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| Scientists have created a gene to stop malaria-carrying mosquitos infertile |
SCIENTISTS have created a gene to make malaria-carrying mosquitos infertile - thus wiping the strain of species from the planet.
The Anopheles gambiae mosquitoes are renowned for spreading malaria across sub-Saharan Africa - but all that could change soon.
A scientific breakthrough means scientists are celebrating the discovery of a gene that could wipe out the blighters.
The research looked into causing infertility in female offspring using specialist engineering. If one insect is infected it creates a 'gene drive' effect.
Genetic modification of the bugs means female who inherit two mutated copies of a fertility gene - one for each chromosome - will become almost entirely infertile.
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| A scientific breakthrough has been discovered in London |
If the females have just one copy of the gene, natural selection means they pass on the healthy version as opposed to the infected gene.
But they they have both, they don't mate - according to the study, published in Nature Biotechnology.
Molecular biologist Tony Nolan and vector biologist Andrea Crisanti lead the team of scientists through their investigation.
The Imperial College London scientists identified three genes in Anopheles gambiae that lead to infertility in females.
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| ut not everyone's convinced the genetic modification will work in the way proposed |
Tony Nolan remained calm about the incredible discovery, saying: "I think it is time to lay the groundwork and build capacity. We’re certainly not rushing to the field next year."
But not everyone's convinced the genetic modification will work in the way proposed.
Kevin Esvelt, an evolutionary engineer at Harvard University in Cambridge, added: "I really like this paper. It’s a beautiful piece of work.
"It’s hard to imagine that the parasite will not evolve resistance to whatever we do to mosquitoes."
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