Genetically Engineered Mosquito

[starwater]

CNN is reporting that 750 million mosquitoes will be released into Florida Keys

https://www.cnn.com/2020/08/19/health/gmo-mosquitoes-approved-florida-scn-wellness/index.html

These engineered Aedes mosquitoes offspring will die in the larvae stage instead of maturing to bite humans and spread "deadly diseases, such as Zika, dengue, chikungunya and yellow fever."

I am no biologist, but it seems like it might suppress the population for awhile, but nature seems to find a way and this population may come back with a vengeance.?

I would love to hear from anyone who has knowledge of this.

 

[Worldtraveller]

https://jrlburke.files.wordpress.com/2015/10/could-should.jpg

I mean, it might be fine.

 

[starwater]

https://jrlburke.files.wordpress.com/2015/10/could-should.jpg

I mean, it might be fine.

This is exactly what I thought when I read it.

 

[bilby]

I don't see any problem here. Worst case, it doesn't work (or more plausibly doesn't work for long), and the problem stays the same.

It might help; It can't hurt.

Vague handwaving about 'nature finds a way', lifted from Hollywood, doesn't constitute a reason to expect this to cause any new problems, or make any existing problems worse.

Anything that causes even a short-term decline in the population of disease carrying mosquitoes is a good thing.

The argument "I don't know much about this, therefore it scares me and so shouldn't be allowed" is a truly awful one.

 

[starwater]

I don't see any problem here. Worst case, it doesn't work (or more plausibly doesn't work for long), and the problem stays the same.

It might help; It can't hurt.

Vague handwaving about 'nature finds a way', lifted from Hollywood, doesn't constitute a reason to expect this to cause any new problems, or make any existing problems worse.

Anything that causes even a short-term decline in the population of disease carrying mosquitoes is a good thing.

The argument "I don't know much about this, therefore it scares me and so shouldn't be allowed" is a truly awful one.

I never said it scared me. Read what I wrote. I am more interested in what experts on here have to say. You are truly awful in assuming and judging my reasons for posting.

 

[bilby]

I don't see any problem here. Worst case, it doesn't work (or more plausibly doesn't work for long), and the problem stays the same.

It might help; It can't hurt.

Vague handwaving about 'nature finds a way', lifted from Hollywood, doesn't constitute a reason to expect this to cause any new problems, or make any existing problems worse.

Anything that causes even a short-term decline in the population of disease carrying mosquitoes is a good thing.

The argument "I don't know much about this, therefore it scares me and so shouldn't be allowed" is a truly awful one.

I never said it scared me.

I know.

Read what I wrote.

I did.

I am more interested in what experts on here have to say. You are truly awful in assuming and judging my reasons for posting.

Right back at you.

 

[James Brown]

Mature mosquitoes (not just the larvae) are a major food source for birds, fish, and other wildlife. Will this impact them?

 

[J842P]

Mature mosquitoes (not just the larvae) are a major food source for birds, fish, and other wildlife. Will this impact them?

Here's some information, starting in section 13:

https://www.fda.gov/files/animal & ...Mosquito---Draft-Environmental-Assessment.pdf

 

[starwater]

What if all the dead larvae create breeding grounds for bacteria that cause other problems for flora and fauna?
What if the females don’t want to breed with the engineer male?
What if some of the larvae do live and they mutate to something that causes more damage.

Unintended consequences.

 

[Testy Calibrate]

I don't see any problem here. Worst case, it doesn't work (or more plausibly doesn't work for long), and the problem stays the same.

It might help; It can't hurt.

Vague handwaving about 'nature finds a way', lifted from Hollywood, doesn't constitute a reason to expect this to cause any new problems, or make any existing problems worse.

Anything that causes even a short-term decline in the population of disease carrying mosquitoes is a good thing.

The argument "I don't know much about this, therefore it scares me and so shouldn't be allowed" is a truly awful one.

