently release are either labour intensive or need specialised equipment. The colony that scientists rear is also often three times larger than the number of males released. Third, a mosquito lives typically for 8-10 days. So scientists must select the males to release close to the site of intervention.
FKMCD – Oxitec | Mosquito Project Webinar Series
15564Oxitec Ltd, FKMCD and Oxitec, 2020-12-18 15:43:23.
This FKMCD - Oxitec Public Educational Webinar, our ninth, shows how Oxitec's just-add-water technology helps control the Aedes aegypti mosquito population. The second half of the webinar includes questions and answers with attendees.
Fear of Oxitec mosquito release grows
15541T. Java, Florida Keys Free Press, 2020-12-16 20:11:11.
A local effort has emerged to exclude Key Largo from a test release of genetically modified Aedes aegypti mosquitoes planned for the spring. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Florida Keys Mosquito Control District have approved a release of United Kingdom-based biotech company Oxitec’s GMO insects in an effort to battle the disease-carrying wild mosquito population by effectively breeding it out of existence.
Fighting Mosquito With GMO Mosquito: The Battle Brewing in the Florida Keys
15005S. MacLaughlin, NBC 6 South Florida, 2020-11-06 15:32:04.
Scientists are a few months into an experiment to stop the invasive Aedes aegypti mosquito. Their weapon of choice? A genetically modified mosquito. But some environment advocates question the strategy. This year, the Florida Keys had an outbreak of Dengue fever, which was the first time that had happened in 10 years. It gives new urgency to the controversial effort to get rid of the Aedes aegypti, which has become harder to fight.
Florida will release 750 million genetically modified mosquitoes
14998S. McGlaun, Slash Gear, 2020-11-05 15:14:43.
Local officials in Florida have announced that they have approved 750 million genetically modified mosquitoes to be released into the environment to reduce local populations of the bloodsucking creatures. The goal of releasing genetically modified mosquitoes is to help reduce the number of mosquitoes carrying diseases like dengue or the Zika virus. Approval to release the bugs came after environmental groups warned of unintended consequences.
Educating the Public on Genetically Modified Mosquitoes
18527Buckner, Eva A., UF - IFAS, 2020-10-26 16:04:58.
In May 2020, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) approved Oxitec’s Experimental Use Permit to carry out pilot projects in the Florida Keys. Oxitec is a biotechnology company founded in 2002 out of Oxford University in the United Kingdom. They will be collaborating with the Florida Keys Mosquito Control District. One of the pilot projects will involve releasing Oxitec’s GM Ae. aegypti male mosquitoes (strain OX5034) into a small area to test their ability to reduce the population of wild Ae. aegypti mosquitoes. This project will be the first time that GM mosquitoes are released into nature in the U.S. and is expected to begin in early spring 2021 and continue through spring 2022. The purpose of this document is to provide essential information about GM mosquitoes to the public and those involved in mosquito control in Florida, the U.S., and beyond. Below we present a series of answers to frequently asked questions about the nature of GM mosquitoes, the argument for using GM mosquitoes to control mosquito-transmitted diseases, and the potential impact of this project on the environment and human health. Our hope is that these answers will provide readers with insight into the reasons why GM mosquitoes are being tested for mosquito control in Florida and elsewhere.
FKMCD-OXITEC Mosquito Project
14718FKMCD and OXITEC, Website, 2020-10-16 18:11:37.
The Florida Keys Mosquito Control District (FKMCD) Board of Commissioners approved the FKMCD-Oxitec Investigational Agreement for the release of Oxitec’s Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. This project will be overseen by FKMCD, the EPA and the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS). Independent evaluation of the project will be provided by the U.S. CDC, University of Florida, Monroe County Department of Health, and local leaders, forming a broad and diverse coalition to support this effort.
Florida to Release 750 Million GMO Mosquitoes in 2021
14703Seeker, Seeker, 2020-10-13 18:11:21.
The U.S. EPA gave the green light to release millions of genetically modified mosquitoes in the Florida Keys in 2021 — here’s what we know.
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?
Gene Drive: Modern Miracle or Environmental Disaster
14491K. Brooks, Journal of Law, Technology and Policy, 2020-09-25 19:57:31.
This Note will show how gene drive technology fits imperfectly into the old regulatory framework through case studies. The Analysis will also describe how the different regulatory agencies handle similar gene drive-like organisms inconsistently, and the inherent danger of this approach considering upcoming developments in the field.
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.
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.
Why Genetically Modified Mosquitoes Won’t Come to Texas Anytime Soon
14317C. Adams, RA News, 2020-09-04 15:03:04.
Talks about releasing genetically modified mosquitoes in Houston began in 2018 between Harris County and Oxitec, a United Kingdom-based company that produces sustainable technologies or transgenic methodologies to stem the impact of disease-spreading insects. Talk also began about a similar action in Monroe County, Fla.
Do Africans need genetically modified mosquitoes?
14261genetically modified, mosquito, oxitec, autocidal, SIT, perspective, malaria, gene drive synthetic, engagement,, Mail and Guardian, 2020-09-01 14:32:06.
The following is an updated version of an article I wrote for the University of Michigan Risk Science Centre a while ago:
An accident waiting to happen: Tech company to release 750 MILLION GMO mosquitoes in Florida to fight dengue fever
14232Z. Sky, NEWSTARGET, 2020-08-30 20:31:13.
Oxitec plans to release 750 million OX5034s into the Florida Keys, something that sounds like the beginning of a doomed science-fiction movie. But the most shocking thing here is the fact that Oxitec received the EPA’s approval in May.
Genetically-modified mosquito plan offers hope for Keys, world
14256P. Goodman, keynews.com, 2020-08-29 14:25:12.
The Florida Keys Mosquito Control District Board of Commissioners voted 4-to-1 to approve a trial using Oxitec’s second-generation genetically modified mosquitoes. I
The good mosquito versus the bad
14240D. Datta, Business Standard, 2020-08-29 14:01:00.
Starting 2021, around 750 million genetically modified (GM) Aedes Aegypti mosquitoes will be released in batches into the Florida Keys.
Florida Will Release 750 Genetically Modified Mosquitoes to Stop Disease Spread
14177A. Fahmy, verywell health, 2020-08-28 14:36:32.
The hope is to prevent the spread of Dengue fever, a painful virus acquired only by mosquito bite which made a reappearance in the Florida Keys in 2009.
