Thaindian News

New York, July 19 (THAINDIAN NEWS) American scientists have created a breakthrough in their fight against malaria when they created genetically altered mosquitoes that cannot transmit the malaria parasite to humans.

Entomologists at the University of Arizona led by Michael Riehle, engineered the mosquitoes when they targeted one of the biochemical pathways in the mosquito’s cells. This altered the genetic code of the mosquitoes.

Scientists say they hope to replace the current anopheles mosquitoes that carry the malaria parasite with those bred in the lab. Riehle said the best way to effectively stop the spread of the Plasmodium parasite is to have mosquitoes that are 100 percent resistant to the parasite. He added that any failure would subject the whole practice to a doom. He said that, “If you want to effectively stop the spreading of the malaria parasite, you need mosquitoes that are no less than 100 percent resistant to it. If a single parasite slips through and infects a human, the whole approach will be doomed to fail.”

The team reported that they used molecular biology techniques to design the genetic information of the mosquitoes. The information was then injected into the eggs of the insects, which completely altered the genetic information of the resultant generations.

Malaria is a leading cause of death in most third world countries. The disease is caused by Plasmodium, which is transmitted by the female anopheles mosquitoes.