GM mosquito released

 
The end of a massive problem – or the start of a bigger one?

SCIENTISTS HAVE COME up with an amazing invention: the GM mosquito. Thousands have been released in Asia.

This little fella looks like any normal mosquito, but it has been genetically engineered to be the bug equivalent of The Terminator, a killing machine fighting its own species on behalf of humans.
*
This is how it works.

The creature flies around until it sees a female mosquito wanting to breed.

Male Mozzie: “Hi, sweetheart. Fancy coming back to my place for a nice evening of dinner, a movie and impregnation?”

Female Mozzie: “We’re mosquitoes: we mate in mid-air, taking all of 15 seconds, remember?”

Male Mozzie: “Oh yeah.”

[Fifteen seconds pass.]

Female Mozzie, smoking a cigarette: “Thanks. Gotta run. Need to suck the blood of some human to feed the baby we just made.”
*
But what she doesn’t know is that the Male Mozzie sperm contains a DNA timebomb that kills the babies before they are born. In experiments, a flock (cluster? herd? mob?) of GM mosquitoes wiped out thousands of normal mosquitoes.
*
I heard about this from a reader in Malaysia, where 6,000 of the creatures have been released into the wild.

The news caused huge excitement in my family, since two members (myself and youngest child) are the mosquito equivalent of Haagen Dazs amaretto almond crunch flavor. We are so irresistibly delicious to bugs that swarms of mosquitoes arrange package holidays from as far away as Terra del Fuego to snack on our blood.

“I NEED to buy one of these GM mozzies as a pet, so it can keep the house clear of normal mozzies for us. Can you see how much they cost?” I wrote back.

The reader, who did not want her name printed, wrote back that the GM mosquito had been developed by scientists at Oxitec, a UK biotechnology company, and released through the Institute of Medical Research in Malaysia.

They are not for sale. “Scientists don’t want to upset the balance of nature, so they are only allowing the creatures to be released where there is a specific outbreak of killer mosquitoes that needs to be wiped out, in this case, a forest near Bentong,” she wrote.

That was bad news. For a while I considered hanging around Bentong with a net to try to get a free Terminator bug. But apparently they look no different to normal mosquitoes, and make terrible pets, refusing to stay in their cages, wear a leash, etc.
*
That night I made the mistake of mentioning this at the bar and was surprised to get blanket condemnation from all listeners, who said that only an idiot would be in favor of the GM mosquito, since the mass killing of mosquitoes would lead to global ecological disaster.

But how?

“Mosquitoes are irritating pests that prevent sensitive people like me from going out of our homes,” I said. “Name one single good thing that mosquitoes do.”

Silence descended.

As I expected, no one could think of a single positive contribution that mosquitoes make to life on earth.

And then a stranger who had been eavesdropping on our conversation put up his hand. “They keep people like you from going out of your homes,” he said.

Ha ha ha.
*

Technorati Tags: mosquito,GM mosquito,Oxitec,Malaysia

Comments

[Sarah Ellison]

Having just read this article in today's Standard I did giggle & felt compelled to email you and say thanks! I am also mosquito food having pale skin and sweet blood!!! Thanks for brightening up my day as I would LOVE to see the extermination of the beasts & this is certainly a step in the right direction.

[Irene]

Nury, you are starting to worry me. Every time you have an idea, or someone writes in with some news, like this one, you always go to a bar to vent it with the people around you and obviously that smart bartender. And I'm guessing you're getting ideas/e-mails all the time. I know you have also been to THE coffee shop and THE noodle place for advice and opinions, but those seem like harmless options compared to your frequent bar visits.

[Nury]

Hi, thanks Sarah, for the kind comments. Good to have someone on my side in the war against mozzies!

Irene, you're right, I do have a few regular hangouts. It's interesting, though -- I used to always air my ideas for columns (actually readers' ideas for columns) at physical places such as bars, coffee shops and noodle shops, but these days the best comments often come from this website, where the readers seem unusually intelligent (very rare on the internet)!

