Genetically modified (GMO) mosquitoes

Current Context : Genetically modified (GMO) mosquitoes were released in Djibouti, East Africa to fight malaria.

The release is part of the ‘Djibouti Friendly Mosquito Programme’ started two years ago to stop the spread of Anopheles stephensi, an invasive species of mosquito.

About GM Mosquitos :

• GM mosquitoes are mosquitoes that have been implanted with a gene that was not originally present or naturally occurring in the insect.
• They are mass-produced in a laboratory to carry two types of genes :
  • A self-limiting gene that prevents female mosquito offspring from surviving to adulthood.
  • A fluorescent marker gene that glows under a special red light.
• GM mosquitoes produced in a lab lay eggs, which carry the self-limiting and fluorescent marker genes.