Deep dive: Florida’s GM mosquito experiment aims to rewrite rules of vector-borne diseases
14084S. Kannan, India Today, 2020-08-26 14:33:36.
A pathbreaking bioengineering experiment on mosquito populations that could have massive implications for tropical malaria-affected countries like India has got underway in Florida, US.
Bug board OKs release of genetically modified mosquitoes
14151T. O'Hara, keynews.com, 2020-08-26 13:08:07.
After nearly 10 years of debate, the Florida Keys Mosquito Control District board has approved an agreement with biotech company Oxitec to conduct a test release of genetically modified mosquitoes in Monroe County as part of a mosquito limiting or eradication plan.
Genetically modified mosquitoes to be released in the Florida Keys to combat dengue, zika, and yellow fever.
14148Yucatan Times, Yucatan Times, 2020-08-26 13:04:27.
The Florida Keys will be the scene of the first test in the United States with genetically modified Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, an alternative to insecticides and larvicides to end the transmission of diseases such as dengue, zika and yellow fever that has always been surrounded by controversy.
Transgenic moths released to end one of the worst pests on the planet
14099B. Mandalia, Pledge Times, 2020-08-25 14:49:50.
Today the results of the first open field experiment with another of the creations of this biotechnology company are published. It is a variant of the moth Plutella xylostella which is one of the worst agricultural pests in the world.
750 million genetically modified mosquitoes soon released in the wild!
14093explica, explica, 2020-08-25 14:42:52.
Rather frightening mosquitoes will be released on an archipelago in Florida. The goal? Reduce the population of their more dangerous congeners who can transmit certain diseases.
US to Use Genetically Modified Mosquitoes to Fight Dengue Fever
14090H. Badr, Asharq Al-Awsat, 2020-08-25 14:39:32.
After a decade of discussions, officials in Florida have voted to allow the first test in the United States of free-flying, genetically modified mosquitoes that kill any female offspring, as a way to fight the pests and the diseases they spread.
Florida Keys to Use Genetically Modified Mosquitoes to Fight Disease
14087B. Lynn, Voice of America, 2020-08-25 14:33:57.
Officials in the Florida Keys plan to release genetically modified mosquitoes next year in an effort to fight insect-borne diseases.
Florida Approves Controversial Plan to Release 750 Million Genetically Modified Mosquitoes
14096D. Rakshit, Swaddle, 2020-08-24 14:46:17.
Authorities in Florida have approved a pilot project that will release 750 million genetically modified mosquitoes locally, in a bid to reduce the populations of mosquitoes that cause that cause dengue, Zika, chikungunya, and yellow fever
Mutant bugs released to fight disease
14081The Day, The Day, 2020-08-24 14:20:37.
Authorities have approved the scheme in Florida but environmental groups are furious, calling it a “Jurassic Park experiment” that will unleash a “mutant bug” into the ecosystem.
More than 750 million GMO mosquitoes to be released over Florida Keys – what could go wrong?
14145E. Huff, Natural News, 2020-08-24 12:59:20.
The Florida Keys Mosquito Control District (FKMCD) has given Oxitec, a corporation we have reported on in the past, permission to unleash some 750 million GMO mosquitos in Monroe County, Florida, over the next two years.
Florida to release genetically modified mosquitoes to prevent diseases like Zika
14009The West News, The West News, 2020-08-23 17:50:16.
Local authorities on Tuesday gave final approval to release 750 million genetically modified mosquitoes in the Florida Keys over a two-year period, starting in 2021.
Genetically modified mosquitoes have been OK’d for a first U.S. test flight
14003S. Milius, ScienceNews, 2020-08-22 17:44:31.
After a decade of fits and starts, officials in the Florida Keys have voted to allow the first test in the United States of free-flying, genetically modified mosquitoes as a way to fight the pests and the diseases they spread.
Florida Will Release Genetically Modified Mosquitoes to Fight Disease in the Keys
14000S. Harrell, Spectrum News, 2020-08-21 17:40:14.
Following lengthy federal and state procedures, the Florida Keys Mosquito Control District this week approved a plan to release more than 750 million genetically modified mosquitoes in the Keys region to combat an invasive, disease-carrying species of the insect.
Florida is releasing 750 million genetically modified mosquitoes into the world. Here’s why
13992H. Schriber, Deseret News, 2020-08-21 17:35:50.
Florida officials plan to release 750 million genetically modified mosquitoes into the Florida Keys over the next two years as a way to prevent diseases like the Zika virus. The project will begin in 2021. The Environment Protection Agency approved the idea in May. The project will test if one of these mosquitoes can work better than spraying insecticides to stop these insects from spreading potentially fatal viruses, according to CNN.
Genetically Modified Mosquitoes To Be Released In Florida Keys
13989A. Snow, The Daily Wire, 2020-08-21 17:33:00.
CNN reported that the genetically modified bugs, called OX5034, have been “altered to produce female offspring that die in the larval stage, well before hatching and growing large enough to bite and spread disease.” Since it’s the female of the species that bite, they are the ones that carry diseases. Males, the outlet reported, eat nectar.
Release 750 Million Genetically Modified Mosquitoes Into the Wild, They Said
13986C. Delbert, Popular Mechanics, 2020-08-21 17:31:14.
Corporate scientists have received final approval from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to release hundreds of millions of genetically altered mosquitoes into the Florida Keys. The goal? To begin reining in the mosquito population, which is only expected to increase as climate change continues to warm and flood the low-lying, tropical Keys. But some environmental groups object strongly to the move.
Florida releasing genetically modified mosquitoes to prevent diseases like Zika
13984N. Lanese, LiveScience, 2020-08-21 17:29:18.
Hundreds of millions of genetically modified mosquitoes will soon be released in the Florida Keys island chain to wipe out local populations of disease-carrying mosquitoes, according to news reports.
750 Million GM Mosquitoes Will Be Released in the Florida Keys
13982L. Winter, The Scientist, 2020-08-21 17:27:30.
With the aim of reducing rates of the mosquito-borne illnesses yellow fever and dengue, a pilot program will release 750 million genetically modified mosquitoes into the Florida Keys in 2021, thanks to approval by the barrier islands’ Mosquito Control District Board of Commissioners at a meeting on Tuesday (August 18)
Hundreds Of Millions Of Genetically Modified Mosquitoes Approved For Release In US
13996J. Vibes, Anonymous News, 2020-08-20 17:37:24.
