Revolution in the Fight Against Mosquitoes! The Trump Card Against Dengue and Zika? Eliminate "Biting Mosquitoes" First. A New Strategy to Automatically Remove Females by Marking Sex Chromosomes.

A research team from Virginia Tech has developed a new genetic method called "DeMark" (Differential elimination of marked sex chromosomes) to efficiently produce non-bloodsucking male mosquitoes. This method, published in PNAS, involves combining alleles that serve as "marks" on sex chromosomes, designed so that females (or unnecessary individuals) die early in specific combinations. This allows for the continuous generation of male mosquitoes without foreign genes in a single lineage. The method eliminates the need for manual selection and maintaining multiple lineages, reducing the cost and complexity of mass production. Experiments with Aedes aegypti have shown that mating competitiveness, which is crucial in the field, is maintained. As a realistic solution to reduce dependency on insecticides, there is growing anticipation for combining this method with current measures like the Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) in Orange County. However, for field implementation, stability, regulation, and community agreement will be key factors to verify.