[Nury]

Hi, thanks Sarah, for the kind comments. Good to have someone on my side in the war against mozzies!

Irene, you're right, I do have a few regular hangouts. It's interesting, though -- I used to always air my ideas for columns (actually readers' ideas for columns) at physical places such as bars, coffee shops and noodle shops, but these days the best comments often come from this website, where the readers seem unusually intelligent (very rare on the internet)!

[TS]

Once the female have mated, she will still suck blood at least once.

They should have released gay mozzies instead...

[S Mackenzie]

Dear Nury,

An interesting and timely article, but GM is no laughing matter.

I, like many people ‘in the know’, have realized GM is being used to depopulate the earth (not just mosquito’s but US!).

Mosquito’s are important food for fish and other predatory aquatic animals – I’m surprised you didn't know that. Adult mosquitoes are also important food for many types of birds etc. . . . do you see a chain reaction happening? Was anyone in the world consulted about the release of GM insects? Do you think they should have been?

GM food is greatly related to this. What do you think will happen to someone that eats a GM product?

Here are just 2 links:

http://www.prisonplanet.com/new-pathogen-found-in-roundup-ready-gm-crops-causes-spontaneous-abortions-and-infertility-in-livestock.html

http://www.seedsofdeception.com/GMFree/GMODangers/DangersofGMFoods/index.cfm

Greatly related are GM crops – which now cover more than 1 billion hectares and growing each day – and affect organic produce worldwide. Monsanto used to make ‘agent orange’ have you heard about that chemical ? and the mayhem that has caused in Vietnam? Well now Monsanto are the biggest seller of GM products worldwide – are you worried about a company that denies Agent Orange is harmfull to humans (tell the mothers of babes greatly deformed by it). AO was made with the specific aim to kill vegetation! Monsanto is now basically in charge of the GM food we eat . . . worried yet? Did you know that all lad results of GM food have caused health problems – some even deadly (smaller brain size, kidney and liver problems are just 3), but this is ignored by Monsanto?

As you can see, there is a much more insidious reason why they are being released – you think nature has made mistakes? Everything on earth is here for a reason.

Like everything the ‘powers that be’ give a reason for one thing but really mean another, more darker outcome. They believe they earth is overpopulated . . .the cure, depopulation.

Open your eyes and get informed.

[Chamin]

Can we invent and release GM financial executives? There is a specific outbreak of them that needs to be wiped out, in the area called Wall Street!

And it has already spread to places named as Financial Markets in several other countries, too!!

[TS]

Oh no! the only thing more annoying than a mozzie, a conspiracy nut.

[Dancer Arroyo]

Hey Nury, what is actually Oxitec's idea of 'outbreak'? I'm sure many specific areas in HK, namely my home, should be able to qualify. Do they accept applications?

[Ram]

Now, there ll be atleast a dozen hollywood movies with genetically modified mosquitoes turning into giant sized, super venomous etc etc creatures attacking particularly The US of A.... oh NO!!!

[S Mackenzie]

I find people that have their 'eyes wide shut' more annoying.

Carry on watching Fox news and reading the South China - I'm sure you are really informed. If you bother to do any research on the matter (I bet my bottom dollar you haven't) you will finally open your eyes, if by that time you have any to see with.

Have you heard of terminator seeds? Please eat some of those. Anyone with even half a brain (easily obtained by eating GM food) knows that GM food is in the food chain to genetically modify us . . .wait for the biggest health catastrophe to ever hit the planet. Not to worry though, the medical industry will be revitalised and have more wealth by then than a goldman banker.