A Biotech company called Oxitec has received permission from the government to release hundreds of millions of genetically modified male mosquitoes in the Florida Keys.
Why Hundreds of Millions of Genetically Engineered Mosquitoes Will Soon Be Released in Florida
13979K. Gander, Newsweek, 2020-08-20 17:22:07.
Hundreds of millions of genetically engineered mosquitoes will soon be released in Florida, in a first for the U.S. On Tuesday, the Florida Keys Mosquito Control District (FKMCD) approved plans to release the insects, who do not bite, as part of a pilot project launching next yea
Florida to release genetically modified mosquitoes, detractors blast ‘Jurassic Park’ experiment
13969D. Aaro, Fox News, 2020-08-20 15:49:28.
Local authorities on Tuesday gave final approval to release 750 million genetically modified mosquitoes in the Florida Keys over a two-year period, starting in 2021, with the hope of preventing diseases such as the Zika virus but has faced blowback and comparisons to a Steven Spielberg thriller.
750 million genetically modified mosquitoes to be released across Florida Keys
13966A. Zahid, Sky News, 2020-08-20 15:47:05.
Authorities have approved plans for genetically modified mosquitoes to be released across the Florida Keys from next year. British-based firm Oxitec has designed the project to test whether the altered mosquitoes are a viable alternative to pesticides to control and prevent the spread of diseases, including Zika and dengue.
750 million GM mosquitos set for release in Florida Keys.
13961Editorial Staff, E&T, 2020-08-20 15:43:13.
Local authorities have approved proposals to release hundreds of millions of genetically modified (GM) modified mosquitos in Florida, in an effort to control populations of diseases spread by the organism.
Florida Plans to Fix Its Mosquito Problem With 750 Million More Mosquitoes
13959D. Noor, Gizmodo, 2020-08-20 15:40:34.
Hundreds of millions of mosquitos will soon be released in Florida. On purpose. The mosquitoes are being released as a form of pest control, but they could wreak havoc on local ecosystems.
Florida mosquitoes: 750 million genetically modified insects to be released
13955BBC, BBC, 2020-08-20 15:37:01.
Local officials in Florida have approved the release of 750 million mosquitoes that have been genetically modified to reduce local populations. The aim is to reduce the number of mosquitoes that carry diseases like dengue or the Zika virus.
Florida OKs release of genetically modified mosquitoes in Keys to slow insect disease spread
13952S. Mann, Just the News, 2020-08-20 15:34:23.
Florida officials are authorizing a biotech company to release hundreds of millions of genetically-modified male mosquitoes into the Florida Keys to reduce future mosquito populations that spread diseases including yellow fever and malaria.
Florida Keys to release modified mosqutioes to fight illness
13949C. Anderson, Associated Press, 2020-08-20 15:30:15.
Sometime next year, genetically modified mosquitoes will be released in the Florida Keys in an effort to combat persistent insect-borne diseases such as Dengue fever and the Zika virus. The plan approved this week by the Florida Keys Mosquito Control District calls for a pilot project in 2021 involving the striped-legged Aedes aegypti mosquito, which is not native to Florida.
Florida to Release Millions of Genetically Modified Mosquitoes Against Local Residents’ Wishes
13946N. Rice, People, 2020-08-20 15:27:38.
A plan to release over 750 million genetically modified mosquitoes in the Florida Keys has received final approval. According to CNN, on Tuesday, local authorities approved a plan to release the genetically modified mosquitoes in the Sunshine State's string of islands, with the hope of preventing a string of diseases that the insects can carry.
Plan to Release 750M GMO Mosquitoes Gets Go Ahead
13944R. Quinn, newser, 2020-08-20 15:23:41.
The plan to release the genetically modified Aedes aegypti mosquitoes received final approval from local authorities Tuesday, causing an outcry from groups opposed to what they call a "Jurassic Park experiment," CNN reports.
‘A Jurassic Park Experiment’: Watchdog Groups Denounce Decision to Release Genetically Modified Mosquitoes in Florida
13975L. Newcomb, Common Dreams, 2020-08-19 15:54:09.
Food safety and environmental groups Wednesday condemned a decision by officials in Florida to approve the release of 750 million genetically modified mosquitoes, a pilot project aimed at reducing the spread of mosquito-borne diseases.
Florida Keys to release 750M genetically modified mosquitoes
13972D. Haynes, UPI, 2020-08-19 15:51:58.
Local authorities in the Florida Keys gave their approval Wednesday to a plan to release genetically modified mosquitoes to prevent the spread of dengue fever and other diseases. The Monroe County Mosquito Control District signed off on the project, which would release about 750 million mosquitoes engineered to produce dead offspring.
FKMCD Board Approves Oxitec Pilot
14929C. Huff, FKMCD in the News, 2020-08-19 15:48:10.
The Florida Keys Mosquito Control District’s (FKMCD) five member board has APPROVED a proposal by Oxitec to utilize non-biting male, genetically modified mosquitoes as part of a trial to determine their effectiveness in controlling the wild population of Aedes aegypti, the mosquito which is responsible for spreading diseases such as dengue fever. FKMCD and Oxitec have both said that the pilot project will not take place until 2021. The FKMCD board’s four to one vote in FAVOR comes after Federal and State approvals of an ‘Experimental Use Permit’ issued earlier this summer by the Environmental Protection Agency and The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. F
To combat disease-spreading mosquitoes in the Keys, leaders vote to unleash lab bugs
13964D. Goodhue, Miami Herald, 2020-08-19 15:44:52.
Florida Keys officials have voted to allow the experimental release of millions of genetically modified mosquitoes into a yet-to-be-decided area of the island chain.
Genetically Modified Mosquitoes Cleared for Florida Keys Release
13901J. Kay, Bloomber Law, 2020-08-18 13:36:35.
Genetically engineered mosquitoes will be released in the Florida Keys in 2021 to try to reduce the population of a biting insect pest that spreads Zika, dengue fever, and yellow fever, local officials said Tuesday.
Keys Mosquito Control Board Approves First U.S. Trial Of Genetically Modified Mosquitoes
13887N. Klingener, WLRN, 2020-08-18 13:16:55.
The Florida Keys Mosquito Control Board approved a trial Tuesday of genetically modified mosquitoes on the island chain. This would be the first U.S. trial of the genetically modified Aedes aegypti mosquito, which can transmit diseases like Zika and dengue.
Genetically modified mosquitoes could be released in Florida
13587wqad.com, WQAD8, 2020-07-30 12:51:49.
