Gene drive used to turn all female mosquitos sterile

Re:Gene drive used to turn all female mosquitos sterile by Zenst on Friday September 28, 2018 @08:25AM (#18092758)

Given that mosquitoes are also pollinators - this whole genocide approach is wrong IMHO. If they could make it so the females produced their own protein or at least had an immune system that prevented them from being carriers for various blood based parasites, then that would be great.

But sterilizing the females will inevitably lead to genocide of an entire range of pollinators that could have devastating impact in parts of the World that depend upon them more than we appreciate or understand today and we won't realise until it is too late.

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Re:Gene drive used to turn all female mosquitos sterile by Amezarak on Friday September 28, 2018 @08:38AM (#18092813)

The Aedes genus of mosquitoes are an invasive species in most of the world that was introduced by human activity in the first place.

I am extremely wary of genetic engineering and think it should probably be illegal and all research on the subject destroyed (because of the threat it poses to humanity), but I will admit to some ambivalence when it comes to eradicating an invasive species that had sickened and killed millions of people.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Gene drive used to turn all female mosquitos sterile by SketchySeaBeast on Friday September 28, 2018 @09:29AM (#18093129)

> The Aedes genus of mosquitoes are an invasive species in most of the world that was introduced by human activity in the first place.

Life, uh, finds a way. While it was an invasive species, it's now part of the respective ecosystems. Setting up a bunch of houses in the middle of a grassland is invasive, but you may not make life better by trying to burn it down during the dry season.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Gene drive used to turn all female mosquitos sterile by konschubert on Friday September 28, 2018 @08:36AM (#18092803)

The plan is not to eliminate all mosquitos, just certain species.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Gene drive used to turn all female mosquitos sterile by fiblye on Friday September 28, 2018 @08:48AM (#18092857)

That's the plan.

Humanity's plans to eliminate specific animal populations through introduction of other species, disease, or similar means have always backfired.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Gene drive used to turn all female mosquitos sterile by memebox3v on Friday September 28, 2018 @01:06PM (#18094985)

All the comments advising caution are unpopular. I didnt expect hacker news people to be so gung ho. But then again maybe I should have expected hubris.

[ Parent | on HN ]