How CRISPR Could Eradicate Mosquitoes

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In many parts of the world, mosquitoes are more than just a nuisance, spreading diseases like Zika, dengue, and yellow fever that have proven difficult to manage. What if we could eradicate the mosquito instead? At the 2016 World Science Festival, biologist Ben Matthews discussed the potential–and the dangers–of using the revolutionary gene-editing technology CRISPR to genetically alter or even wipe out mosquitoes using a controversial technique known as a gene drive.

[Source: World Science Festival You Tube channel]