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First 'Malaria-Proof' Mosquito Created

Posted by timothy on from the what-about-a-really-good-egg-cream dept.

Gisg writes "The University of Arizona team reported that their genetically modified mosquitoes are immune to the malaria-causing parasite, a single-cell organism called Plasmodium. Riehle and his colleagues tested their genetically-altered mosquitoes by feeding them malaria-infested blood. Not even one mosquito became infected with the malaria parasite."

19 of 261 comments (clear)

  1. Just what we need by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    more mosquitos.

  2. How about a bite-proof mosquito? by DWMorse · · Score: 4, Funny

    Something to REALLY benefit mankind!

    --
    There's a spot in User Info for World of Warcraft account names? Really?
    1. Re:How about a bite-proof mosquito? by Cynonamous+Anoward · · Score: 4, Funny

      bite-proof mosquitoes? I didn't realize that there was a big problem with people biting mosquitoes!

      --
      "The GPL is viral by design, like any good religion."
  3. Build a Better Mosquito by Local+ID10T · · Score: 4, Funny

    and... umm... yeah.

    --
    "You want to know how to help your kids? Leave them the fuck alone." -George Carlin
  4. Re:side effect by Chuck+Chunder · · Score: 4, Funny

    Let's hope they are mammals of the tasty variety.

    --
    Boffoonery - downloadable Comedy Benefit for Bletchley Park
  5. Re:side effect by Chih · · Score: 2, Funny

    mmmm...... mammals *drools*

    --
    For best results, avoid doing stupid things.
  6. I created one years ago. by pookemon · · Score: 5, Funny

    First malaria proof mosquito? I created one years ago.

    *splat*

    There's another.

    --
    dnuof eruc rof aixelsid
  7. Re:side effect by lennier · · Score: 4, Funny

    What could be scarier than VAMPIRE mosquitos!

    oh wait

    well, we could end up with ZOMBIE VAMPIRE mosquitos perhaps. Swat 'em and they come back...

    --
    You are not a brain: http://books.google.com/books?id=2oV61CeDx-YC
  8. Re:side effect by Cassius+Corodes · · Score: 5, Funny

    Also, now they are a 1000 times their normal size.

    --
    Control is an illusion, order our comforting lie. From chaos, through chaos, into chaos we fly
  9. Re:side effect by Darth+Sdlavrot · · Score: 4, Funny

    Mostly it's humans.

    http://www.hmc.psu.edu/healthinfo/m/malaria.htm

    http://www.itg.be/evde/02_Malariap2.htm

    But there is some anecdotal evidence that "long pig" does taste pretty good.

  10. Oh, wonderful. by SvnLyrBrto · · Score: 3, Funny

    Great... just great.

    Here's an idea. How about, instead of curing their diseases, we put out efforts instead into eradicating the bastards. It's not like we don't know how to drive a species into extinction. We've done it, or are on the verge of doing it, to many cool species. So why the hell can't we do it to one of the more bastardly unpleasant ones?

    Any hippy that objects... let's make them extinct too.

    --
    Imagine all the people...
    1. Re:Oh, wonderful. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      It'd also take out a very low level creature in the foodchain.

      What the fuck do you mean "LOW", wetbar? Last I checked, we were eating you.

      Signed,
      The Mosquitos

  11. Just wait til the lawsuits by Solandri · · Score: 3, Funny

    Fast-forward 50 years. Natural mosquitoes have been eradicated, replaced by this new genetically modified mosquito. Malaria is wiped off the face of the earth. Two million lives a year are saved. There are rainbows in the sky. Cute puppies and kittens sleep together in every home.

    Until some lawyer files a class action lawsuit. Since all mosquitoes are now the genetically modified variety, the researchers and company which developed the buggers and the governments which permitted it are now liable for the pain and suffering associated with every mosquito bite on the planet.

  12. Re:side effect by Yvan256 · · Score: 4, Funny

    As long as it doesn't create NINJA PIRATE mosquitos, we're safe.

  13. Re:side effect by Psaakyrn · · Score: 4, Funny

    Mmmmmm... Soylent Green...

  14. Re:side effect by jewswithbacon · · Score: 2, Funny

    Go back to digg or your teaparty rally.

  15. I heard you are supposed to boycot Arizona by NotQuiteReal · · Score: 2, Funny

    Please, avoid all products from Arizona!

    I am sure this anti-malaria thing is somehow racist! How dare those bigot pigs in Arizona try to thwart God's will! People who live in malarial zones are all natural, and their environment should not be altered. Not by crops that grow or bugs that don't carry natural diseases.

    --
    This issue is a bit more complicated than you think.
  16. Re:side effect by ZeroExistenZ · · Score: 4, Funny

    I have smacked one hard between two flat palms right in front of my face, pulled my hands apart...and it flies away.

    Two words: Depth perception...

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    I think we can keep recursing like this until someone returns 1
  17. Re:side effect by Mephistro · · Score: 2, Funny
    OMG! Fucking ZOMBIE VAMPIRE ARCTIC mosquitoes!.

    I have a little technical problem related to this. In the IForOneWelcomeOur form, the field [NameOfOverlords] isn't big enough to hold this string. Writing "I for one welcome our new ZOMBIE VAMP overlords sounds totally gay.

    On the other hand, the form InSovietRussia" seems to work alright.

    ^_^