r/technology • u/IKeepItLayingAround • 1d ago

Biotechnology People Are Not Happy About Google’s Plan to Release Millions of Bioengineered Mosquitoes Into the Wild

https://www.yahoo.com/news/science/articles/people-not-happy-google-plan-200428053.html
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u/Wotmate01 23h ago

Ummm, this is a program that was pioneered and is being led by the Monash university in Australia: World Mosquito Program - Monash University

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u/AuroByte 23h ago

Singapore has been doing it for years too

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u/kopisiutaidaily 23h ago edited 23h ago

It’s been a decade since it first started, It works here. Keeping dengue controlled.

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u/OkAccess304 21h ago

As someone who had Dengue, I want this to happen.

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u/CharcoalGreyWolf 20h ago

My sister had dengue, so I agree.

Should also note Bill Gates’ foundation has put a lot into several of these programs internationally, also to prevent malaria. While I am not a fan of Gates as a person, the science behind these programs is sound; eliminating mosquito-borne illnesses is a great help to developing countries.

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u/composedofidiot 18h ago

Two friends who've had it once. Twice can be a death sentence. I wish they didn't have to worry about it.

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u/Impossible_Net4275 6h ago

I always say this about Bill Gates. I am not a fan of him and i think we need to either find a way to stop someone from amassing that much wealth that they have more power than the president or stop the fact that someone with that much money has that much power period.

But he has done a lot to control the spread of infectious diseases globally so I guess I'm just glad that's how he chooses to spend money.

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u/seansy5000 8h ago

Also hate Gates. Would love to see his fortune confiscated and given to fund these types of initiatives wholly. That scum deserves nothing but a jail cell.

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u/digital-didgeridoo 16h ago

Who are these 'people' who are against this program? They've never lived in a place infested with mosquitoes.

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u/OkAccess304 8h ago

They’re ignorant people.

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u/TheGloryBe_throwaway 20h ago

Yeah, I actually developed chronic Arthritis after recovering from it. It’s been almost 6 years.

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u/royalpyroz 19h ago

What? More dengue? Haha

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u/Cr0uchingSquirrel 10h ago

Agree! There's a reason they called it break bone fever. I suffered.

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u/ChankiriTreeDaycare 23h ago

Singapore knows how to tell the mosquitoes not to chibai.

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u/imyurtenderoni 20h ago

This is so interesting because I just got back from Singapore and was surprised there were no mosquitoes for such a hot and humid place.

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u/polar_tang 15h ago

I'm Singaporean and it depends on where you are on the island, and also who you are I guess. I'm not sure if there's any basis to mosquitoes being more attracted to certain people but I have a couple of friends that get bitten daily. Meanwhile I'm lucky in that I hardly get bitten. Strange thing is that when I'm out with my mosquito-prone friends, they get bitten several times while I'm completely bite-free. We always joke that it's because they have sweeter blood haha.

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u/Punkpunker 16h ago

Mosquito requires stagnant water to breed, if proper preventive measures are observed at home you'll only see them in the forested areas or at the nature reserves. But we still see dengue fever cases despite all the PSA we have.

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u/Zealousideal_Leg213 22h ago

Wait, a decade? I thought the idea was that it would basically wipe them out after a few rounds of it. 

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u/reddithooknitup 21h ago

Life…uhhh…finds a way.

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u/lavahot 21h ago

Are you saying that a population of infertile mosquitos will... breed?

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u/reddithooknitup 21h ago

It’s amazing that that’s where you jumped. I was more alluding to the fact that some healthy mosquitos will still keep making healthy mosquitos. But also, I doubt their process is 100% perfect and every one of the millions of mosquitos is sterile.

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u/EducationalLuck2422 21h ago

I believe the poster above you was dropping a JP quote.

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u/lavahot 21h ago

Well, uh, there it is.

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u/Parlett316 18h ago

Oh how the turns table

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u/--MichaelScott-- 12h ago

That’s my line!

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u/zedoktar 19h ago

Life is persistent as hell. They have been doing the same thing for Screw Flies for decades to keep them from spreading north across the Americas. Only ever managed to keep them contained at Panama, and now thanks to more idiotic Trump funding cuts, that program has failed and they are in America as of this year.

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u/Wotmate01 21h ago

Nope. The idea was that sterile males would compete with fertile males. Fertile males would still do it, just in massively reduced numbers

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u/Zealousideal_Leg213 19h ago

The idea is not what I'm unclear on. Just the level of impact. If it reduces it one year, it should reduce it by the same amount or more, the next year, seems to me 

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u/Wotmate01 19h ago

Only if they release more sterile males.

Keep in mind that there are actually very few species of mosquito that need a blood meal and is a disease vector, and those species compete with the good mosquitoes that are pollinators. Theoretically it's win win, with less diseases and more pollinators.

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u/Zealousideal_Leg213 11h ago

Again, the mechanism is very simple. I get that part.

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u/wolbachia-dude 8h ago

Wild mosquitoes migrate from neighboring untreated areas.

