Thursday 12 June 2014

Bad Blood for the Mosquito?


There is some interesting news about development of a GM mosquito to combat the spread of malaria (http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/jun/10/gm-mosquitos-malaria-genetic-modification). Fruit-juice quaffing males are produced with damaged X chromosomes which results in their matings with their female blood sucking partners largely producing only male offspring. The males would not only not bite but they would effectively cause females they managed to encounter to generate yet more males. The hope is that this would drive the malarial vector to extinction (females apparently mate only once). There are a number of questions. Previously, such a process was tried with gamma-ray sterilised males but this apparently has not worked. Why? Secondly, changes in the sex ratio can have some quite odd effects on breeding strategies in animals. 

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