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Pastimes : Science and Innovation from Around the World
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From: jttmab10/11/2005 9:32:07 AM
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GREAT BALLS OF FIRE!
Scientists in London have created a mosquito with glowing testicles in a bid to stamp out malaria.

The male mosquitoes are genetically modified to make them infertile so when they mate with females, no more mosquitoes are produced.

The mosquitoes' sperm has been made fluorescent green so they can be easily identified from females.

This makes the mosquitoes' testicles glow under ultraviolet light, enabling scientists to separate the two sexes.

The males are then sterilised and released into the wild, causing a crash in the local mosquito population within weeks.

The team of researchers from Imperial College London say the plan is more successful than spraying whole areas with insect killer as it ensures only the mosquitoes will be wiped out.

"Unlike insecticides, sterile males target only the species you want to attack," says lead researcher Andrea Crisanti.

It is only the female mosquito that bites and spreads malaria to humans, but they can still spread the disease even if they have been sterilised.

This is why the team decided to target male mosquitoes to wipe out local insect populations, helping to stamp out the disease in the process.

The World Health Organisation says an African child dies every 30 seconds from malaria and the disease kills around 2.7 million people every year.

sky.com
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