Mozzies get glow-in-the-dark genitals

British scientists have made a breakthrough in the control of malaria: by creating mosquitoes with fluorescent testicles. The researchers at Imperial College, London, have found a way to tell the sex of the mosquitoes - by genetically modifying them so the males express a glowing protein in their testes. A laser beam then singles out the glowing larvae which are then separated from the females.

"This advance could have enormous implications for controlling mosquito populations," says Andrea Crisanti, professor of molecular parasitology at Imperial. "Now that we can identify males and females at an early stage, it will be possible to release sterile males into the population without the risk of releasing additional females."

Because it is only the female mosquito that bites, females are solely responsible for spreading malaria.