4 ms·

A common fear when deploying systems like this is that we are somehow tampering with nature, and that given our inability to predict outcomes, we should therefo

A common fear when deploying systems like this is that we are somehow tampering with nature, and that given our inability to predict outcomes, we should therefore err to the side of caution. I typically agree with this line of thought. However, in this particular context, something to strongly consider is that Aedes aegypti isn't native to South America. As implied by its name, it's native to Africa. We (humans) brought them over to New World as part of the Columbia Exchange (likely in a slave ship... along with malaria, and yellow fever, and the disease in question Dengue fever).

hrktb 12y ago
As mosquito related problems are just plain hard and in this context ther is no other viable solution, I also think the usual fear is less important in this context. But for the sake of the argument, the fact that this mosquito comes from Africa doesn't really matter so much, as the consequences of this operation could go from making it immune to this gene, make it mutate in a different/worse direction, or have the engineered mosquitoes affect the environmenr in other unknown and not measurable ways.
- eqdw 12y ago
  Where I'm from, the city routinely carpet-bombs the city with pesticides (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malathion http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malathion). This is pretty contentious, especially since it's primarily for pest control and not actually for health reasons. GMO tech that lets us stop breathing in all that delicious malathion is a good thing, in my books
  - qeorge 12y ago
    I agree with you, and its hard for me to view carpet bombing a city with pesticides as somehow interfering less with the environment.
- Houshalter 12y ago
  I'm not sure if it's even possible to be "immune", but if it doesn't work oh well, nothing lost. Changing the mosquitoes in any significant way is incredibly unlikely. Random mutations happen all the time in nature.
marcosdumay 12y ago
Aedes aegypti is a domestic animal here. And we have no lack of moskitoes to fill their niche at Brazil (the best news being that most of them didn't evolve along humans, and are harmless). It's worth looking at any biological alternative to the widespread use of insecticides.

hrktb 12y ago

As mosquito related problems are just plain hard and in this context ther is no other viable solution, I also think the usual fear is less important in this context. But for the sake of the argument, the fact that this mosquito comes from Africa doesn't really matter so much, as the consequences of this operation could go from making it immune to this gene, make it mutate in a different/worse direction, or have the engineered mosquitoes affect the environmenr in other unknown and not measurable ways.

eqdw 12y ago
Where I'm from, the city routinely carpet-bombs the city with pesticides (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malathion http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malathion). This is pretty contentious, especially since it's primarily for pest control and not actually for health reasons. GMO tech that lets us stop breathing in all that delicious malathion is a good thing, in my books
- qeorge 12y ago
  I agree with you, and its hard for me to view carpet bombing a city with pesticides as somehow interfering less with the environment.
Houshalter 12y ago
I'm not sure if it's even possible to be "immune", but if it doesn't work oh well, nothing lost. Changing the mosquitoes in any significant way is incredibly unlikely. Random mutations happen all the time in nature.

marcosdumay 12y ago

Aedes aegypti is a domestic animal here. And we have no lack of moskitoes to fill their niche at Brazil (the best news being that most of them didn't evolve along humans, and are harmless). It's worth looking at any biological alternative to the widespread use of insecticides.