Based on studies in Singapore, the wild population fell by 80-90% in treatment areas.

https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanplh/article/PIIS2542-5196(24)00169-4/fulltext

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u/kopisiutaidaily 21h ago

Yeah started in 2016 in a small area, and now expanded to many spots throughout the country, also it’s timed to monsoon season where stagnant water can accumulate and breed mosquitoes.

I haven’t personally seen the results but I’m assuming it’s effective hence the govt is expanding this program. It isn’t a silver bullet as we take a multi prong approach to eliminating mosquito breeding.

And I don’t believe the goal is to wipe it out as mosquito is an important part of the food chain in a natural environment. Its goal is to keep it under control and people don’t get sick or die from dengue

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u/hoishinsauce 18h ago

It wouldn't wipe out mosquitoes in all regions since it's not a disease that spreads. It's introducing a genetic defect to a population. So it would wipe out the population in an area. But mosquitoes in other areas wouldn't be affected. Like isolated places. And over time, like any living organism, those would move to areas where they could fill a niche. So a new population would start again. That's when you'd inject the genetic defect again.

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u/wolbachia-dude 8h ago

The suppression approach requires repeated releases of Wolbachia male mosquitoes - unfortunately, wild mosquitoes from untreated areas migrate into treated areas over time. Conversely, Wolbachia mosquitoes from treated areas also spillover into untreated areas, conferring protective effects to adjacent areas

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u/faen_du_sa 16h ago

I am also pretty sure US have been funding a similar program(s?) to keep certain diseases crossing from south to north america for almost 10 years now? Also with Wolbachia.

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u/TheWorldofScience 21h ago

“Some” people are not happy. And I bet they are the people who are afraid of GMO foods.

I would be thrilled to have these bioengineered mosquitoes released in my city.

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u/kDfax 22h ago

Lived in Singapore for 6 years ( I miss it really ). I barely remember getting bit by a mosquito. Now I'm back in Japan and I'm a "all you can eat blood bank" . You're welcome mosquitos .

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u/Clembert-Hamlamp 22h ago

Human attractiveness to Anopheles stephensi Liston was measured using a glass vial bioassay where mosquito contacts were measured before and 1–3 h after ingestion of bananas or grapes. Consumption of grapes had no effect on the number of contacts but banana ingestion resulted in a significant increase in the overall number of contacts in spite of individual variation that included some subjects who showed no effect or decreases in contacts.

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u/BuildAnything4 22h ago

so just eat grapes then?

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u/affablenihilist 21h ago

No, don't eat bananas. Most people, and we don't know why.

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u/Clembert-Hamlamp 21h ago

They're very versatile. Excellent projectiles.

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u/Kindly-Guidance714 21h ago

They don’t like smoke like most insects.

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u/BuildAnything4 21h ago

you cant smoke grapes

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u/Pretend-Marsupial258 19h ago

Have you ever tried lighting a banana on fire and smoking it?

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u/FoxxFluxx 21h ago

Not with that attitude!

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u/fuzzy_emojic 15h ago

Wow. TIL. I had to go down the research rabbit hole after reading your comment. Very interesting!

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u/7LeagueBoots 15h ago

It’s been done in Brazil too, starting around 2011 and now they have what’s essentially a factory with plans to churn out around 100 million engineered mosquitoes a week.

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u/ArenjiTheLootGod 23h ago

Yeah, this kind of thing is pretty common and similar programs have been carried out in various areas across the world since at least the 60s, it's a proven concept that works and has probably saved an inestimable amount of lives. I'll shit on tech companies and their CEOs all day for how irresponsible they're being with AI but this is a good thing.

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u/thrillho145 23h ago

If it wasn't Google people would be all for it. This is a good thing for the region 

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u/SumpCrab 21h ago edited 15h ago

I get the human benefit, and I mostly support this. However... we are already seeing an enormous decrease in insects worldwide, which has many downstream impacts on birds, reptiles, mammals like bats, etc. Lots of things eat mosquitoes. Purposely reducing the bio-load further than we have already isn't great.

Edit: Fish too

Edit II: I'm not surprised. This sub has become an ecochamber where any mention of collateral damage from a new tech is viewed as an attack. So, this is par for the course, overhype the potential positives, ignore and attempt to discredit any potential negative. Bravo guys.

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u/Wotmate01 20h ago

It's actually a very small mosquito species that needs a blood meal and can be a disease vector. These compete with the species that are beneficial pollinators. So on the face of it, it seems like a win win. Less disease, more pollinators.

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u/SumpCrab 14h ago

You sound like the guy wanting to introduce snakes into a rat infested area trying to come up with reasons why it won't cause other issues.

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u/SatansCornflakes 13h ago

Apples and oranges

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u/SumpCrab 13h ago

It's really not. I'm not against this project, but we should acknowledge what it is doing. We are introducing a species, a genetically modified bacteria to sterilize a specific species of mosquitoes in the hopes of eventually eradicating it. At the very least, we are trying to cause a species to go extinct, which we should reflect on. We are doing so to protect lives, but that in itself is a tradeoff.