The idea that I actually do know something about this therefore it is perfectly safe is worse though. Nature is systemic, not mechanical. It is not possible, even theoretically, to predict the effect of that particular systemic change. It is unknowable and therefore by default not "safe". I mean, any port in a storm or when the wolf is at the door or like that, but there is no way to predict what will happen.

Just sayin.

 

[Testy Calibrate]

What if all the dead larvae create breeding grounds for bacteria that cause other problems for flora and fauna?
What if the females don’t want to breed with the engineer male?
What if some of the larvae do live and they mutate to something that causes more damage.

Unintended consequences.

A few of the larvae will obviously survive. Whatever genes that happen to work against the introduced gene will fix in the population pretty quick.

 

[starwater]

What if all the dead larvae create breeding grounds for bacteria that cause other problems for flora and fauna?
What if the females don’t want to breed with the engineer male?
What if some of the larvae do live and they mutate to something that causes more damage.

Unintended consequences.

A few of the larvae will obviously survive. Whatever genes that happen to work against the introduced gene will fix in the population pretty quick.

When you say fix do you mean revert back to before the introduced gene?

 

[Testy Calibrate]

What if all the dead larvae create breeding grounds for bacteria that cause other problems for flora and fauna?
What if the females don’t want to breed with the engineer male?
What if some of the larvae do live and they mutate to something that causes more damage.

Unintended consequences.

A few of the larvae will obviously survive. Whatever genes that happen to work against the introduced gene will fix in the population pretty quick.

When you say fix do you mean revert back to before the introduced gene?

I mean the variant that overcame the introduced systemic effects will fix in the population quickly because all parents will possess some of it.

 

[starwater]

When you say fix do you mean revert back to before the introduced gene?

I mean the variant that overcame the introduced systemic effects will fix in the population quickly because all parents will possess some of it.

Then the mosquitoes that have this gene die out?

 

[Testy Calibrate]

When you say fix do you mean revert back to before the introduced gene?

I mean the variant that overcame the introduced systemic effects will fix in the population quickly because all parents will possess some of it.

Then the mosquitoes that have this gene die out?

There is even theoretically no way to know what will happen when these mosquitoes are introduced. I suggested a ferinstance, but the thing about that is that trying to engineer for all possibilities is not possible. The results cannot be determined without running the experiment. People who say it is safe are purely relying on hope because complex systems are complex. It is bad advice to say it is probably safe.

 

[bilby]

Then the mosquitoes that have this gene die out?

There is even theoretically no way to know what will happen when these mosquitoes are introduced. I suggested a ferinstance, but the thing about that is that trying to engineer for all possibilities is not possible. The results cannot be determined without running the experiment. People who say it is safe are purely relying on hope because complex systems are complex. It is bad advice to say it is probably safe.

Nonsense.

Resilient systems are resilient.

If the system isn't resilient, it's doomed anyway.

That's not hope, it's observation.

 

[skepticalbip]

There is apparently similar mindsets between Luddites fear of automation and the movements that are anti-genetic modification.

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

Then the mosquitoes that have this gene die out?

There is even theoretically no way to know what will happen when these mosquitoes are introduced. I suggested a ferinstance, but the thing about that is that trying to engineer for all possibilities is not possible. The results cannot be determined without running the experiment. People who say it is safe are purely relying on hope because complex systems are complex. It is bad advice to say it is probably safe.

Nonsense.

Resilient systems are resilient.

If the system isn't resilient, it's doomed anyway.

That's not hope, it's observation.

There is one thing you are overlooking. This is Florida. So if these mosquitos end up breeding into Mega-Mosquitos (the size of plums) and ravage Florida...

I’m really not seeing the downside here.

 

[fromderinside]

in 'merica it's been my experience that mosquitoes tend to be larger further north and smaller further south. The mosquitos I remember from
Florida were nearly microscopic while the mosquitos from northern Washington state were sometimes well over an inch long. Then there are the males which may be larger but are often silent when flying .... just .......'

 

[skepticalbip]

Florida highway warning sign?