Researchers Use Gene Editing to Separate Male and Female Mosquitoes

Researchers from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem have developed a new genetic method to separate male and female mosquitoes, which is highly beneficial for large-scale mosquito control programs. Led by Doron Zaada and Prof. Philippos Papathanos, the study aims to improve existing separation strategies that are labor-intensive, difficult to scale, and rely on releasing only male mosquitoes.

The study focused on the Asian Tiger mosquito (Aedes albopictus), a major carrier of diseases such as dengue, chikungunya, and Zika. Using CRISPR, the researchers developed a genetically engineered “Genetic Sexing Strain” by disrupting the mosquito's yellow pigmentation gene, then restored dark pigmentation only in males by linking the gene to nix, a “master switch” that converts females into fertile males. This resulted in a stable strain in which males are dark-colored, and females are yellow.

The study also found that the yellow females lay eggs that cannot survive dry conditions, unlike wild mosquito eggs that can survive for months. The genetically converted males were shown to behave and reproduce like natural males, indicating their effectiveness for vector control programs. The researchers said that the next step is to improve the female mosquitoes' ability to survive high temperatures or specific additives used in mosquito mass-rearing biofactories.

For more information, read the article from the American Friends of the Hebrew University or the study from Nature Communications.