Genetically engineered mosquitoes are being used in Brazil to combat dengue fever. A deadly gene has been added to the male mosquitoes, which are released to mate with wild females and produce offspring that will die before spreading the disease.
Genetically engineered insects are being used to curb disease in Brazil, where mosquitoes are being engineered to fight dengue fever, a vaccine-free disease spread by the Aedes aegypti mosquito. Scientists have added a deadly gene to this particular breed of mosquito so that they die after being released into the wild, curbing the spread of dengue fever. Only the female variety actually bites, so they are destroyed in the laboratory. The males are released in the hope that they will mate with wild female mosquitoes and produce offspring that will die before spreading the disease.
Read more about genetic engineering:
An estimated 75 percent of packaged foods in U.S. grocery stores contain genetically engineered ingredients, especially corn or soy.
Scientists in South Korea have created glow-in-the-dark cats by genetically altering them with fluorescent proteins in hopes of creating animals with human genetic diseases.
Bananas can be genetically engineered to serve as vehicles for vaccinations, which would allow people to boost their immunity just by consuming the fruit.
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