Cases of dengue fever are on the rise in the Florida Keys. One biotech company wants to release genetically modified mosquitoes for a pilot program.
Why are scientists creating genetically modified mosquitoes?
13503The Week Staff, The Week, 2020-07-27 11:35:19.
The Week Staff. The Week (2020). Scientists plan to release altered mosquitoes designed to sabotage the species' ability to reproduce. Is this safe? Here's everything you need to know:
Florida Keys delays vote on release of 750 million genetically engineered mosquitoes after public outcry
13506D. Dukule, Friends of the Earth, 2020-07-22 12:41:45.
The Florida Keys Mosquito Control District (FKMCD) today delayed its vote on the proposed release of genetically engineered (GE) mosquitoes due to concerns over COVID-19. The decision to delay the vote follows public outcry and scientific dispute over the risks posed to public health and the environment by this experimental release. The approval would have permitted the British company Oxitec to release 750 million GE mosquitoes over a two-year period in Monroe County, Florida, starting as soon as this summer.
Release of genetically modified mosquitoes in the Florida Keys put on hold
13355D. Goodhue, Miami Herald, 2020-07-21 19:27:08.
Opponents of a plan to release millions of genetically modified mosquitoes in the Florida Keys landed a temporary win on Tuesday.
EPA approves field trials of genetically modified mosquito
13449A. Wernick, WBFO npr, 2020-07-17 16:18:01.
The Environmental Protection Agency has given biotech company Oxitec the go-ahead to test the effectiveness of genetically modified mosquitoes in parts of Florida and Texas. Oxitec has been developing genetically modified mosquitoes in hopes of reducing local populations of mosquitoes that carry dengue fever, yellow fever and the Zika virus. About 750,000 people die each year from mosquito-borne illnesses, making the insect indirectly responsible for more human deaths than any other animal in the world.
Beyone the buzz
13166C. Watson, The Journal Gazette, 2020-07-07 14:45:26.
Lately I have found I need to force myself to follow science stories about something besides the pandemic. A story I consider hopeful involves genetically modified mosquitoes; we are developing a new tool that can reduce disease and save lives. The goal is to dramatically reduce the mosquito population. Mosquitoes, by biting people and injecting some of their saliva, spread diseases such as yellow fever, dengue fever and malaria. Malaria kills about 600,000 people a year, mostly outside the U.S. The new tool being developed involves modifying the genes of male mosquitoes. The goal is to design a male mosquito that will behave typically, but whose female offspring die almost immediately.
GMO Mosquitoes to be launched in Florida
13162Administration, Editorials 360, 2020-07-01 14:38:18.
In June 2020, the Florida Division of Agriculture and Shopper Providers gave the go-ahead to a plan to launch thousands and thousands of genetically engineered mosquitoes within the Florida Keys this summer time to battle mosquito-borne diseases.1 The plan follows the EPA’s current granting of an experimental use allow (EUP) for the GMO (genetically modified organism) mosquitoes to allow them to be launched in Florida in 2020 and in Texas in 2021.2 The mosquitoes, engineered from the Aedes aegypti mosquito species,3 have been created by the U.S.-owned, Britain-based firm Oxitec, which originated as a spin-off firm from Oxford College and subsidiary of Intrexon.4 The corporate has additionally created genetically modified pink bollworm moths and GMO cabbage moths.
Who is afraid of genetically modified mosquitoes?
12738G. Odogwu, The PUNCH, 2020-06-25 13:27:54.
Genetically Modified Organisms have raised concerns in our clime, the same way they have in other countries of the world – where a clear line is drawn between the pro and the anti-GMO citizens. Nonetheless, this modern biotechnological technique is still at its infancy here. As of the moment, we can only boast of the development of the PBR cowpea as the only genetically modified food crop to be approved by the Nigerian government.
Mosquito district workshop focuses on Keys trials
12732S. Matthis, KEYSWEEKLY, 2020-06-25 13:21:52.
Now that the Oxitec “Friendly Mosquito” trials have been approved by the federal and state governments, it’s up to the Florida Keys Mosquito Control District to decide if, when and where to embrace the technology said to decrease the chances of mosquito-borne diseases such as dengue fever (there are two new cases in the Keys; see sidebar) and zika.
Genetically modified mosquitoes to be released in Florida and Texas
12735O. Ron, The Jerusalem Post, 2020-06-24 13:24:12.
A plan to release 750 million genetically modified mosquitoes in Florida and Texas has been approved, The Guardian reported. According to the plan, the Aedes aegypti mosquitoes will be released into the wild, as they contain a special protein that would kill female offspring, which are the ones who bite, and thus preventing the spread of such illnesses as dengue fever and Zika.
Before genetically modified mosquitoes are released, we need a better EPA
12720N. Kofler and J. Kuzma, The Boston Globe, 2020-06-22 13:07:55.
While the attention of the American public has rightfully been focused on the COVID-19 pandemic, its associated racial disparities, and broader issues of structural racism, the US government made a serious public health decision — one that could affect our health and our environment for generations to come. Last month, the US Environmental Protection Agency approved the release of genetically modified mosquitoes. Under a 2-year Experimental Use Permit, a company called Oxitec has been granted permission to release over 1 billion genetically modified mosquitoes across 6,600 acres in Florida and Texas.
Florida gives approval to the plan of releasing genetically modified mosquitoes.
12716V. Dalmia, The Andoverleader, 2020-06-20 21:01:10.
Mosquitoes have always been a huge problem for Florida residents. They are even more problematic in the Florida Key Region. It has even a dedicated mosquito department that is assigned with the task of controlling over 40 species of mosquitoes. But as technology progresses, we get new and newer methods to fight our problems. Gone are the days of pesticides.
Are Genetically Modified Mosquitoes Coming To Florida?
12726M. Taylor, Y100, 2020-06-19 13:13:35.
I'm not even going to lie, mosquitoes should be classified under domestic terrorism. The flying, biting bugs you can barely see wreak havoc on my life every single summer. I'm not sure if I'm allergic to them, but whenever I'm bit by them, that area of my skin swells up. It's the most annoying feeling in the world.
The Florida Keys are one step closer to getting genetically modified mosquitoes
12723D. Goodhue, Miami Herald, 2020-06-19 13:10:57.
