Since time immemorial, all of us know that mosquitoes transmit malaria. But, science has progressed to such an extent that today; mosquitoes are being bred to prevent malaria. It’s not a conundrum. The GM insect carries a gene that prevents infection by the malaria parasite.
Scientists at the National Academy of Sciences, US have created a genetically-modified (GM) strain of malaria-resistant mosquito. In the laboratory, equal numbers of genetically modified and ordinary “wild-type” mosquitoes were allowed to breed. Experiments showed that as they reproduced, more of the transgenic mosquitoes survived. After nine generations, 70% of the insects belonged to the malaria-resistant strain. The GM mosquito has a better life expectancy or survival rate than their disease-carrying counterparts. They even lay more eggs. Further, the transgenic insects are easily identified because of the green fluorescent protein (GFP) inserted into them that makes their eyes to glow green.
Malaria is endemic in parts of Africa, Asia, and Central and South America. Every year, it leaves about 300 million people ill and causes a million deaths worldwide. 90% of cases are in sub-Saharan Africa, where in every 30 second it claims a child’s life. It is spread by the single-celled parasite Plasmodium, and passed to humans through the bite of the Anopheles mosquito. The results at the laboratory have important implications for implementation of malaria control by means of genetic modification of mosquitoes. GM mosquitoes interfere with development of the malaria parasite. It would make it more difficult for the malaria parasite to become re-established after it had been eradicated from a particular area.
For resistant mosquitoes to be useful even in the wild, they must survive better than non-resistant mosquitoes even when not exposed to malaria.
Via: BBC
