Gene drives helps reducing malaria-causing mosquitoes
Recommended for Preparatory Grades
Scientists are trying to reduce the malaria-causing mosquitoes by using advanced genetic engineering.
What is genetic engineering?
Genetic engineering is a lab-based tecnology to alter the DNA of an organism.
What is gene drive?
Gene drive is a natural process of genetic engineering that grows a particular group of genes from a population by altering the genes.
What is gene drive?
- Gene drive was introduced in 2003 by Austin Burt. At that time, he was studying selfish genes that are able to convert themselves into a new, specific DNA. Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) is an organic chemical that contains genetic information for protein synthesis. It is found in the cells of every organism.
- Upon further studying, Austin thought that this technology of selfish genes could help in reducing the population of malaria-causing mosquitoes.
How does the gene drive work?
- If one parent containing the gene drive mates with another parent which doesn’t have the gene drive, the new embryo combines the genetic material.
- After that, the first parent recognises the natural version of itself in the second parent and it destroys it. Later, the other parent repairs itself by copying the first parents’ gene drive.
- Therefore, the new embryo will have a gene drive. This method can reduce the breeding ability of mosquitoes.
Gene drive affecting malaria-causing mosquitoes
- Target Malaria is an organization that has developed gene drives using genetic technology to help reduce mosquitoes’ breeding power. It is important because only the female mosquitoes bite and without female mosquitoes, their number will reduce. Therefore, the malaria-causing mosquitoes will also reduce.
- The aim is to reduce the number of people who die from malaria. The Gene drive method would be more effective as compared to the use of insecticides.
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