Research a little about Dr Arpad Pustzai, one of the leading experts in the field of GM. Heard of him? I doubt it. He warned of the dangers of GM products a decade ago!, his research found that rats fed genetically modified food suffered stunted growth and damage to their immune systems as well as became infertile. He said he would never consume GM food. His reward? He was sacked by the Government . .. yes the same government that told you about the weapons of mass destruction, the same government that told you the banks need their bonuses, the same government that spreads lies and fear to keep you behind that fense - baabaa. When you start feeling the pain in your backside you will realise they have been screwing you all your life, but then my friend it will already be too late. As the government also lies about it's length.

Do you wonder what will happen to birds/fish that eat GM mosquitoes? Do you even care? Just carry on watching your reality soaps, american idol and go back to sleep . . . people get annoyed when they are awakened.

[TS]

Thank you for making my point.

[S Mackenzie]

thank you for making mine.

[Mozzie]

Peace breaks out, how lovely.

[Chamin]

Dancer: 90% of Sri Lanka (where I was born) qualifies as an outbreak :o)

I want a method to file for outbreak, just like they file for bankruptcy!

[Chamin]

My friend describing the university dormitory he just moved to:

"I could have been airlifted by mosquitoes last night, if not for the bedbugs who were holding me back!"

[Here for laughs]

S Mackenzie may be right or he may be wrong about GM food.

But that's not the point. He' s wrong about this website. This is a very subtle website where people take a comedic spin on news stories.

I' m quite sure that every person commenting (including Mr Vitachi) knows full well that mosquitoes are part of the food chain and that there are dangers involved in GM foods (look at the subtitle of the piece, "" The end of a massive problem or the start of a bigger one. "")

But there are so many places and sites where people rant and rave about these subjects and in many cases achieve nothing at all.

Here by disguising these topics as fun bits of entertainment which are passed around printed in newspapers all over the place etc the commentators raise awareness in the mainstream among the young we get people thinking talking, etc.

Think of this as the asian version of comedycentral. its a place for laughs not conspiracy theories.

So Mr or Ms Mackenzie is welcome to add comments but could he/she show us that he/she has a lighter side too. thank you.

[Nutsy]

Once upon a time , there was a king who wanted to rule the world..
He sent his GI s to get rid of the swarms of mosquitos in the far away lands...
After failing to succeed, he sent his GMs

that was not quick enough
He tried a G W B
Without more success..

What will he send, when he fails ... again ?

[farah]

mozzie outbreak is in our house...on a big scale. every evening we would take our weapon (racket that sends electric shock) and literally run after those. they seem to be multiply everyday much to our annoyance.

[Paul]

What will he send, when he fails ... again ?

Nutsy, I think that king's problem is that he was focused on the wrong acronyms. As any good leader knows, anytime you want to make swarms disperse you send in the IRS. ;-)

And on the whole issue of GM food...I wouldn't worry about it too much...cause as anyone who's done any research knows the world is gonna end in 2012 anyway.

;-p ;-)

[Chamin]

Farah,

That's high-tech! When I was small, I was running around with a metal plate coated with oil :-p

[grandpa]

"Mosquito’s are important food"

Lest save the world.
Lets start " Mozzy's" the only restaurant serving curried mosquitoes, mosquitos i mozzarella sauce, pickle mosquitoes....

[Angela]

My neighborhood mozzie patrol has been fogging out aedes mozzies (those that give you dengue fever) every other day. The mozzie-nazis relentlessly gas out aedes larva, and residents as well. They always schedule their mozzie annihilating missions on the day that you're sunning by the pool side. Maybe it's my uber-trendy eyewear.

*

Two weeks ago, my sister came back from Bali, five pounds lighter, she had contracted some fever which we suspected was either malaria (if bitten by indonesian mozzie) or dengue (if she was bitten by my house-pet singaporean mozzie). Luckily blood test proved neither. It must have been the street food in ubud.

*

What are mozzies useful for? they are effective for those who want to lose weight quick. Choose either dengue-diet or malaria-diet, works better than atkins and south beach diets.

