Female mosquitoes are targeted because only they bite and drink blood, thereby spreading diseases such as malaria and dengue fever. Photo / Warren Buckland
Female mosquitoes are targeted because only they bite and drink blood, thereby spreading diseases such as malaria and dengue fever. Photo / Warren Buckland
Australian scientists are trialling genetically engineered mosquitoes with toxic semen to combat tropical diseases
The ‘toxic male technique’ aims to kill female mosquitoes after mating, reducing disease spread
The method could be as effective as pesticides without harming beneficial species, researchers said.
Genetically engineered mosquitoes with toxic semen could be a new weapon against tropical disease, Australian scientists said after trialling the novel pest control method.
The “toxic male technique” aims to breed mosquitoes that express venomous proteins in their semen, killing off females after mating.
Female mosquitoes are targetedbecause only they bite and drink blood, thereby spreading diseases such as malaria and dengue fever.
Scientist Sam Beach from Australia’s Macquarie University said the method “could work as quickly as pesticides without also harming beneficial species”.
“We still need to implement it in mosquitoes and conduct rigorous safety testing to ensure there are no risks to humans or other non-target species,” he said.
Genetic engineering has been used for years to control populations of disease-spreading mosquitoes.
Typically, these approaches slow reproduction by releasing hordes of male insects that are genetically modified to be sterile.
Computer models showed techniques actively killing biting females could be far more effective, the research team said.
The research was described in a paper published by peer-reviewed journal Nature Communications on Tuesday.
