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Stealth genetic switch in mosquitoes halts malaria spread
Researchers have developed a system that blocks malaria transmission in mosquitoes, which continue to be the deadliest animals on Earth. The CRISPR-based gene-editing system changes a single molecule within mosquitoes, a tiny but effective change that stops the malaria-parasite transmission process.
Genetically modified mosquito larvae express fluorescent markers of the FREP1 gene — RFP (pink), GFP (blue) or both (yellow) — to indicate whether they spread or block infection from malarial parasites. The authors of the study were: Zhiqian Li, Yuemei Dong, Lang You, Rodrigo M. Corder, Jemariz Arzobal, Audrey Yeun, Lei Yang, John M. Marshall,George Dimopoulos and Ethan Bier. In a range of follow-on tests, the researchers found that although the genetic switch disrupted the parasite’s infection capabilities, the mosquitoes’ normal growth and reproduction remained unchanged.
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