The Gates Foundation goes to war with… mosquitoes

The Gates Foundation intends to fight mosquitoes and the diseases they transmit through genetic modification. The Target Malaria project will receive funding from the. If successful, the project could significantly reduce cases of malaria, which currently affects an estimated 220 million people each year.

Gates Foundationów which is implementing the project assumes the introduction into the population of mosquitoesóin genetically modified individuals thatóof which the offspring would be infertile. Melinda and Bill Gates FoundationóThe Melin and Bill Gates Foundation has so far contributed $75 million to the projectóin dollarsów.

Scientists have already made such genetic modification in mosquitoes last yearów. This has resulted in a spór on safety. And it is thanks to the financial support of GatesóResearchers will be able to look at safety, ethical and legal issues. Bill Gates announced that field tests could take place in as little as two years.

The points of contention concern the genetic manipulation of entire populations. The U.S. scientific community has concluded that such technology is not ready for use, and has issued a collection ofóThe rules under whichóthat must be dealt with in order to remain safe.

The said technology of introducing genetically modified individuals into the field, whoóThe project has gained keen interest in endangered plants and animals. There have been some ideas to use it to eliminate speciesóin invasive species, whichóre brought by man in the rómosquitoes are destroying endemic flora and fauna in different parts of the world.