Genetically modified mosquitoes with “toxic” seeds could kill females and prevent the spread of disease, researchers say

Genetically modified mosquitoes with poisonous seeds could be a new weapon against tropical diseases, Australian scientists said after trying a new pest control method.

The “poison male technique” aims to breed mosquitoes that secrete toxic proteins in their semen, killing females after mating.

Female mosquitoes are the target because only they bite and drink blood and thus spread diseases such as malaria and dengue fever.

Scientist Sam Beach from Australia Macquarie University he said the method “could work as quickly as pesticides without also harming beneficial species.”

“This innovative solution could change the way we manage pests, offering hope for healthier communities and a more sustainable future,” Beach said.

Initial proof-of-concept trials used wine flies, a common laboratory species favored for their short two-week life cycle.

Female flies that bred with “toxic” males had significantly reduced life spans, the scientists found.

Researcher Maciej Maselko said the team will now test the method on mosquitoes.

“We still need to apply it to mosquitoes and conduct rigorous safety testing to ensure there is no risk to humans or other non-target species,” he said.

The mosquitoes would have to be genetically engineered to expel the toxic seeds only after being released into the wild, the researchers said.

This can be done using so-called “conditional expression” techniques, which use chemicals or other biological triggers to turn certain genes on or off at will.

This would allow venomous males to successfully mate with females under laboratory conditions, producing enough viable offspring that the technique could be scaled up.

Genetic engineering has been used for years to control the population of mosquitoes that spread disease.

Typically, these approaches slow down reproduction by releasing hordes of male insects that have been genetically engineered to be sterile.

Computer models showed that techniques to actively kill biting females could be far more effective, the research team said.

The research is described in work published by the peer-reviewed journal Nature Communications on Tuesday evening.

The the mosquito killed as many as 50 billion people during human existence.

Africa bears the greatest burden of malariawith 95% of deaths recorded each year and children under the age of 5 accounting for around 80% of these deaths. The malaria parasite is spread to people who have been bitten by infected mosquitoes and causes initial symptoms including high fever, headache and chills.

According to the World Health Organization, mosquitoes are responsible for millions of annual deaths worldwide from malaria, dengue and other diseases.

Eastern equine encephalitis the virus is also transmitted to humans by the bite of an infected mosquito. Last year, resident of New York who tested positive for EEE have died, and in 2019 the CDC reported that at least 15 people died in the US from the rare disease.