UK scientists have created a genetically modified mosquito, said to be a "milestone in the fight against malaria". How will this help? If we can eradicate the mosquito population by adding this one gene which stops reproduction. Slightly awkward is how they plan to spread the gene through the population. For the modified population to have an affect two copies must be present so it will take at least a generation for this to have any affects. However this means the population will fall, extinction is not guaranteed. To speed up testing, the scientists have used technology called gene drive, this technology which is much like a DNA copy paste machine allowed the inheritance rate to be increased meaning it can spread quicker. Wiping out the mosquitoes could be a bad thing. It may upset the local environments and are humans interfering with nature too much? Should humans be able to eradicate a animal because it helps them? There are certainly valid arguments against this breakthrough. This is a very interesting article and relates to my EPQ in which I am looking at medical ethics. I believe it cases such this be a question of should we? not can we?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-350247
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-350247