Genetic Engineering Alters Mosquitoes' Sense of Smell
June 5, 2013| |
Researchers from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) have successfully altered the way mosquitoes respond to scents, including that of humans and the insect repellant DEET (N,N-Diethyl-meta-toluamide). Led by Leslie Vosshall at The Rockefeller University, the research team used a genetic engineering tool called zinc-finger nucleases to mutate the orco gene in Aedes aegypti. The engineered mosquitoes showed diminished odor-sensing and researchers observed the insects have less preference for the smell of humans.
The researchers also tested the mutated mosquitoes' response to DEET. When exposed to two human arms, one untreated and the other slathered with a solution containing DEET, the mosquitoes flew towards both arms, but quickly flew away from the DEET-covered one. Vosshall said that this reveals two different mechanisms that mosquitoes use to sense DEET.
Read the news release at http://www.hhmi.org/news/vosshall20130529.html for more information about this research.
| |
Biotech Updates is a weekly newsletter of ISAAA, a not-for-profit organization. It is distributed for free to over 22,000 subscribers worldwide to inform them about the key developments in biosciences, especially in biotechnology. Your support will help us in our mission to feed the world with knowledge. You can help by donating as little as $10.
-
See more articles:
-
News from Around the World
- Calestous Juma: The World Needs Transgenic Crops to End Hunger
- Mongolia, Luxembourg Ratify Nagoya Protocol
- Food Security and Nutrition Essential for Africa's Development - UN Agencies
- AfricaRice Unveils New Rice Varieties for Africa
- Hybrid Maize Resistant to Striga Weed Developed in Kenya
- Namibia Launches Laboratory for Crop Seed Testing
- USDA Investigates Detection of GE Wheat in Oregon
- Cocoa Genome Reveals Markers for Better Taste and Higher Yield
- USDA Project Aims to Biofortify Rice with Essential Minerals
- Gates Commends ICRISAT's Effort to Combat Hunger
- Agri-Communication Workshop for Indonesian Stakeholders
- Vietnam, Japan Cooperate for High-yield Cassava
- Communicating Food Science in Indonesia
- Potato Farmers and Agricultural Officers Attend Workshop in Bandung, Indonesia
- Scientists Identify Plant's Defense Mechanism Against Pathogens
- Paterson Tackles GM Technology at UK-Ireland Food Summit
-
Research Highlights
- Study Reveals New Regulator for Plant Hormone Signaling
- Scientists Review Tier-1 Assays Conducted for Bt Crops
-
Beyond Crop Biotech
- Genetic Engineering Alters Mosquitoes' Sense of Smell
-
Announcements
- Online Course: Intro to DNA Barcoding
-
Read the latest: - Biotech Updates (April 30, 2025)
- Gene Editing Supplement (April 30, 2025)
- Gene Drive Supplement (February 22, 2023)
-
Subscribe to BU: - Share
- Tweet