[rafanjr]

...LOL to "I could have been airlifted by mosquitoes last night, if not for the bedbugs who were holding me back!"
...and i'm amazed that some people just sleep right through this situation...

[Bianca Schlimm]

"Dengue fever" is a nice band from Vietnam
Have any of you survived dengue?
Is it true that the second time is deadly?
angela: "uber-trendy" sounds very German to me, did you mean it that way? (über-cool you really do look)

[Bianca Schlimm]

Sorry sorry sorry, wrong country. "Dengue Fever" is from Los Angeles with a Cambodian lady...

[KK]

I have one good thing to say about mosquitoes they give a chance to slap your sleeping (Heavily snoring) roommate and give an excuse

[grandpa]

One good thing about mosquitoes.
They make it easy to recognize happy motorbike riders (mosquitoes get stuck in their teeth)

[sej]

Is there a contradiction here?

These mosquitos are bred such that their their DNA says, "die before you are born"... so if this is in fact the case, how did they themselves get born?

And what's the point of mosquitos that can't breed, because shortly after, they're all going to die out, and be replaced by those that can? Wouldn't it be better to breed mosquitos that feed only on Uncle Nury, and leave the rest of us in peace?

[TS]

These mosquitos are bred such that their their DNA says, "die before you are born"... so if this is in fact the case, how did they themselves get born?

Well duh! They were adopted...

[Angela]

hahahhaha...ROTFL

adopted!!! thanks for making my sunday, TS :-)

*

All sorts of regulations will have to be put in place so those rich hollywood-type mozzies can't just adopt larva from a poor African countries.

There will be anti-larva trafficking laws and United Nations will have to be involved.

*

Where is liftie?

I am interested to know if lift regulations have health insurance that covers mosquito bite while riding the lift.

*

Grampa,

Which regulating body is in-charge of MRO to ensure air worthiness of these GM flyers? are they regulated by CASA? EASA? or FAA? or maybe TC?

We obviously have a very serious issue here.

[Angela]

Bianca, ja ich meine uber-cool :) super! danke schon!

[Bianca Schlimm]

I develop a new opinion of Asians, I think you guys are really FAST. So much output, so many topics. GM moskitos are out in the Amazonas, I'm told, since quite some time and of course they developped into a plague.
lets see what European doctors wonder when dengue first comes to Europe.

I'm slower than you. I'm still on the linguistic topic. I found such cute videos on youtube. Korean for Spanish people, the coolest Vietnamese tongue twisters, and finally a song that teaches me the arab alfabet effevtively.

Angela, jeder GM Moskito-Mann wird sich in Dich verlieben.
:-)

[grandpa]

Mosquitoes are the self defense of the rain forest against multinational companies.
What would be the other reason of wanting to get rid of them?

As " floor technician" is a fancy name for a so called "dirty" job, dengue fever is a fancy name which was created so that tourists could still bring their cash to tropical destination without being afraid to catch malaria.
Chikungunia is an exotic name which was created so that tourist would stop bringing their cash to Asian countries.
It may have been created by Caribbean islands (°_°)
We all know that mosquitoes, malaria, dengue fever and Chikungunia are part of the natural selection process.
The west is just scared to leave the planet to Asians who have proven to be resistant to those diseases.

[Bianca Schlimm]

Asians will have to share the world with latinos. They also can take dengue and they are also capable of raising many children, which the Western woman is not anymore, way too stressful. Enjoy! About arabs and malaria I don't know.

[grandpa]

#bianca

Mosquitoes do like deserts too much

[grandpa]

#bianca

Mosquitoes do NOT like deserts too much

[S Mackenzie]

There is certainly a time to laugh and be lighthearted but there is also a time to be serious. Especially as no other comments here expose the negative (and in my opinion truthful) side of the issue - apart for a very small indication of this in the title of the article. But dont just take my word for it - just do your own independent research and come to your own conclusion.

