Genetically engineered mosquitoes with toxic semen could be a new weapon against tropical disease, Australian scientists say after testing a novel insect control method.
The “toxic male technique” aims to breed mosquitoes that express toxic proteins in their semen, which kill the females after mating.
Female mosquitoes are targeted because they bite and drink blood, which spreads diseases like malaria and dengue fever.
Scientist Sam Beach of Macquarie University in Australia said the method could work “as fast as pesticides without harming beneficial species”.
“This innovative solution could change the way we manage pests, providing hope for healthier communities and a more sustainable future.”
The first proof-of-concept trials used fruit flies, a common laboratory species favored for its short two-week life cycle.
Scientists found that female flies that breed with “toxic” males have significantly reduced lifespans.
Researcher Maciej Maselko said the team will now test the method on mosquitoes.
“We still need to apply it in mosquitoes and conduct rigorous safety testing to ensure there is no risk to humans or other non-target species,” he said.
The researchers said the mosquitoes would need to be genetically modified so that they could express toxic semen only after being released into the wild.
This can be done through so-called “conditional expression” techniques, which use chemicals or other biological triggers to turn specific genes on or off as desired.
This would allow venomous males to successfully mate with females in laboratory conditions, producing enough viable offspring to scale up the technology.
Genetic engineering has been used for years to control populations of disease-carrying mosquitoes.
Typically, these approaches slow down reproduction by releasing hordes of male insects that are genetically modified to be sterile.
The research team said computer models showed that the technique of actively killing biting females could be much more effective.
The research was described in a paper published Tuesday evening by the peer-reviewed journal Nature Communications.
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