An international biotech company is one step closer to being able to release genetically modified mosquitoes in the Florida Keys. The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services this week granted Oxitec an experimental use permit to release potentially millions of lab-made male Aedes aegypti mosquitoes throughout Monroe County. The goal is to wipe out the Keys population of the invasive bugs, which carry diseases like dengue fever, Zika and yellow fever. The Florida Department of Health reported a case of dengue fever in the Keys in March.
Genetically Modified Mosquitoes Approved For Insect Population Control In The U.S.
12705J. Blum, HUFFPOST, 2020-06-18 20:45:30.
Genetically modified mosquitoes with the ability to prevent other mosquitoes from spreading deadly diseases may be making their way to Florida backyards in the near future. British biotech group Oxitec announced on Tuesday that the company had won both federal and state approval to release its so-called “Friendly” mosquitoes in the U.S. on an experimental trial basis, expected to last until 2022, according to documents provided by the Environmental Protection Agency. The insects will first be released in Monroe County, Florida, and Oxitec has plans to also bring them tT Harris County, Texas.
Florida says ‘this is fine’ to release of genetically modified mosquitoes
12703J. K. Elliot, Global News, 2020-06-18 20:43:23.
That’s the question hanging over a recent decision by state regulators in Florida, which would allow the biotech company Oxitec to unleash hundreds of millions of genetically modified male mosquitoes in the Florida Keys. The lab-altered, patented insects are members of Aedes aegypti, the species of mosquito that spreads diseases such as yellow fever, malaria and chikungunya. However, they’ve been genetically altered to artificially reduce future mosquito populations.
Plan to Release GMO Mosquitoes Moves Ahead
12700A. Dier, newser, 2020-06-18 20:40:30.
A plan to set loose 750 million genetically modified mosquitoes in Florida and Texas will move forward despite concerns from environmentalists who liken it to a "Jurassic Park experiment." The non-biting male Aedes aegypti mosquitoes developed by British biotechnology company Oxitec contain a protein, passed to biting female offspring, that is designed to reduce the insect's chance of surviving into adulthood and therefore prevent the spread of mosquito-borne diseases including Zika and West Nile, reports the Guardian. The EPA has approved two trials, in which the mosquitoes are to be released in Florida's Monroe County this summer and in Texas' Harris County in 2021, though it's facing a lawsuit over its alleged failure to investigate the environmental impact, per the Hill. Facing similar complaints, Florida nonetheless approved its trial on Tuesday.
Genetically engineered mosquitoes get EPA approval for Florida release despite objections from environmental groups
12697S. LaMotte, CNN Health, 2020-06-18 20:37:52.
A genetically modified male mosquito named OX5034 has received both state and federal approval to be released into the Florida Keys now through 2022, against the objection of many local residents and a coalition of environmental advocacy groups. "The administration has used tax dollars and government resources for a Jurassic Park experiment, except without the island," said Jaydee Hanson, policy director at the International Center for Technology Assessment and Center for Food Safety, in a statement.
Florida Keys plans killer insect attack on disease-carrying mosquitoes
12693P. Brinkmann, UPI, 2020-06-18 20:33:39.
The Florida Keys is close to adding a new weapon to help control a mosquito-borne disease -- genetically modified mosquitoes that produce dead offspring. Outbreaks of dengue fever in the Keys in recent years prompted local authorities to consider the genetically modified bugs because the Aedes aegypti mosquito, which spreads that and other diseases, has shown resistance to pesticides.
Plan to release genetically modified mosquitoes in Florida gets go-ahead
12695O. Milman, The Guardian, 2020-06-17 20:35:58.
A plan to release a horde of 750 million genetically modified mosqutioes in Florida and Texas is a step closer to fruition after a state regulator approved the idea, over the objections of many environmentalists.
EPA faces suit over plan to release genetically engineered mosquitoes
12457R. Frazin, The Hill, 2020-06-15 20:36:28.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is facing a lawsuit over its approval of a plan to release genetically modified mosquitoes in Florida and Texas
Fact check: Genetically modified mosquitoes are cleared for release in the US
12443A. Staver, USA Today, 2020-06-13 20:24:44.
The Environmental Protection Agency approved an experimental use permit May 1 that allows Oxitec to release genetically modified mosquitoes in the Florida Keys and Harris County, Texas, where Houston is located.
Scientists hope to release genetically-modified mosquitoes
12437Fox 13, Fox 13, 2020-06-09 20:18:09.
Apparently, scientists are interested in releasing genetically-modified mosquitoes in Florida in order to help battle the spread of certain diseases.
Scientist fight plant to release gene-hacked mosquitoes in TX, FL.
12429D. Robitzski, Futurism, 2020-06-09 20:11:41.
Over the next two years, the biotech company Oxitec plans to release millions of genetically modified mosquitoes in Florida and Texas in an attempt to stop the spread of diseases like dengue and Zika. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has already approved the plan — but a group of biologists, ecologists, bioethicists, and sustainability researchers writes in an article for The Conversation that they’re concerned about the lack of oversight for the effort to effectively hack the ecosystem.
Company Receives Permit To Release Swarm Of Genetically Modified Mosquitoes In Florida
12446I. Monzon, International Business Times, 2020-06-08 20:26:29.
A federal agency has provided a biotech company with the proper permit to release a swarm of genetically altered mosquitoes in Florida as a way to curb the spread of diseases in the area. If the company receives the additional approvals, it might begin releasing the mosquitoes this summer. The mosquitoes were bred inside the laboratories of Oxitec, a British biotech firm. The company mainly focuses on transgenically modifying mosquitoes to carry lethal genes designed to be passed onto their offspring.
What else could 2020 bring to Florida? Genetically altered, lab bred mosquitoes
12426J. Haughey, The Center Square, 2020-06-08 20:10:06.
A British biotech company has received an experimental use permit from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to release millions of genetically modified mosquitoes in the Florida Keys this summer. The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and the Florida Keys Mosquito Control District (FKMCD) board must approve the permit before Oxitec can proceed. The EPA approved Oxitec’s permit May 1 despite 31,174 people objecting to it and 56 people supporting it during a 30-day comment period that expired in mid-October
BUZZ OFF! Swarm of MILLIONS of gene-hacked mosquitoes will be unleashed across USA – to wipe out malaria with ‘death sex’
12423H. Pettit, The Sun, 2020-06-08 20:08:02.
MUTANT mosquitoes created in a lab to stop the spread of deadly diseases like malaria will be unleashed across the US this summer. The gene-hacked bugs, crafted by UK biotech company Oxitec, are designed to kill off or reduce local populations of mosquitoes by mating with them.
