Comments on: Without some basic science, GM mosquitoes won't bite http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/2011/11/14/gm-mosquitoes-ecology/ Mon, 26 Nov 2012 12:00:51 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.2 By: Ed Yong http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/2011/11/14/gm-mosquitoes-ecology/#comment-13601 Ed Yong Fri, 25 Nov 2011 11:19:19 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/?p=5782#comment-13601 Hi Michael. Great comment. I want to clarify that my position is not that we're not ready to use these techniques, nor that we shouldn't. It's that that we need more basic ecological data to make sure that these approaches are most effective. I realise that the hed and URL might suggest otherwise, but as you know, I have no control over those. Hi Michael. Great comment. I want to clarify that my position is not that we’re not ready to use these techniques, nor that we shouldn’t. It’s that that we need more basic ecological data to make sure that these approaches are most effective. I realise that the hed and URL might suggest otherwise, but as you know, I have no control over those.

]]> By: Michael Le Page http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/2011/11/14/gm-mosquitoes-ecology/#comment-13600 Michael Le Page Thu, 24 Nov 2011 14:42:06 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/?p=5782#comment-13600 I don’t disagree with the specifics of your argument but I do disagree with the overall conclusion that “we aren’t ready to use genetically modified mosquitoes to tackle malaria and dengue”. I think this issue needs to be seen in context. Which is: - the main way of killing mosquitoes and other insect pests at the moment is to use pesticides, which can cause a lot of collateral damage to other organisms, including us. The GM approach is far preferable, so if it works, we should welcome it with open arms - insects rapidly develop resistance to all pesticides. So there is a double standard here. Why aren’t you writing articles about how we aren’t ready to use pesticides to tackle malaria and dengue, until we understand far more about how we can stop resistance to pesticides evolving? - if resistance does develop to any one kind of GM mosquitoes – and it’s a big if - it is not the end of the world. The insects can be tweaked to overcome the resistance, or an entirely new genetic strain can be used. The GM approach is far, far more flexible than zapping insects with radiations or sterilising chemicals - you acknowledge the research you call for will cost a lot of money. Who’s going to pay for this? We need to companies like Oxitec to start making money and lots of it, to give people the confidence invest in this kind of research. Yes, it would be wonderful to do it beforehand, but it is not realistic commercially I don’t disagree with the specifics of your argument but I do disagree with the overall conclusion that “we aren’t ready to use genetically modified mosquitoes to tackle malaria and dengue”.

I think this issue needs to be seen in context. Which is:

- the main way of killing mosquitoes and other insect pests at the moment is to use pesticides, which can cause a lot of collateral damage to other organisms, including us. The GM approach is far preferable, so if it works, we should welcome it with open arms

- insects rapidly develop resistance to all pesticides. So there is a double standard here. Why aren’t you writing articles about how we aren’t ready to use pesticides to tackle malaria and dengue, until we understand far more about how we can stop resistance to pesticides evolving?

- if resistance does develop to any one kind of GM mosquitoes – and it’s a big if – it is not the end of the world. The insects can be tweaked to overcome the resistance, or an entirely new genetic strain can be used. The GM approach is far, far more flexible than zapping insects with radiations or sterilising chemicals

- you acknowledge the research you call for will cost a lot of money. Who’s going to pay for this? We need to companies like Oxitec to start making money and lots of it, to give people the confidence invest in this kind of research. Yes, it would be wonderful to do it beforehand, but it is not realistic commercially

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