The population control agenda has been ongoing for sometime: believe it or not (and most wont believe it, but Aids was introduced into society to cull the population, in particularly certain races and certain areas of society, i'll let you work which ones), it was put into unclean vaccines given to 3rd world countries.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4CWryNYJgPo

Sars was also purposely introduced and targets Asian's.

http://www.cuttingedge.org/news/n1812.cfm

Unfortunately the 'powers that be' believe there are too many of us and as such rather than introducing a 'one child policy' like China has (which would cause a major backlash in the countries that policy is introduced in) they are picking us off literally one by one . . .by many insideous methods.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georgia_Guidestones

Wonder why airports are now irradiating people through 'soon to be' compulsory body scanners? Radiation has been used since the 40's to sterilize people.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2010-11-22-scanner-lobby_N.htm

Did you know the 'underwear' bomber was allowed ON the plane without a passport (have you tried to get on a plane without even a boarding pass nowadays?) and was escorted on by FBI agents. Do your research. Fox news aint going tell you anything worthwhile (and who owns Fox news? . . .90% of all the media is owned by 5 people. It's actually illegal for the press to produce articles that incite anti-government feeling. Seen any dead bodies of soldiers from Iraq? You wont).
99% of people wont believe this, as people are too trusting and fundamentally nice & caring - but there is an awakening happening. You have to realise the people at the top (Bushes, Rothschilds, Rockerfellers, Kissingers and others. You think Obama is a 'real' president? Presidents are corporate spokespeople, that's why actors normally make the best ones, he's the autocue president). They do not think like you. Wonder why we have so many wars - but have you ever met a person that wants war? Their thinking is inhuman and is capable of horrendous crimes.

Getting back to the infertile mosquitoes, has anyone thought the obvious?? What do you think will happen to you if you get bitten by a insect that has an infertility gene in it? When mosquitoes bite you (i.e inject you, they are like v. small syringes) they transfer their genetic material, larvae etc, into you - this is how you get malaria or dengue fever and other diseases.

Pardon the pun but this 'butterfly effect' will whirl itself to become the biggest medical super-typhoon to hit us yet. But that is the agenda. Every agency worldwide from the UN to even your local family planning clinic has population control as it's main thesis.

http://www.radioliberty.com/pca.htm

Again dont take my word for it, and this is only a small part of the very big puzzle, disregard it if you wish, and 99% of you will. But in 2 or 3 years or less it will become glaringly obvious . . .

[TS]

Oooh, me clements! What a merry old soul is 'e 'aving a rum & coke on us?
I'm not having a cows calf, 'is crust must have gone stale, know what I mean guv'ner?

[Chamin]

> negative (and in my opinion truthful)
No photographer is going to agree with that :-p

[Chamin]

> Lets start " Mozzy's" the only
> restaurant serving curried
> mosquitoes,...

The name "Mos Burger" is taken, but we can have "MOZ Burger" :-p

[grandpa]

@ s.mackenzie

You forgot rex 84
I am so aware of what your say that I use these columns to get a daily dose of fresh air, in order to keep my sanity..

Which is probably the reason why you cannot find many serious comments here....

this blog is like an elevator , once you close its doors , you cannot heart the turmoil outside.

[rafanjr]

...i agree with grandpa, (and its so weird)

[farah]

desserts or desserts, curries or no curries in my home i'm mozzies favorite snack.

[Momo]

Would it not be more 'natural' to breed a box-full of dragonflies and release them into the infected areas.. so to speak?

Since Dragonflies (to my knowledge) spend the majority of their time eating mozzies and other pests about the world, a surplus of these might help control the annoying-flying insect population.

snippy link: http://snipurl.com/25zdl5

Plus they're pretty cool to watch.

[Angela]

There are all sorts of serious people in here.

Some Seriously funny.

Some Seriously insane.

And Some just seriously entered the wrong ward.

[Angela]

Don't have a cow, man!

