O’Neill and his colleagues are setting up such field trials, bringing wild, uninfected mosquitoes into outdoor cages of infected individuals, to see if the Wolbachia strain will take over under natural conditions. (Thankfully this strain does not show the gender-altering effects of other Wolbachia varieties, such as the one that infects wood lice; otherwise it might reduce the fitness of the infected population.) Researchers hope the Wolbachia-harboring mosquitoes will gradually come to dominate—and along the way get rid of the mosquitoes’ other, less human-friendly passengers.
Editor's Note: This story was originally printed with the title "Bug for a Bug for a Bug"
Subscribe
Buy This Issue
Already a Digital subscriber? Sign-in Now
If your institution has site license access, enter here.
Already a Digital subscriber? Sign-in Now
If your institution has site license access, enter here.
See what we're tweeting about
1 Comments
Add CommentIf it prevents them from feeding, how will they be able to reproduce and take over?
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this