General Discussion

HuckleB

(35,773 posts) Tue Nov 24, 2015, 10:21 PM Nov 2015

Scientists create genetically modified malaria-blocking mosquitoes

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/11/151123210211.htm

"Using a groundbreaking gene editing technique, University of California scientists have created a strain of mosquitoes capable of rapidly introducing malaria-blocking genes into a mosquito population through its progeny, ultimately eliminating the insects' ability to transmit the disease to humans.

This new model represents a notable advance in the effort to establish an antimalarial mosquito population, which with further development could help eradicate a disease that sickens millions worldwide each year.

To create this breed, researchers at the Irvine and San Diego campuses inserted a DNA element into the germ line of Anopheles stephensi mosquitoes that resulted in the gene preventing malaria transmission being passed on to an astonishing 99.5 percent of offspring. A. stephensi is a leading malaria vector in Asia.

The study underlines the growing utility of the Crispr method, a powerful gene editing tool that allows access to a cell's nucleus to snip DNA to either replace mutated genes or insert new ones. Results appear this week in the early online edition of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

..."

Interesting, possibly positive stuff.

22 replies

= new reply since forum marked as read

Highlight:

Scientists create genetically modified malaria-blocking mosquitoes (Original Post) HuckleB Nov 2015 OP

Who could be against a solution that doesn't spray Agnosticsherbet Nov 2015 #1

There are folks. There are always folks. HuckleB Nov 2015 #4

Would they support it if all the mosquitoes were labeled? Agnosticsherbet Nov 2015 #5

Loaded topic right now, man. HuckleB Nov 2015 #6

I know, but my sense of humor ran away with me. Agnosticsherbet Nov 2015 #7

There are unintended consequences. There are always unintended consequences. Alas... LanternWaste Nov 2015 #13

Malaria is a consequence of doing nothing. HuckleB Nov 2015 #17

Sounds like the beginning of a science fiction movie. RandySF Nov 2015 #2

Well, most science-fiction begins with science. HuckleB Nov 2015 #3

Begins with science. Ends with fiction. Entertainment, indeed. LanternWaste Nov 2015 #14

And...? HuckleB Nov 2015 #16

... X_Digger Nov 2015 #8

Unfortunately, the anti-GMO crowd now prefers to hide rather than expose itself. HuckleB Nov 2015 #9

Well, since malaria was wiped out in the US (with DDT)... X_Digger Nov 2015 #10

Your honesty is a bit scary around here! HuckleB Nov 2015 #11

I don't think that can possibly be true. Donald Ian Rankin Nov 2015 #20

Not in any one year, no, but in total. X_Digger Nov 2015 #21

Slippery Slope ThoughtCriminal Nov 2015 #12

And corn and bananas, too! Orrex Nov 2015 #15

A Papaya For You! HuckleB Nov 2015 #18

Slight downside: if you're bitten by one, you get autism. Dr. Strange Nov 2015 #19

But doesn't turmeric cure autism, anyway? HuckleB Nov 2015 #22

Agnosticsherbet

(11,619 posts)

1. Who could be against a solution that doesn't spray

Reply to HuckleB (Original post)

Tue Nov 24, 2015, 10:25 PM

Nov 2015

Tons of insecticide?

HuckleB

(35,773 posts)

4. There are folks. There are always folks.

Reply to Agnosticsherbet (Reply #1)

Tue Nov 24, 2015, 11:39 PM

Nov 2015

Alas...

Agnosticsherbet

(11,619 posts)

5. Would they support it if all the mosquitoes were labeled?

Reply to HuckleB (Reply #4)

Tue Nov 24, 2015, 11:42 PM

Nov 2015

HuckleB

(35,773 posts)

6. Loaded topic right now, man.

Reply to Agnosticsherbet (Reply #5)

Tue Nov 24, 2015, 11:45 PM

Nov 2015

And I know you know. And I don't know why I'm pointing any of this out, when I know you know, but I'm slow tonight...