;-)

[grandpa]

@ momo
"Would it not be more 'natural' to breed a box-full of dragonflies and release them into the infected areas.. so to speak?"

You do not understand the concept of money making business.
The idea is to make money one way or another:

When they started to fly to space , Americans discovered that their pens would not work in those difficult conditions.
They started a research program to create a pen and ink which would work.
The cost was a figure with lots of zeros behind ( taxpayers' money)
The Russians did not have the same problems ( they did not have any problem at all , as a matter of fact) :they used pencils.

Research about mosquitoes are following the same process.
The tax on carbon , too.

@Farah
I would not mind being transformed into a mosquito in your country.

[TS]

Grandpa, you have fallen into the trap of myths.

The company Fisher spent about one million dollars developing the pen and then offered it to NASA for testing.
The Russians later adopted the use of the same pen.

Pencils made from wood and graphite are not suitable for use in an oxygen rich environment such as a space capsule. The wood is an extreme fire hazard and broken off graphite bits are electrically conductive, which you do not want in your electronics.

Fisher sold 400 Space Pens to NASA at a price of $2.95 each.

They probably earned their money back many times by advertising "used by NASA in space".

[grandpa]

@ TS

You have no sense of humor;
The story above circulates in the aviation community as a joke

[grandpa]

Maybe ( most probably) russian spacecrafts did not use electronics

[TS]

I got a great sense of humor: A Frenchman, a Dane and an astronaut walks into a bar. The Frenchman orders a whiskey sour and the Dane orders a... No... Wait, it's the Dane that orders a whiskey sour and the Frenchman then says "you should try that with..." Ah.... Hold on... I forgot to tell you that the Frenchman orders a glass of Tang and it's the astronaut who tells the Frenchman to "try it with some..." oh... Hmm Maybe it was the astronaut who ordered the Tang, that would make more sense... I can't remember what the Frenchman drinks then... Anyway, bartender has the punchline when he says "the bill has already been paid by that blonde NASA employee sitting in the corner over there". I think it was supposed to be a woman sitting there...

Great joke huh?

[Amicus]

OMG LOL TS!,

just as funny as when Cicero first told that old chestnut in Latin (courtesy of Google Translator) ;-P

Possedi magna SD: Gallum et Danus astronaut in thermopolium ambulat. Gallicus cupam iubet acidum et ordines Dani A. .. No .. Expecta suus a Dane cupam ordines acidum et tunc Gallus dicat 'ut praesentium ... Ah .... Hold on ... Oblitus sum tibi quod ordines Gallus cyathus caudam astronaut suus qui dixerit Gallus experior "uti alicuius ... o ... Maybe Hmm astronaut erat qui iussit caudam ut faceret sapit ... Non memini quae Gallus bibit tunc ... Alioqui habet punchline vinarius cum dicit iam rogatione ea numerata NASA blonde operarius in angulo sedebat illic. Puto esse deberet ibi mulierem sedentem ...

Great huh iocari?

[Nury]

TS, you sound just like my wife trying to tell a joke.

She tells it all in bits and frequently backwards. In theory, it shouldn't work at all, but she does it all so charmingly that she gets bigger laughs than I do!

As for grandpa's story about the space pencil, that's definitely an example of the myth containing a much deeper level of truth than the truth, don't you think?

Amicus, who are you?

[Christyn Rana]

I'm in Malaysia. I don't think they should do away with mosquitoes. They are the main reason why all the fat Malaysians are still able to fit sideways through the door. A little fatter and the snatch thieves will be joining the rescue teams. Yep new employment opportunities, economy, GDP and what-nots. One little mosquito goes a long way.

[V]

I might be a bit late here, but... er... it's just mozzies!! they love my blood and I want them dead!! simple as that!
Gosh! I think that S.M. is from the land of the greatest civilization on earth!

And why pencils/pens in the space??? crayons are just perfect, they are used widely amongst the small people community, just don't buy the made-in-china ones, could be poisonous...