GMO mosquito, the fiasco! Playing with DNA is not easy!

[Christophe]

A "fine" example of a GMO experience that turns into a fiasco. Man is still far from being as "good" as nature ... and in the following experience, it's not over AMHA ...

To play the little wizard of genetics is not good!

A genetic experiment on mosquitoes to stop their reproduction is almost a drama

A genetic experiment to reduce a mosquito population did not go as planned, leaving scientists confused about the consequences. Initially, everything seemed easy: it was to genetically modify male mosquitoes using the CRISPR gene editing technique, so that their offspring would not be viable (and die immediately). These were introduced into the wild so that the "disease" spreads in the wild (mating with unmodified mosquitoes) before observing the decline of the mosquito population. But unfortunately, there was an unexpected consequent.

The targeted mosquito population was that of Jacobina, Brazil. According to a study published last week in the journal Nature - Scientific Reports, following the introduction of genetically modified mosquitoes and after they had mixed with the wild population, the number of mosquitoes had decreased drastically during a brief period.

But according to New Atlas, only 18 months later, the population immediately rebounded, with the birth of viable genetic hybrids (which was not expected). And that's not all: hybrids could be even more resistant to future attempts to reduce their numbers ...

A problematic size, and uncertain

Mosquitoes capable of transmitting dangerous diseases such as Zika, dengue and malaria are spreading more than ever, particularly because of climate change. To combat them, scientists have sometimes tried to change the genetics of insects, so that they can not reproduce.

"The assertion was that the genes of the modified strain would not enter the population because the offspring would die," Jeffrey Powell, a researcher at Yale University in the United States, told New Atlas. "But that's obviously not what happened. Other hybrid mosquitoes are born.

Wild mosquitoes mated to the genetically modified population and created a new type of genetic hybrid, more robust than the original wild type, while the offspring was expected to die quickly. The major problem is that the offspring could in turn give rise to a new unknown variant.

Although the first hybrids are not inherently dangerous - or at least not more so - the scientists responsible for the project say they can not fully predict what might change for future generations. "It's the future unplanned spillovers that are worrisome," Powell said.

These results underscore the importance of implementing a genetic surveillance program during this type of experiment, in order to predict and manage the unintended consequences.

Source: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-019-49660-6
https://trustmyscience.com/experience-g ... tion-echec

[GuyGadebois]

A beautiful band of c ... as for corn and the rest.

[Christophe]

Except that corn does not give uncontrollable mutants ... there we do not know how far the mutation can go!

The least of things would have been to test for months "in vitro" before releasing this shit in nature!

But what does the Genetic Police do?

[Forhorse]

A because for corn we know? The pollen probably stops at the edge of the plot where it is planted, like the Chernobyl cloud at the border ...

[izentrop]

the gene editing technique CRISPR is not GMO and mutations in nature, there are all the time, so not as dramatic as global warming.
Neither are high-pesticide methods more effective because of the natural mutations that make them resistant.

[GuyGadebois]

Except that corn does not give uncontrollable mutants ... there we do not know how far the mutation can go!

The least of things would have been to test for months "in vitro" before releasing this shit in nature!

But what does the Genetic Police do?

"" In view of the incidents that have already occurred in the United States, where they have difficulty separating these bioreactors from GMOs, one can fear that corn will turn into the dustbin of the pharmaceutical industry, to the detriment of its vocation food, alarmed Mrs Alvarez-Buylla. What will we do when blood thinners hit the Mexican tortilla? "
https://www.lemonde.fr/planete/article/ ... _3244.html

[Christophe]

A because for corn we know? The pollen probably stops at the edge of the plot where it is planted, like the Chernobyl cloud at the border ...

Certainly, but I have never been bitten by corn * ... and corn has only one generation a year: how many generations for mosquitoes?

* except when we do "100m Maize shirtless" it stings a bit anyway ...

[izentrop]

These are results of misinterpreted studies, in fact it works very well and avoids using very destructive pesticides for the rest of the biodiversity

It is to protect human populations from serious diseases that these mosquitoes are developed, and they are the ones who suffer the most from the delays imposed on these technologies. These new solutions are not perfect and may not be enough, but even more so for the means implemented so far.

In other words, the development of these techniques is a lever to reduce the massive use of insecticides in the fight against mosquitoes, and to better protect endangered populations.

Of course, not all uses of genetic modification are virtuous, but mistrust of all possible uses indiscriminately and indiscriminately is blocking for those who show promise of major health and environmental advances. Finally, not only is there no health or environmental risk identified in the study, but its publication (and its reception by the public) will, potentially, have negative consequences because of the opposition it generates vis- about interesting solutions. https://theierecosmique.com/2019/10/21/ ... m-matadon/

The entire text must be read to understand this conclusion.

[GuyGadebois]

These are results of misinterpreted studies, in fact it works very well and avoids using very destructive pesticides for the rest of the biodiversity

It is to protect human populations from serious diseases that these mosquitoes are developed, and they are the ones who suffer the most from the delays imposed on these technologies. These new solutions are not perfect and may not be enough, but even more so for the means implemented so far.

In other words, the development of these techniques is a lever to reduce the massive use of insecticides in the fight against mosquitoes, and to better protect endangered populations.

Of course, not all uses of genetic modification are virtuous, but mistrust of all possible uses indiscriminately and indiscriminately is blocking for those who show promise of major health and environmental advances. Finally, not only is there no health or environmental risk identified in the study, but its publication (and its reception by the public) will, potentially, have negative consequences because of the opposition it generates vis- about interesting solutions. https://theierecosmique.com/2019/10/21/ ... m-matadon/

The entire text must be read to understand this conclusion.

It's not that we have to understand it, it's rather that we have to accept it or not. When I read this ...

"The claim was that the genes from the modified strain would not enter the population, because the offspring would die," Jeffrey Powell, a researcher at Yale University (US), told New Atlas. This is obviously not what happened. Other hybrid mosquitoes were born. "

Wild mosquitoes mated to the genetically modified population and created a new type of genetic hybrid, more robust than the original wild type, while offspring were expected to die quickly. The major problem is that the offspring could in turn give rise to a new unknown variant.

Although the first hybrids are not inherently dangerous - or at least not more so - the scientists responsible for the project say they can not fully predict what might change for future generations. "It's the future unplanned spillovers that are worrisome," Powell said.

These results underline the importance of setting up a genetic surveillance program during this type of experiment, in order to best predict and manage unintended consequences. "

... when I read this, the "what to understand" becomes comical ... well, tragicomic. I am not against them playing with the genome of mosquitoes by making them sterile or powerless to eradicate epidemics, regulate populations of these insects, save pesticides, but not "hard", no matter what. how, not like that. Releasing genetically modified organisms into nature involves uncalculated risks, never really evaluated which could be avoided by more extensive laboratory experiments (spending more money), without risk of contamination creating hybrid species of which we have no idea how they will evolve.
Reintroducing the natural predators of mosquitoes (huge biomass) in environments poisoned by chemicals by ceasing their use, would be much more profitable in the medium term. Who knows.

[izentrop]

Jeffrey Powell does not represent the scientific community, it's just a troublemaker that the press put forward. The problem is that it puts the wheels in the wheel of researchers who are seriously working to advance knowledge.