Gene editing turns female mosquitoes into males

Chen Xiaoguang, director of the Institute of Tropical Medicine at Southern Medical University, leads a team to produce male Aedes albopictus from females through gene editing in Guangzhou, Guangdong province.

Because only female mosquitoes transmit pathogens when feeding on blood, converting female mosquitoes into nonbiting males can be a pathway for the control of disease vectors.

Through microinjection, researchers can insert a male-determining factor into female mosquito pupae to hatch precisely edited masculinized progenies. The converted male mosquitoes can pass on the male-determining gene so as to breed more male offspring.

The genetic manipulation is expected to rapidly reduce the number of female mosquitoes in the wild.

The team at the mosquito vector laboratory, SMU School of Public Health, has successfully changed female mosquitoes into males and is conducting lab tests.

"This is expected to provide a new weapon in the prevention and control of mosquito-borne diseases. Of course, I'm not after the total eradication of mosquitoes, just to keep their population at a level that is not harmful to humans," said Chen Xiaoguang.