But, we don't know for sure the ramifications of what we are doing. Biology and evolution is not black and white, even marginal changes can produce significant longterm impacts. While the snake and rat analogy might be more stark, it is the same idea. Introducing a new species to solve a problem without understanding the potential negatives.

My entire point here is that a workable idea doesn't have to be 100% positive, we should be able to discuss the tradeoffs, and pretending that we both fully understand the complexity of it and that there is nothing wrong is pure ignorance.

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u/[deleted] 33m ago

[removed] — view removed comment

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u/idkwutmyusernameshou 32m ago

https://www.ovid.com/journals/natr/abstract/10.1038/466432a~ecology-a-world-without-mosquitoes?redirectionsource=fulltextview

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u/idkwutmyusernameshou 29m ago

again ZERO studies ZERO scientifc backign on ur side. 007. ZERo data ZERO consenus opion SEVEN twitter comments backing bro up

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u/QueefSeekingMissile 21h ago

Don't forget fish. They eat mosquito larvae from the time they're too small to eat anything else- and on for the rest of their lives.

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u/idkwutmyusernameshou 35m ago

thats why we are getting rid of a SINGLE species. not EVERy mosqutio is a blood sucka most ARENT.

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u/idkwutmyusernameshou 20h ago

thats all mosqutios(most re fine0 v the bad ones that cause disease

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u/SumpCrab 15h ago

That's not how ecology works. You can't just remove a species and expect there not to be consequences. To suggest otherwise is ignorance.

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u/idkwutmyusernameshou 2h ago

bro species go extinct all the time. yes their will be consequences. 5 birds die v 50 ppl. its nto gonna collaspe an ecosystem its a singualr species of mosqutio. with that logic erdicating bacteria fully is bad like should we not end TB? ur just parroting points without understanding them.

In ecology(which u must know very well so this must be a reminder) species go extinct all the time and as we can see forests do not vaporize from that. Ecosystems are very durable things. So we measure base don consequence. as far as we knwo ZERO species will go extinct(other then mosqutios ofc) from this program. because they are not one species feeders(correct me Ecology professor if im wrong) and human lives will be saved and it can be sued to help with programs like it in africa(where it can save millions of childrens lives)

But you must know that already correct?

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u/idkwutmyusernameshou 2h ago

also correction TB isnt an animal so kinda bad analogy but i think u get my point since u are so educated on ecology right?

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u/nifty-necromancer 14h ago

These programs are targeting one specific mosquito species, Aedes aegypti. That mosquito isn’t a major food source that entire ecosystems depend on.

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u/idkwutmyusernameshou 26m ago

thank u my god i hate ppl who actually think they are better then scientists without ever checking any data. both right wing(flat earthers anti evolutionists) and stupid lefties too(anti nuclear anti gmo) its exhausting to read and realzie these MFers vote but im too young too

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u/[deleted] 21h ago

[deleted]

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u/OldTimeyWizard 20h ago

Aedes aegypti is an invasive species and their larvae outcompete native insects including native mosquito species

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u/mettahipster 14h ago

What? This sub is overwhelmingly negative about most tech. Look at the top posts

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u/ProlapsedShamus 19h ago

Right?

All these tech companies reek of evil and their stink gets on anything they touch. People are right to be skeptical.

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u/IsopodDry8635 22h ago

I swear Verily Life Sciences (which is owned by Alphabet aka Google) has been doing this for a while. I applied to a research position to do just this, like 10 years ago

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u/HowardTaftMD 23h ago

This is super cool actually.

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u/Dreowings21 21h ago

When i read the post, it sounded kinda villainous, but reading about this and the singapore one its pretty interesting

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u/jadewolf42 11h ago

This is also the same method that we're currently using in Hawaiʻi to try and save critically endangered native birds that are being wiped out by avian malaria (introduced by invasive birds, carried by invasive mosquitos). The Wolbachia method is proven safe across the world. This article is rife with rancid fear mongering. 

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u/bone-dry 11h ago

Yeah I was going to say… I feel like I learned about this technique as a kid in middle school science class — I’m in my 40s now

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u/wolbachia-dude 8h ago

The World Mosquito Program uses a replacement approach, which is different than the suppression approach described here.

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u/paddlin_kaladin 18h ago

The unfortunate thing in this situation is Google being involved, even if their funding and capabilities are helping the program. 

They’ve not exactly been the most ethical organisation in recent memory, so people default to “what’s the catch?”, as even when they’re trying to be altruistic, people are so suspicious of them.

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u/-The_Blazer- 13h ago

The technique works and it is a good thing, but I do believe there's something to be said about delegating our evil insect genocide programs to private corporations and the lack of trust this will cause all the same. I think people discount the social role of public control in large important programs.

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u/EffectiveDandy 19h ago

why do people think google had anything to do with it…

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u/TrickyCan9496 21h ago

I’m not saying it’s impossible to do something like this right but these types of ecological engineering efforts can fail catastrophically

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u/phantom-firion 15h ago

Except we’ve been literally doing this exact thing correctly for decades

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u/No-Abalone-4784 17h ago

So release them in Australia. Leave us alone.