I mentioned this method earlier - why must it be others who do this
first instead of our Multimillion Dollar Government?
Do we need to pay them more, to be More Efficient apart from being
paid more to be Not Corrupt?
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Mozzie wipeout with a sci-fi
touch
Sheralyn Tay
HE LOOKS like your average guy, but little do the ladies know: This
male carries a lethal gene. Dispatched in millions to silently
assimilate into society, these males have been bred to do one thing
wipe out the population. This stuff of B-grade horror flicks is
no screenplay, but the next frontier in the battle against
mosquito-borne diseases such as malaria, yellow fever and
dengue.
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Since the 1970s, scientists have been working to reduce the
mosquito population by trying to alter certain traits in them
usually in the males, as they do not bite to make them less
fertile or more resistant to disease-causing agents.
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Another approach, which Today understands some Malaysian scientists
are already working on, is to insert a "killer gene" into male
Aedes mosquitoes so that when they mate, the gene passes into the
eggs the female lays. This gene will ensure that the larvae that
hatch die.
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According to a Malaysian scientist, field research is expected to
start soon, making it the first nation to try out this dengue
control method. It is believed that Singapore, too, will be
undertaking research in this area.
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But gene-tinkering aside, scientists say the other challenge is to
ensure that lab mosquitoes can compete in the wild and not lose out
in the dating game.
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Essentially this means they have to match their wild counterparts
in the mosquito sexiness quotient. Early experiments with radiating
mosquitoes did not sit well with female mosquitoes and petered out,
simply because the sterile mosquitoes were less attractive as
mates.
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"They need have to have an equal if not added advantage over the
wild mosquitoes," said Associate Professor Peter Preiser from
Nanyang Technological University's School of Biological Science.
This is so that in the long run, they will be able to displace the
normal population, he explained.
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Research over the last 15 years has shown that lab-bred mosquitoes
somehow lose their male mosquito charm. But good news came in April
this year, when scientists in the United States managed to design a
mosquito both resistant to the malaria parasite and which was just
as sexually attractive as wild male mosquitoes.
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But even with the strongest lab mosquito, this research will still
face a number of challenges. Said Prof Preiser: "You need to be
able to introduce enough male mosquitoes into the population that
they can effectively compete with normal mosquitoes." Other factors
such as the insect's mobility means it's hard to control and study
them once they are released.
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There are also ecological factors to consider. According to Assoc
Prof Chan Woon Khiong, chairman of the sub-committee for Research
BioSafety within the Genetic Modification Advisory Committee, any
future fieldwork in Singapore on transgenic mosquitoes must be
first accompanied by extensive lab research and controlled field
trials. This may take three to five years or even longer.
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The research itself must also take into account the behaviour of
mosquitoes, the environment (weather) and the population's existing
immunity level.
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"Researchers will therefore need to provide evidence that these
factors, and the released genetically-modified organisms, will not
pose any health problems or perturb the biodiversity of the
ecosystem," said Assoc Prof Chan.