For decades, mosquitoes have remained one of humanity’s deadliest adversaries. Despite their tiny size, these insects are responsible for transmitting diseases that infect hundreds of millions of people every year, including dengue fever, Zika virus, yellow fever, and chikungunya.
Now, scientists are fighting back with a tool that once belonged only in the realm of science fiction: genetically engineered mosquitoes.
In a landmark public health initiative, genetically modified mosquitoes developed by biotechnology company Oxitec have been released in the Florida Keys. The project represents one of the most ambitious attempts ever undertaken in the United States to control disease-carrying insect populations through genetic engineering.
