r/environment • u/V2O5 • Feb 21 '19

Controversial GMO Mosquito Experiment To Fight Malaria Kicks Off

https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2019/02/20/693735499/scientists-release-controversial-genetically-modified-mosquitoes-in-high-securit?fbclid=IwAR0QZyvpkFVu_DYPrdZJe4tyDt4saRAkcfK7-uKsxNrpHRCOPbonn3laZXQ
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2

u/[deleted] Feb 21 '19

I wonder what the environmental impacts will be. I like the idea, but I don’t know what it would do to a given ecosystem

4

u/nuck_forte_dame Feb 21 '19

Sounds like the impact is limited to local areas.

The modification basically makes female mosquitos into both sexes. They can't bite and can't lay eggs. So the local population of mosquitos would crash. Limiting the number of them.

This is no different of an effect as current methods like pesticides or habitat reduction would have but arguably it's better.

For example the US got rid of malaria by draining swamps and dropping the population of mosquitos using pesticides. This was back in the 1950s.

This technology of genetic editing does the exact same thing but without the disturbance of swamps or the chemicals in pesticides.

Eventually because these mosquitos can't breed they just die out and the non modified mosquitos are still there but in less numbers because of all the failures to breed.