GM Mosquitoes - is there a downside?

[JiveLad]

I was pleased to read today about GM Mosquitoes which could effectively eradicate malaria. It sounds a perfect solution.

Are there any downsides to it?

My hope and feeling is that this will enable Bono to clap a little more slowly in future.

[Barry Shnikov]

What they are really doing is replacing the mosquitos with teeny-tiny pilotless aircraft with on-board cameras so that we can be monitored 24/7.

The only problem with the current versions is the high-pitched whine emitted by the camera - if we are fooled into thinking it's a mosquito our suspicions will not be roused.

[David Bailey]

I was pleased to read today about GM Mosquitoes which could effectively eradicate malaria. It sounds a perfect solution.

Are there any downsides to it?

Well, the Godless Science used means they'd certainly mutate into Giant Intelligent Insectoids, then eradicate humanity. Apart from that, no.

Seriously, I heard an interview with a researcher from John Hopkins, and he said that any implementation was 1-2 decades away, so I wouldn't hold your breath.

But it sounds like a clever idea - effectively strengthening the GM mosquito's immune system so they don't get malaria; natural evolution (malaria is actually bad for mosquitos) should see to the rest.

Having said that, one obvious consequence is that you'll then end up with more and healthier mostiquitos - - but at least they won't be carrying malaria.

[Twirly]

Having said that, one obvious consequence is that you'll then end up with more and healthier mostiquitos - - but at least they won't be carrying malaria.

But could they be carrying something else that's nasty which we don't know about yet, because the malaria gets us first? After all, whilst there appears to be an increase in the instance of cancer in our society, compared to say 100 years + ago, it is probably just the case that the typhoid or cholera got you first back then.

I'm not suggesting that this is a reason to stick with malaria just suggesting that there is no way we could guess at what will happen if we eradicate (or at least reduce) the instance of malaria.

(Am I in a cheery mood this morning or what... )

[Gav]

Having said that, one obvious consequence is that you'll then end up with more and healthier mostiquitos - - but at least they won't be carrying malaria.

No, they'll just find some other horrific disease to carry instead

Either that or we'll continue to cure everything, the worlds population will explode, resources will run out, famine, starvation, poverty...
Doomed, we're all doomed I tell ya!

[Beowulf]

I'm just worried about little mossies that carry transgenic virus payloads.. they bite you and deliver some horrible gene sequence into your own.. something terrible.. like oh I don't know.. Traffic Warden genes or Politician Genes or worse.. Litigation lawyer genes

Was watching that "Animal Farm" last night, I'm just wondering where I can buy a Glow in the dark rabbit. (neg rep for the first person who mentions Anne Summers )

in THEORY it sounds like a good idea.. but nature has an annoying habit of mutating and adapting.. so they become immune to Malaria.. just opens up the playing field for more virulent strains or different diseases I suppose?

But I'm not worried.. I'm not living in a poorly written Hollywood blockbuster just yet !!

[David Bailey]

But could they be carrying something else that's nasty which we don't know about yet, because the malaria gets us first?

Well, I guess that's why they need 10 - 20 years to study the potential consequences...

[pmjd]

I'm just wondering where I can buy a Glow in the dark rabbit. (neg rep for the first person who mentions Anne Summers )

You could do the same as this French bloke, who got a lab to make him one as a living piece of art.