GM Mosquitoes to Be Released in Florida
April 29, 2021
As part of a test program aimed at fighting insect-borne diseases such as Zika, Florida is releasing thousands of genetically engineered mosquitoes. They are all males, which don’t bite humans. And they carry a gene that prevents their offspring from surviving to adulthood, thus suppressing future populations—including the females that do bite. In Issues, Robert M. Friedman, John M. Marshall, and Omar S. Akbari explore the risks and benefits of genetic pest management. They focus particularly on an emerging suite of “gene drive” technologies that they consider highly promising but deserving of heightened review by policymakers.