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In the November 2011 issue of Scientific American, author Bijal Trivedi looks at the ongoing controversies surrounding the use of genetically modified mosquitoes to fight dengue fever. We asked biologist Mark Q. Benedict and Helen Wallace, the director of GeneWatch UK, to illuminate the issues surrounding the release of genetically modified insects into the wild.
Genetically Modified Mosquitoes Could Be an Important Tool in the Fight against Disease
By Mark Q. Benedict
Current technologies we use against mosquitoes simply are not adequate: existing measures are losing the war. The choice of implementing GM mosquitoes is not a choice of no risk versus risk, it is a matter of choosing the least risky among all existing choices in a war against very real continuing disease risk. More »
The Danger of Genetically Modified Mosquitoes
By Helen Wallace
The release of genetically modified (GM) insects should follow a precautionary approach, because what appears well understood in the lab can have unintended consequences when released on a large scale into the environment. On release, GM mosquitoes become part of a complex system involving predators and prey, other mosquito species, four types of dengue virus, other tropical diseases transmitted by mosquitoes, and the humans—including children—who are being bitten and infected. More »
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14 Comments
Add CommentSeeing as they have already been released I believe the question of the article is moot. But it does raise another important question, what regulations exist to prevent companies from releasing genetically modified organisms into the wild? Seems like none.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisNo! No! No! I saw that film with Jeff Goldblum...
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisMosquitoes are an important insect on our planet. In their larval stage they are food for fish. They also perform an enormously important function, they control populations of other large animals like humans. In the 18th century 95% of all children born to the poor died before attaining age 6. if you think things were better for the rich, well 75% died before age 6.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisScience has changed this, but religion insists we live by ancient ethics and maintain traditional birth rates. This is definitely going to lead to major catastrophes. The problems of the Moslem word is an indicator of things to come. Allowing 5 Million Bangladeshi into the modern world as requested by the Bangladesh representatives at the Copenhagen conference, exports the religious problem to other nation states, as well as increasing the proportion of people rejecting science because it is against their religion. People reject science but want all its benefits.
Our next release should be a modified bacterium that causes no ill effect, eliminates the need for birth control, and can be disabled for a short while to allow wanted children, limited to 1 per female till world population stabilises around 2G.
There was also the sterile blowfly program with the release of millions of sterile male blowflies. That got rid of the screwworm subspecies in the United States. There are over 10,000 types of blowflies. We have gotten rid of one type and that only in the United States.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisWe would have no problem eliminating one subspecies of mosquito. Since all the mosquitoes in an order can carry malaria or a disease particular to that order and all the mosquitoes in an order do not interbreed we would need to do more that to produce some infertile male mosquitoes. Leaving a breeding pair of the same order would defeat the entire program.
I do not think that Scientists should use genetically-modified anything; for ANY purpose; on anyone; for ANY reason. Do you GET me, Sweetheart? And, to release a living thing that has been genetically modified into the wild? No,no,no;never! What the heck are they thinking - have all the Powers That Be now gone completely mad? I shudder to think that the people who work up these insidious little schemes are at the helm and have control over calling shots like that. I was gonna say "are at the helm and IN control" but realized right away that they're definitely OUT of control to even entertain the thought of taking such an action. All their little experiments with geoengineering are all craps shots anyway ... and, after all; THEY'RE not the ones out there in the environment being exposed to the mosquitoes; so they figure, "WTF?! Let's go for it!"
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this"Experiment"; defined: "A test, trial, or tentative procedure carried out under controlled conditions in order to discover an unknown effect or law; or to determine the validity of a hypothesis or make a discovery. To try something new, especially in order to gain experience."
Key words here: "to discover an unknown effect..."
Other key words here: "carried out under controlled conditions..."
"The wild" can hardly be "controlled conditions."
But really - it seems like a fruitless endeavor to even ask for anyone's comment on this issue at this point in time since Ms. Wallace informs us that the artificial critters are already on the loose. The steps have been taken - it's too late - they've gone too far. Seems like you guys are quite a bit behind the eight ball in just now getting around to pondering the question. It's a done deal, dudes. It would behoove you to now spend your time figuring out how to get that lid snapped back tightly on that Pandora's Box so they don't let anything else out of it. Let's get serious, folks: none of us commoners ever get a chance to have a say about any of it anyway; they just always do whatever they wanna do. We common folk out here are unarguably part of their experiment - pick a name; any name: guinea pig, fall guy, dupe, patsy, victim, chump,uninformed subject, easy mark, the hoodwinked.
Whichever descriptor fits best, it all ultimately boils down to the public taking it in the a__, when the "Law of Unintended Consequences" rears it's nasty little head once again. Why else do you think they released 'em in a land; far, far, away?
Only if they get a buzz out of it.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI'm getting a 404 error when trying to read "more" - for both articles.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThe article does not explain the process of mosquito bites. It seems to me the mosquito release a liquid to facilitate sucking the blood. The mosquito bites every being, comes down to dirty waters and so on. The Australian one time imported the rabbits but now it is a permanent danger for their agriculture. Even some nurses refused the vaccination against influenza. The method is important and not only the idea. If it comes as a vaccination when mosquito bites, it will save more lives may be.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThey released them where they would actually be useful. I notice that you are using a computer on the internet which are 2 unnatural inventions that were released into the wild and are well documented to have serious negative effects. Funny how you pick and choose what you get worked up about based on how convienient it is for you.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisMy only concern is that many critters feed on mosquitos and if we devestate the mosquito population will it also ripple through the food web and cause a lot of collateral harm?
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI for one would sure like to know that someone is closely monitoring this experiment. There are drastic consequences that could result from things like this. We have no way of knowing what effect reducing the mosquito population will have in other areas. What if it suddenly results in the rodent population increasing for instance? Or what about the mutated gene itself? Has it been tested on other species to ensure it won’t mix. You did happen to put this mutated gene in a creature that feeds on blood after all. So now you have 18000 creatures that are potentially infecting other species with a mutated gene that could have catastrophic consequences. Possibly the next west Nile virus for all you know. And who’s to say that this mutated gene won’t cause even the west Nile virus itself to break into a new, deadlier strain. Don’t get me wrong. I love science and I’m all for building a better tomorrow, but I feel sometimes we hold back too much in some areas we need to step forward, and yet step forward in some areas we need to hold back. I fear this was one that should’ve held back.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisIf NO genetically modified organisms are to be used ever, for any purpose, then life as we know it come to an end. No pets (dogs are genetically modified wolves), no food (wheat is genetically modified wild grass), no medicine (vaccines are genetically modified pathogens), etc. If anyone truly wants to live a life with no exposure to genetically modified organisms, then they should go to the wilds of New Guinea, take up the local life style, eat a diet consisting mainly of lizards and insects, and expect to have a very short life expectancy.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisЯ тоже.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisВсе организмы состоят из бактерий,поэтому в начале происходит модифицирование бактерий из которых состоит живой организм.Модифицированный ген это мутант не существующий в биосфере Земли,начальная информация заложеная в таком геноме изменит развитие бактерий и всего организма.Все генетически модифицированные организмы можно признать не земными так как они на генном уровне не созданы природой Земли.Внедрение организмов не земного происхождения в земную биосферу это завоевание природы Земли организмами не земного происхождения.Вмешательство в структуру генома хуже армагедона.
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