5 ms·

What could possibly go wrong? Seriously there needs to be public oversight on this research. It has a non zero chance of significantly damaging the biosphere.

godelmachine 8y ago
Do mosquitoes really serve any benign purpose in the biosphere with their existence?
- tfha 8y ago
  You are missing the point. Gene drive can do this to any species.
  - godelmachine 8y ago
    Now the clouds part. Mosquitoes are just the first guinea pigs to see if this Gene Drive works as desired or not, am I right?
- david-gpu 8y ago
  I don't think we can know with absolutely certainty, and driving a species (or many) to extinction is irreversible with our current technology, so we should think real hard before choosing to wipe a species out.
- mrweasel 8y ago
  They are a source of food for the next step in the food chain. You risk disturbing the entire ecosystem by eliminating mosquitos. Maybe some other insect will take their place, but the you risk eliminating the species as well because to many are eat. It’s insanely complicated, and you can’t think in terms of benign or not. All animals are benign, they’re just animal filling out their niche in nature.
- ddingus 8y ago
  We do not understand well enough to even believe we can properly assess that question, let alone express reputable confidence.
Zenst 8y ago
Given that mosquitoes are also pollinators - this whole genocide approach is wrong IMHO. If they could make it so the females produced their own protein or at least had an immune system that prevented them from being carriers for various blood based parasites, then that would be great. But sterilizing the females will inevitably lead to genocide of an entire range of pollinators that could have devastating impact in parts of the World that depend upon them more than we appreciate or understand today and we won't realise until it is too late.
- konschubert 8y ago
  The plan is not to eliminate all mosquitos, just certain species.
  - fiblye 8y ago
    That's the plan. Humanity's plans to eliminate specific animal populations through introduction of other species, disease, or similar means have always backfired.
    - memebox3v 8y ago
      All the comments advising caution are unpopular. I didnt expect hacker news people to be so gung ho. But then again maybe I should have expected hubris.
- Amezarak 8y ago
  The Aedes genus of mosquitoes are an invasive species in most of the world that was introduced by human activity in the first place. I am extremely wary of genetic engineering and think it should probably be illegal and all research on the subject destroyed (because of the threat it poses to humanity), but I will admit to some ambivalence when it comes to eradicating an invasive species that had sickened and killed millions of people.
  - SketchySeaBeast 8y ago
JoeAltmaier 8y ago
So does chemical spraying.

godelmachine 8y ago

Do mosquitoes really serve any benign purpose in the biosphere with their existence?

tfha 8y ago
You are missing the point. Gene drive can do this to any species.
- godelmachine 8y ago
  Now the clouds part. Mosquitoes are just the first guinea pigs to see if this Gene Drive works as desired or not, am I right?
david-gpu 8y ago
I don't think we can know with absolutely certainty, and driving a species (or many) to extinction is irreversible with our current technology, so we should think real hard before choosing to wipe a species out.
mrweasel 8y ago
They are a source of food for the next step in the food chain. You risk disturbing the entire ecosystem by eliminating mosquitos. Maybe some other insect will take their place, but the you risk eliminating the species as well because to many are eat. It’s insanely complicated, and you can’t think in terms of benign or not. All animals are benign, they’re just animal filling out their niche in nature.
ddingus 8y ago
We do not understand well enough to even believe we can properly assess that question, let alone express reputable confidence.

Zenst 8y ago

Given that mosquitoes are also pollinators - this whole genocide approach is wrong IMHO. If they could make it so the females produced their own protein or at least had an immune system that prevented them from being carriers for various blood based parasites, then that would be great. But sterilizing the females will inevitably lead to genocide of an entire range of pollinators that could have devastating impact in parts of the World that depend upon them more than we appreciate or understand today and we won't realise until it is too late.

konschubert 8y ago
The plan is not to eliminate all mosquitos, just certain species.
- fiblye 8y ago
  That's the plan. Humanity's plans to eliminate specific animal populations through introduction of other species, disease, or similar means have always backfired.
  - memebox3v 8y ago
    All the comments advising caution are unpopular. I didnt expect hacker news people to be so gung ho. But then again maybe I should have expected hubris.
Amezarak 8y ago
The Aedes genus of mosquitoes are an invasive species in most of the world that was introduced by human activity in the first place. I am extremely wary of genetic engineering and think it should probably be illegal and all research on the subject destroyed (because of the threat it poses to humanity), but I will admit to some ambivalence when it comes to eradicating an invasive species that had sickened and killed millions of people.
- SketchySeaBeast 8y ago

JoeAltmaier 8y ago

So does chemical spraying.