Genetically Modified Mosquitoes Cleared For Release In The US
12432M. Horowitz, Anonymous News, 2020-06-06 20:13:38.
A company called Oxitec has received an experimental use permit from the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), to release genetically modified mosquitos into the wild. This would be the first time that such an experiment was attempted within the borders of the US, and the permit would allow for the release of millions of genetically modified mosquitos each week over the next two years. The genetically modified insects will be released in Florida and Texas, but they will easily be able to travel throughout the country from there.
Genetically modified mosquitoes could be released in Florida and Texas beginning this summer – silver bullet or jumping the gun?
12409B. Allan, C. Stone, H. Tuten, J. Kuzma and N. Kofler, The Conversation, 2020-06-03 18:53:50.
On May 1, 2020, the company Oxitec received an experimental use permit from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to release millions of GM mosquitoes (labeled by Oxitec as OX5034) every week over the next two years in Florida and Texas. Females of this mosquito species, Aedes aegypti, transmit dengue, chikungunya, yellow fever and Zika viruses. When these lab-bred GM males are released and mate with wild females, their female offspring die. Continual, large-scale releases of these OX5034 GM males should eventually cause the temporary collapse of a wild population. However, as vector biologists, geneticists, policy experts and bioethicists, we are concerned that current government oversight and scientific evaluation of GM mosquitoes do not ensure their responsible deployment.
‘Just Add Water’ GM Mosquitoes Suppress Wild Population by 95%
12404H. Alber, 2020-05-27 18:49:43.
In order to reduce the spread of dengue, Oxitec releases genetically modified male Aedes mosquitoes into the environment. Once in the wild, these insects breed with local female mosquitoes and pass on a gene that causes female offspring to die at an early age. This method was reported to suppress the Aedes aegypti population by up to 96% in Brazil last year.
EPA Approves Genetically Modified Mosquito Trial For Florida Keys
11450Nancy Klingener, WLRN, 2020-05-07 18:22:34.
A plan to test genetically modified mosquitoes in the Florida Keys has received approval from the federal government.
Mutant mosquitoes one step closer to release in Florida, Texas this summer. Why?
11596K. Camero, The Charlotte Observer, 2020-05-07 15:45:03.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) approved an experimental use permit for the British biotech company Oxitec to test the modified mosquitoes in the U.S. for the first time, according to a statement from the agency
US EPA OKs release of GM mosquitoes
11600A. Beer, Agrow Agribusiness, 2020-05-06 15:57:35.
he US EPA has granted an experimental use permit to US synthetic biology company Intrexon’s UK subsidiary, Oxitec, to test its genetically modified OX5034 Aedes aegypti mosquitoes.
Genetically Engineered Male Mosquitos to be Released in Florida and Other Parts of US to Curb Zika and Dengue Spread
11598Staff Reporter, The Science Times, 2020-05-06 15:47:02.
The Environmental Protection Agency has recently approved a new and controversial field test aimed at reducing their population.
Swarms of genetically modified mosquitoes could soon be descending on Florida
11594A. J. Dellinger, Mic, 2020-05-06 15:42:53.
Mosquitoes are a pain in the ass, so much so that the Environmental Protection Agency has approved a new and controversial field test aimed at curbing their population.
EPA Grants First Permit to Test Genetically Modified Mosquitoes
11436Adam Allington, Bloomberg Law, 2020-05-01 14:05:51.
British biotech company Oxitec Ltd was granted an experimental use permit to release a genetically engineered type of the mosquito species Aedes aegypti, which is a known vector of Zika virus and viruses that cause yellow fever and dengue fever, the Environmental Protection Agency office of Chemical Safety and Pollution announced.
EPA Approves Experimental Use Permit to Test Innovative Biopesticide Tool to Better Protect Public Health
11434EPA, EPA, 2020-05-01 14:02:09.
Today, after extensive evaluation of the best available science and public input, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has granted an experimental use permit (EUP) to Oxitec Ltd. to field test the use of genetically engineered Aedes aegypti mosquitoes as a way to reduce mosquito populations to protect public health from mosquito-borne illnesses.
Editorial Expression of Concern: Transgenic Aedes aegypti Mosquitoes Transfer Genes into a Natural Population
16199B. R. Evans, P. Kotsakiozi, A. L. Costa-Da-Silva, R. S. Ioshino, L. Garziera, M. C. Pedrosa, A. Malavasi, J. F. Virginio, M. L. Capurro and J. R. Powell, Scientific Reports, 10:2. 2020-03-24 15:17:41.
Shortly after publication of this Article in September 2019, the Editors were alerted to concerns regarding the interpretation of the data and some of the conclusions.
Genetically engineered moths may save kale chips
7357C. Poku, BIOtechNOW, 2020-02-07 21:49:10.
Sea salt kale chips, bacon brussels sprouts, and buffalo cauliflower wings are under threat. Environmental activists will have you believe the biggest threat to our food system is pesticides. That’s not true, in fact, it’s insects—the very reason most pesticides are necessary. Insects are such a dangerous issue that Somalia recently declared a state of emergency as an “unprecedented” swarm of locusts is raising alarms about famine. Climate change has led to a rampant increase in bugs like locusts and moths, that threaten our food, and mosquitoes and ticks, that threaten people. A recent CNN article explains that diamondback moths are one of the most damaging insects because of their high reproduction rate and resistance to most insecticides.
Genetic Variation and Potential for Resistance Development to the tTA Overexpression Lethal System in Insects
7939K. E. Knudsen, W. R. Reid, T. M. Barbour, L. M. Bowes, J. Duncan, E. Philpott, S. Potter and M. J. Scott, G3: Genes|Genomes|Genetics, Early Online:g3.400990.2020. 2020-02-05 20:27:28.