Agnosticsherbet

(11,619 posts)

7. I know, but my sense of humor ran away with me.

Reply to HuckleB (Reply #6)

Tue Nov 24, 2015, 11:53 PM

Nov 2015

I think that this would be an incredible boon. Malaria has killed millions throughout history. It kills people today in countries all over the world. No one should say no to this.

LanternWaste

(37,748 posts)

13. There are unintended consequences. There are always unintended consequences. Alas...

Reply to HuckleB (Reply #4)

Wed Nov 25, 2015, 01:17 PM

Nov 2015

There are unintended consequences. There are always unintended consequences. Alas...

(six of one, half a dozen of the other... and each as petulant and without substance as the other)

HuckleB

(35,773 posts)

17. Malaria is a consequence of doing nothing.

Reply to LanternWaste (Reply #13)

Wed Nov 25, 2015, 01:26 PM

Nov 2015

Last edited Wed Nov 25, 2015, 02:10 PM - Edit history (1)

And this is a solution that has been studied for a long, long time.

RandySF

(59,264 posts)

2. Sounds like the beginning of a science fiction movie.

Reply to HuckleB (Original post)

Tue Nov 24, 2015, 10:26 PM

Nov 2015

HuckleB

(35,773 posts)

3. Well, most science-fiction begins with science.

Reply to RandySF (Reply #2)

Tue Nov 24, 2015, 10:27 PM

Nov 2015

And some of it even predicts future avenues of science. It's fun genre.

LanternWaste

(37,748 posts)

14. Begins with science. Ends with fiction. Entertainment, indeed.

Reply to HuckleB (Reply #3)

Wed Nov 25, 2015, 01:20 PM

Nov 2015

Begins with science. Ends with fiction. (gee... those banal bumper-sticker witticisms do indeed, allow a self-validating sense of visceral satisfaction lacking in any real substance of rational thought)

Benign entertainment, indeed, yet hardly a premise for philosophies.

HuckleB

(35,773 posts)

16. And...?

Reply to LanternWaste (Reply #14)

Wed Nov 25, 2015, 01:25 PM

Nov 2015

X_Digger

(18,585 posts)

8. ...

Reply to HuckleB (Original post)

Wed Nov 25, 2015, 12:00 AM

Nov 2015

HuckleB

(35,773 posts)

9. Unfortunately, the anti-GMO crowd now prefers to hide rather than expose itself.

Reply to X_Digger (Reply #8)

Wed Nov 25, 2015, 12:02 AM

Nov 2015

Last edited Wed Nov 25, 2015, 12:34 AM - Edit history (1)

But I like popcorn, despite the fact that there is no GMO popcorn.

X_Digger

(18,585 posts)

10. Well, since malaria was wiped out in the US (with DDT)...

Reply to HuckleB (Reply #9)

Wed Nov 25, 2015, 12:12 AM

Nov 2015

.. malaria becomes a second-world problem for many, so they don't have to think about the 800,000 folks it will kill this year.

Arguably, banning DDT killed more people than the nazis. (e.g. Madagascar's outbreak in the 80's after banning DDT that killed 100,000.)

HuckleB

(35,773 posts)

11. Your honesty is a bit scary around here!

Reply to X_Digger (Reply #10)

Wed Nov 25, 2015, 12:34 AM

Nov 2015

Donald Ian Rankin

(13,598 posts)

20. I don't think that can possibly be true.

Reply to X_Digger (Reply #10)

Wed Nov 25, 2015, 05:24 PM

Nov 2015

I'm not sure what/when you're referring to as "banning DDT" - DDT for agriculture has been illegal in the USA for 43 years; its use worldwide declined after that point (although it's still used in some circumstances).

How many people have died from malaria in that time is debateable, but I'm not aware on any source claiming more than 1.25m in any year, and the average over years and sources is probably more like half that, or less. So say between 20m and 50m.

WWII killed over 70m people.

So even if malaria would have been wiped out overnight if DDT hadn't been banned, the Nazis would still have killed more people.

It's true that there are conditions other than malaria spread by vectors that DDT might have wiped out, but it's also true that a) it wouldn't have wiped out malaria, or any of the others, overnight, and b) it might well have caused a non-trivial number of deaths itself.