Non gene drive sterile male mosquitoes were recaptured inside homes, showing that, like wild males, they sometimes prefer to shelter inside houses.Non-modified male mosquitoes were also recaptured as well as wild-type male mosquitoes. Non gene drive sterile male mosquitoes were recaptured in swarms, showing that they can take part in swarming activities (important for reproduction) in a similar manner to wild mosquitoes.
The sterile male mosquitoes are genetically modified but do not carry a gene drive element that biases its inheritance.Īfter seven months of monitoring following the release, our team was able to collect essential information: The objective of the release was not yet to test a potential vector control tool.
Because the released mosquitoes are male and sterile, they do not bite and they will die without having offspring. It is important to note that this release will not have any impact on malaria vector mosquito density and malaria transmission in Bana nor in Burkina Faso. We then used the Mark, Release, Recapture technique to track them. The Target Malaria team at IRSS released approximately 6,400 non gene drive genetically modified sterile male mosquitoes of the Anopheles gambiae species and approximately 8,500 non-modified mosquitoes in the framework of a comparative study. Following years of engagement and continuous dialogue between the project and members of the village, the community of Bana provided their agreement for the release to take place on their land. The National Biosafety Agency ( Agence Nationale de Biosécurité-ANB) – the in-country competent authority for biotechnology and biosafety regulations – authorized the project to first import the eggs of genetically modified mosquitoes from the partner institution Polo d’Innovazione di Genomica, Genetica e Biologia-PoloGGB in Italy and then perform the release of these mosquitoes in the wild.
#Drive for results how to
It was also a capacity-building opportunity for the whole team on how to import, rear, transport and release and monitor non gene drive genetically modified mosquitoes. It enabled us to work closely with the stakeholders and the regulatory authorities it provided a lot of information regarding the behaviour of modified mosquitoes in the field. This release was the first ever done in Africa and marked an important milestone for Target Malaria and for vector control research.
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