An argument for gene drive technology to genetically control populations of insects like mosquitoes and locusts
Gene drive guarantees that a trait will be passed to the next generation. But should society use this tool to control insect populations?
July 14, 2020 • ~10 min
Tags: health environment insects agriculture ecology malaria zika entomology bugs pest-control mosquitoes dengue gene-drive
An argument for gene drive technology to genetically control insects like mosquitoes and locusts
Gene drive guarantees that a trait will be passed to the next generation. But should society use this tool to control insect populations?
July 14, 2020 • ~10 min
Tags: health environment insects agriculture ecology malaria zika entomology bugs pest-control mosquitoes dengue gene-drive
Brain, behavior problems follow Zika in newborn monkeys
New research with rhesus monkeys indicates brain and behavior problems resulting from Zika virus infection soon after birth.
Tags: brains zika viruses babies health-and-medicine mosquitoes
Genetically modified mosquitoes could be released in Florida and Texas beginning this summer – silver bullet or jumping the gun?
Release of GM mosquitoes in Florida is imminent. But a multidisciplinary team of scientists believe that more studies are needed first. They encourage a publicly accessible registry for GM organisms.
June 3, 2020 • ~9 min
Tags: brazil zika malaysia risk-assessment florida mosquitoes dengue population-control aedes-aegypti oxitec mosquito-control gm-mosquitoes
Molecule warns skin of Zika invasion
Skin is the first line of defense when a mosquito infected with Zika virus bites. New research with mice clarifies what happens.
Tags: skin zika viruses health-and-medicine immune-systems
Why did Zika start causing microcephaly in Brazil?
More than 1,600 babies were born in Brazil with microcephaly from September 2015 through April 2016 due to Zika virus. Why is the Paraíba strain so harmful?
Tags: brazil brains zika birth-defects viruses featured health-and-medicine
Zika vaccine shields fetus in pregnant monkeys
The first test of a Zika vaccine given before conception could support development of another vaccine in early trials in humans.
Tags: pregnancy vaccines zika viruses fetus health-and-medicine
1 protein controls West Nile and Zika replication
The discovery of a critical protein could unlock new therapies to treat or even prevent West Nile and Zika viruses, researchers say.
Tags: brains zika viruses health-and-medicine immune-systems encephalitis west-nile-virus
Researchers can program a CRISPR enzyme to kill viruses in human cells
Researchers have turned a CRISPR enzyme into an antiviral that can be programmed to detect and destroy RNA-based viruses in human cells.
Tags: science-technology crispr ebola rna virus broad-institute-of-mit-and-harvard carver cas13-enzyme cas13-assisted-restriction-of-viral-expression-and-readout flu rna-based-viruses sherlock zika
Amino acid trio blocks Zika’s ability to replicate
A formulation of three amino acids hampers the ability of the Zika virus to replicate in human and non-human cells, researchers say.
Tags: zika viruses amino-acids health-and-medicine mosquitoes
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