Posted on 06/04/2025 7:27:17 AM PDT by yesthatjallen
Gene editing holds the potential of suppressing mosquito species that carry deadly diseases — and raises ethical questions.
Yet the development of this technology also raises a profound ethical question: When, if ever, is it okay to intentionally drive a species out of existence? Simoni said he hopes Target Malaria can move beyond the lab and deploy some of the genetically modified mosquitoes in their natural habitats within the next five years. The nonprofit research consortium gets its core funding from the Gates Foundation, backed by Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, and Open Philanthropy, backed by Facebook co-founder Dustin Moskovitz and his wife, Cari Tuna.At the heart of Target Malaria’s work is a powerful genetic tool called a gene drive.
“Technology is presenting new options to us,” said Christopher Preston, a University of Montana environmental philosopher. “We might’ve been able to make a species go extinct 150 years ago by harpooning it too much or shooting it out of the sky. But today, we have different options, and extinction could be completed or could be started in a lab.
“This is not a difficult audience, because these are people that are living in an area where children are dying,” said Krystal Birungi, an entomologist for Target Malaria in Uganda, though she added that she sometimes has to fight misinformation, such as the false idea that bites from genetically modified mosquitoes can make people sterile.
SNIP
(Excerpt) Read more at us.headtopics.com ...
and Swallows ...
“To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: 2A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; 3A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; 4A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;”
Ecclesiastes 3:1
The earth has very complex ecosystems and causing an abundant species to go extinct t could do untold harm to the natural order of life on the planet. I place this idea in the same category of ill advised schemes like creating solar shades in space to block sunlight to reduce farcical global warming.
The only reason for doing that is that we think that we’re smarter than God!
Those things are worse than mosquitoes. Fortunately, their biting attacks don't last long after they hatch. Maybe 3 days? For people that like the north country, August is usually the best for no to less biting bugs...
no
Nope. Like them or not, they play a role in the ecosystem. I know the chimney swifts I see in my neighborhood like them a lot.
I see Gates is behind this. Someone should inform him that he is not God, as hard as that might be for him to conceive.
Frogs too, and their predators, and up the chain.
Exactly.
Lots of birds feast on mosquitos. Which is worse? Mosquitos or TICKS? I hate them both.
AMEN! I hate TICKS worse than mosquitos! Next is CHIGGERS! (Chiggeros to the faint hearts)
6 to 8 weeks is black fly season
Messing with God’s design without God’s wisdom usely ends up with unforeseen consequences, mostly bad ones.
.
Aren’t mosquitoes also pollinators.
Interrupt the food chain too much and we do die. In much much greater numbers.
Some are. Which is another part of the problem.
Various flycatcher species of birds, swallows and even hummingbirds. A single dragonfly can eat up to about 100 mosquitos a day.
You left out lawyers.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.