Engineered Insect Strains for Population/Disease Control

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What they say about it

Using advanced genetics and molecular biology, Oxitec has developed a new and innovative solution to controlling the dengue mosquito, Aedes aegypti. The Oxitec solution harnesses the natural instincts of male mosquitoes to find females in the wild. Oxitec has used genetic modification to create ‘sterile’ male insects, which seek out and mate with females. After an Oxitec mosquito has successfully mated with a wild female, any offspring that result will not survive to adulthood, so the mosquito population declines. Source

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How they say it works

Oxitec produces a line of different insects that have been genetically modified to produce offspring that do not survive to adulthood without a special supplement. When released into the wild, the males seek out and impregnate wild females, effectively ending that reproductive line. With continued releases, this technique quickly cuts down on the native population of a given species.

Market Status
Synbio Components
Websites
www.oxitec.com