Release of insect pests carrying the dominant lethal tetracycline transactivator (tTA) overexpression system has been proposed as a means for population suppression. High levels of the tTA transcription factor are thought to be toxic due to either transcriptional squelching or interference with protein ubiquitination. Here we utilized the Drosophila melanogaster Genetic Reference Panel (DGRP) to examine the influence of genetic variation on the efficacy of a female-specific tTA overexpression system. The level of female lethality between DGRP lines varied from 11 to 97% with a broad sense heritability of 0.89. A genome-wide association analysis identified 192 allelic variants associated with high or low lethality (p<10-5), although none were significant when corrected for multiple testing. 151 of the variants fell within 108 genes that were associated with several biological processes including transcription and protein ubiquitination. In four lines with high female lethality, tTA RNA levels were similar or higher than in the parental tTA overexpression strain. In two lines with low lethality, tTA levels were 2-fold lower than in the parental strain. However, in two other lines with low lethality, tTA levels were only 0-30% lower. RNAseq analysis identified genes that were up or downregulated in the low female lethal lines compared to the four high lethal lines. For example, genes associated with RNA processing and rRNA maturation were significantly upregulated in low lethal lines. Our data suggest that standing genetic variation in an insect population could provide multiple mechanisms for resistance to the tTA overexpression system.
Genetically engineered moths have been released into the wild to wipe out pests
7360K. Rogers, CNN, 2020-02-03 21:55:17.
Genetically modified diamondback moths designed to wipe out wild pest populations were released in fields for the first time in New York state. Diamondback moths are migratory pests found in the Americas, Europe, New Zealand and Southeast Asia, but especially in areas where crops can be grown yearround. In these parts -- where it's not too hot nor too cold -- are where diamondback moths cause the greatest problems, including billions of dollars in damages to cruciferous crops such as cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower and canola. They're one of the most damaging insects because of their high reproduction rate and resistance to most insecticides.
Genetically modified butterflies could herald a new era in crop protection
7245Science News,, Science News, 2020-02-01 16:02:30.
New study highlights successful test including field release of genetically modified butterflies. Scientists believe this success could pave the way for an effective and sustainable approach to pest control in crops. The butterfly in question is the cruciferous moth ( Plutella xylostella ), or cabbage moth, a species of moth (butterfly) of the family Plutellidae. The agricultural industry has been trying for decades to find organic and environmentally friendly ways to fight the cruciferous moth, a species largely resistant to insecticides.
World’s First Genetically Modified Moths Released to Nature
7248M. Cage, SOMAG News, 2020-01-30 16:07:06.
There are many insect species that harm agricultural products in the world. One of them is diamond moths. Genetically modified moths were used to control these moths, which are harmful to many plants. Plutella xylostella or also known as diamond moths; One of the most harmful and destructive insects for plants such as cauliflower, cabbage, broccoli and canola. This creature, which is also very resistant to pesticides, causes great damage to the plants it dips. Especially in China, this insect seriously undermines the growing of cabbage, one of the country’s most important crops.
GMO diamondback moth shows promise as sustainable pest control tool in first ever open-field release
7262Cornell University, Genetic Literacy Project, 2020-01-29 16:35:41.
A newly published study reports a successful, first-ever open-field release of a self-limiting, genetically engineered diamondback moth, stating that it paves the way for an effective and sustainable approach to pest control. The diamondback moth, also known as Plutella xylostella, is highly damaging to brassica crops such as cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower and canola. This new strain of diamondback moth, developed by Oxitec Ltd, is modified to control pest diamondback moth in a targeted manner. The study showed the engineered strain had similar field behaviors to unmodified diamondback moths, with results offering promise for future protection of farmers’ brassica crops.
Scientists have released genetically modified moths
7259N. Kumar, The Times Hub, 2020-01-29 16:32:32.
In the US, the researchers decided to test emerging from genetic modification Diamondback moth, placing it in field conditions. The work was conducted by experts from new York, representing Cornell University.
GM Insects on the Horizon
7256E. Unglesbee, Progressive Farmer, 2020-01-29 16:22:18.
Diamondback moths would do well to be wary of potential mates in the years to come. Scientists recently completed the first successful field testing of a genetically modified (GM) "self-limiting" insect in the U.S., using this species. When the GM male diamondback moths are released and mate with wild female moths, they pass on a gene that causes all female offspring from the match to die in the early larval stages.
Male moths genetically modified to kill females released in the wild
7253M. Le Page, New Scientist, 2020-01-29 16:14:01.
Genetically modified male diamondback moths designed to wipe out pest populations have been released in New York state. The field trial shows that these GM moths, whose female offspring die soon after hatching, could help control this major crop pest. Oxitec, the British biotechnology company behind the trial, has already carried out field trials of this method for controlling mosquitoes that spread diseases such as dengue. However, the moth field trial is the first for a crop pest, the company says.
First Field Release of a Genetically Engineered, Self-Limiting Agricultural Pest Insect: Evaluating Its Potential for Future Crop Protection
7251A. M. Shelton, S. J. Long, A. S. Walker, M. Bolton, H. L. Collins, L. Revuelta, L. M. Johnson and N. I. Morrison, Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology, 7:1-15. 2020-01-29 16:10:21.
Alternative, biologically-based approaches for pest management are sorely needed and one approach is to use genetically engineered insects. Herein we describe a series of integrated field, laboratory and modeling studies with the diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella, a serious global pest of crucifers. A “self-limiting” strain of Plutella xylostella (OX4319L), genetically engineered to allow the production of male-only cohorts of moths for field releases, was developed as a novel approach to protect crucifer crops. Wild-type females that mate with these self-limiting males will not produce viable female progeny. Our previous greenhouse studies demonstrated that releases of OX4319L males lead to suppression of the target pest population and dilution of insecticide-resistance genes. We report results of the first open-field release of a non-irradiated, genetically engineered self-limiting strain of an agricultural pest insect. In a series of mark-release-recapture field studies with co-releases of adult OX4319L males and wild-type counterparts, the dispersal, persistence and field survival of each strain were measured in a 2.83 ha cabbage field. In most cases, no differences were detected in these parameters. Overall, 97.8% of the wild-type males and 95.4% of the OX4319L males recaptured dispersed <35 m from the release point. The predicted persistence did not differ between strains regardless of release rate. With 95% confidence, 75% of OX4319L males released at a rate of 1,500 could be expected to live between 3.5 and 5.4 days and 95% of these males could be expected to be detected within 25.8–34.9 m from the release point. Moth strain had no effect on field survival but release rate did. Collectively, these results suggest similar field behavior of OX4319L males compared to its wild-type counterpart. Laboratory studies revealed no differences in mating competitiveness or intrinsic growth rates between the strains and small differences in longevity. Using results from these studies, mathematical models were developed that indicate release of OX4319L males should offer efficacious pest management of P. xylostella. Further field studies are recommended to demonstrate the potential for this self-limiting P. xylostella to provide pest suppression and resistance management benefits, as was previously demonstrated in greenhouse studies.
