Your data on MRCVSonline
The nature of the services provided by Vision Media means that we might obtain certain information about you.
Please read our Data Protection and Privacy Policy for details.

In addition, (with your consent) some parts of our website may store a 'cookie' in your browser for the purposes of
functionality or performance monitoring.
Click here to manage your settings.
EmailIphone Application    Posted: 26th September 2018
If you would like to forward this story on to a friend, simply fill in the form below and click send.
Your friend's email:
Your email:
Your name:
 
 
Send Cancel

Gene editing technique eliminates population of mosquitoes
The technique was utilised to target the Anopheles gambiae mosquito that is responsible for malaria transmission.
Study offers hope in the fight against malaria

Scientists have used gene editing technology to wipe out a population of caged mosquitoes for the first time.

Researchers from Imperial College London used a technique called ’gene drive’ to spread a genetic modification that blocks female production.

The technique was utilised to target the Anopheles gambiae mosquito that is responsible for malaria transmission. Researchers hope that mosquitoes carrying a gene drive could be released in the future to control wild mosquito populations.

Lead researcher Professor Andrea Crisanti, from the Department of Life Sciences at Imperial, said: “This breakthrough shows that gene drive can work, providing hope in the fight against a disease that has plagued mankind for centuries.

“There is still more work to be done, both in terms of testing the technology in larger lab-based studies and working with affected countries to assess the feasibility of such an intervention.”

In the study, the team targeted a gene called ‘doublesex’ which is responsible for whether a mosquito develops as a male or as a female. They engineered a gene drive solution to alter a region of the doublesex gene that is responsible for female development.

Males and females who carried the modified gene showed no changes. However, females with two copies of the modified gene displayed male and female characteristics, failed to bite, and did not lay eggs.

“It will still be at least 5-10 years before we consider testing any mosquitoes with gene drive in the wild, but now we have some encouraging proof that we’re on the right path,” Professor Crisanti continued. “Gene drive solutions have the potential one day to expedite malaria eradication by overcoming the barriers of logistics in resource-poor countries.”

The study is published in the journal Nature Biotechnology.

Become a member or log in to add this story to your CPD history

Practices urged to audit neutering data

News Story 1
 RCVS Knowledge has called on vet practices to audit their post-operative neutering outcomes.

It follows the release of the 2024 NASAN benchmarking report, which collates data from neutering procedures performed on dogs, cats and rabbits.

The benchmarking report enables practices in the UK and Ireland to compare their post-operative outcomes to the national average. This includes the rate of patients lost to follow-up, which in 2024 increased to 23 per cent.

Anyone from the practice can submit the data using a free template. The deadline for next report is February 2026.

Visit the RCVS Knowledge website to complete an audit. 

Click here for more...
News Shorts
New guidance for antibiotic use in rabbits

New best practice guidance on the responsible use of antibiotics in rabbits has been published by the BSAVA in collaboration with the Rabbit Welfare Association & Fund (RWA&F).

The guidance is free and has been produced to help veterinary practitioners select the most appropriate antibiotic for rabbits. It covers active substance, dose and route of administration all of which are crucial factors when treating rabbits owing to the risk of enterotoxaemia.

For more information and to access the guide, visit the BSAVALibrary.