Controlling Mosquito Populations through Genetic Breeding May Help Reduce Global Disease Spread

Scientists at Virginia Tech have developed a way to identify genetic targets to control mosquito populations as an alternative to insecticides. By crossing two mosquito species, they found genetic males expressed both male and female genes, causing mixed traits and making them unable to reproduce. These findings will aid in developing strategies to control mosquito populations, offering significant implications for controlling diseases like Zika and dengue.