Genetic Control of Mosquitoes
5588Alphey, L., Annual Review of Entomology, 59:205-224. 2019-12-16 19:01:55.
Genetics can potentially provide new, species-specific, environmentally friendly methods for mosquito control. Genetic control strategies aim either to suppress target populations or to introduce a harm-reducing novel trait. Different approaches differ considerably in their properties, especially between self-limiting strategies, where the modification has limited persistence, and self-sustaining strategies, which are intended to persist indefinitely in the target population and may invade other populations. Several methods with different molecular biology are under development and the first field trials have been completed successfully.
Transgenic Aedes aegypti Mosquitoes Transfer Genes into a Natural Population
16197B. R. Evans, P. Kotsakiozi, A. L. Costa-da-Silva, R. S. Ioshino, L. Garziera, M. C. Pedrosa, A. Malavasi, J. F. Virginio, M. L. Capurro and J. R. Powell, Scientific Reports, 9:6. 2019-09-10 15:09:04.
We genotyped the release strain and the target Jacobina population before releases began for >21,000 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Genetic sampling from the target population six, 12, and 27-30 months after releases commenced provides clear evidence that portions of the transgenic strain genome have been incorporated into the target population. Evidently, rare viable hybrid offspring between the release strain and the Jacobina population are sufficiently robust to be able to reproduce in nature. The release strain was developed using a strain originally from Cuba, then outcrossed to a Mexican population. Thus, Jacobina Ae. aegypti are now a mix of three populations. It is unclear how this may affect disease transmission or affect other efforts to control these dangerous vectors. These results highlight the importance of having in place a genetic monitoring program during such releases to detect un-anticipated outcomes.
A secret weapon against Zika and other mosquito-borne diseases
6372Nina Federoff, TEDxMidAtlantic, 2017-07-15 15:37:47.
Where did Zika come from, and what can we do about it? Molecular biologist Nina Fedoroff takes us around the world to understand Zika's origins and how it spread, proposing a controversial way to stop the virus -- and other deadly diseases -- by preventing infected mosquitoes from multiplying.
SCIENTIFIC OPINION: In response to the referral of 12 October 2015 concerning use of genetically modified mosquitoes for vector control
16065High Council for Biotechnology, High Council for Biotechnology (France), 2017-05-31 13:46:03.
The Scientific Committee’s opinion describes emerging vector control techniques using GM mosquitoes, the current state of research into and development of these techniques and the outcomes of initial experiments worldwide. To date, only one technique has been developed to an operational level: Oxitec’s RIDL technique, which sets out to reduce a mosquito population by repeated mass releases of sterilising transgenic males. Two other techniques at an earlier stage of research and development are based on gene drive, seeking to spread a genetic trait in a wild population, either to make the mosquitoes incapable of transmitting pathogens (gene drive for population modification) or to eliminate the population by spreading sterility (gene drive for population elimination).
Concept and history of genetic control
6014Scott, M. J. and Benedict, M. Q., Genetic Control of Malaria and Dengue, 2:31-54. 2016-12-30 20:16:45.
Genetic control of insects is an established method, mainly for insects that are important crop and veterinary pests such as medflies and screwworm. Efforts to use the same technologies against insects of medical importance, especially mosquitoes, have had limited success. The successes against mosquitoes have been accomplished using forms of both conventional and modern methods, both of which are promising. In this chapter, we provide highlights of the development of genetic control of agricultural pests and describe how the development of methods against mosquitoes reflects those advances. While admiring successful genetic control programs is motivating, we suggest that much can also be learned from both past successful and failed efforts, as doing so will increase our ability to improve future activities.
Genetically Modified Mosquitoes Probably Headed to Florida Keys to Fight Zika
23519T. Elfrink, Miami New Times, 2016-04-11 05:12:57.
The bad news: Zika is coming to Florida. This past Friday, two new cases of the virus linked to serious birth defects were reported in the state, and scientists believe it could spread rapidly come summer as mosquito populations explode. And we're still a long way away from a vaccine for the virus. The good news: Scientists still might have a way to stop its spread — by releasing a swarm of genetically modified mosquitoes across the Florida Keys. Yes, it sounds like the premise of pulpy Michael Crichton novel that ends with a zombie horde infected with GMO mosquito viruses. But it's looking ever more likely to happen. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has given tentative approval to the plan, and the New York Times published a lengthy op-ed this weekend arguing in favor of the plan. And several new polls show that most of the public supports giving it a sho
Genetic Control of Mosquitoes.
5597Alphey, L., Annual Review of Entomology, 59:205-224. 2014-12-17 15:50:24.
Genetics can potentially provide new, species-specific, environmentally friendly methods for mosquito control. Genetic control strategies aim either to suppress target populations or to introduce a harm-reducing novel trait. Different approaches differ considerably in their properties, especially between self-limiting strategies, where the modification has limited persistence, and self-sustaining strategies, which are intended to persist indefinitely in the target population and may invade other populations. Several methods with different molecular biology are under development and the first field trials have been completed successfully.
Field performance of engineered male mosquitoes
6401A. F. Harris, D. Nimmo, A. R. McKemey, N. Kelly, S. Scaife, C. A. Donnelly, C. Beech, W. D. Petrie and L. Alphey, Nature Biotechnology, 29:1034-1037. 2011-10-30 16:54:55.
Mass-release of sterile male mosquitoes is a promising option for controlling dengue and malaria, but it has never been shown that lab-raised transgenic males can compete effectively with their wild counterparts outside laboratory conditions. Promising results from a restricted field trail now suggest the feasibility of extending the approach for large-scale mosquito-control programs.
Why RIDL is not SIT
26699W. C. Black, L. Alphey and A. A. James, Trends in Parasitology, 27:362-370. 2011-08-01 07:23:46.
History teaches that sterile insect technique (SIT) is a feasible strategy for mosquito population suppression. Female killing (FK) technologies developed later theoretically had greater potential than SIT, but depended upon chromosomal translocations. Unfortunately these were genetically unstable. New transgenic strategies have been misinterpreted as a replacement for SIT. Instead these strategies provide a means to revisit FK. Conditional lethal mutations inserted into mosquito genomes allow for adjustment of the age of mortality, female-specific lethality, bisexual lethality and manipulation of germline-specific gene expression. A recent Aedes aegypti case study demonstrates the viability of one of these new transgenic strategies.
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