Tag
A magazine feature argues that existing genetic-engineering technologies, such as Oxitec's self-limiting lethal-gene mosquitoes, can eliminate mosquito-borne diseases in the United States, but deployment has been stalled in regulatory limbo for fifteen years.
Singapore is using AI-powered mosquito sorting at Google's Debug factory to release Wolbachia-carrying males, reducing dengue risk by 72% and cutting mosquito populations by 98% in trial areas.
Google plans to release 32 million mosquitoes infected with Wolbachia bacteria in Florida and California, with EPA permission pending.
This paper reports that the mosquito Aedes aegypti can learn to associate DEET with a reward, transforming the normally aversive repellent into an appetitive cue.
A Yale study published in Cell found that garlic compound diallyl disulfide activates a bitter taste receptor in insects, blocking mating and egg-laying, offering a natural repellent against mosquitoes and other pests.