Jan 4, 2022
The 'population replacement' strategy for mosquitoes to disrupt malaria transmission.
Transcript
Genetic tools to control the malaria mosquito are becoming
increasingly attractive, particularly transgenesis: the process of
introducing genes into the mosquito to stop it from transmitting
malaria. Mosquito transgenesis can either suppress a mosquito
population entirely or replace it with a strain that
can’t transmit malaria to humans. And it’s this ‘population
replacement strategy’ is the primary focus of a new article in
the Trends in Parasitology journal. It details
how population replacement can be achieved by improving the
mosquito’s ability to attack the parasite, or by inactivating the
genes the parasite uses to infect the mosquito. It also outlines
the methods of introducing these genes to the mosquito - on a
molecular and population level. Yet, the article also highlights
the technical and public challenges with transgenesis, particularly
regulation and community engagement in releasing mosquitoes.