Mosquito Project
Recent outbreaks of mosquito-borne illnesses such as West Nile virus, Dengue fever, Chikungunyan virus, and malaria have called for immediate and drastic efforts in controlling these diseases more effectively. Through both transgenesis and paragenesis studies on the mosquito, the development of a means of bio-controlling these diseases by targeting the disease vector is an obtainable endeavor.
Mosquito species harbor a particular bacterium called Wolbalchia, which has been proposed to be a potential organism for bio-controling mosquitoes. Wolbalchia exerts a number of influences on reproductive traits of the mosquito such as cytoplasmic incompatibility and feminization. This bacterium has been used to block the spread of Dengue in some parts of the world by introducing specific strains of Wolbalchia into the mosquito species.
Our effort is directed at using bioengineering to render mosquito populations incapable of infecting people without altering the natural ecosystem. The Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex serves as one of the epicenters of outbreaks of West Nile virus in 2006 and 2012, with the possibility of future outbreaks. By bioengineering mosquitoes, we can eliminate the need for environmentally unfriendly practices like the use of insecticides
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