750 Million Genetically Engineered Mosquitoes Approved for Release in Florida Keys

Oxitec was founded in 2002 by Luke Alphey and David Kelly working with Oxford University's Isis Innovation technology transfer company.
In August 2015 Oxitec was purchased by U.S.-based Intrexon in a deal valued at $160 million.
Oxitec was purchased by US-based Third Security in early 2020.
CEO Grey Frandsen was appointed in 2017. He is an American who led start-up initiatives in the U.S. government
and the private and non-profit sectors on matters relating to national and global public health security,
biotechnology and crisis response. Frandsen led the company's transition to its 2nd generation technology
while expanding its programs to advance its mosquito and agricultural technologies.
Oxitec established partnerships with large agricultural industry leaders and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation,
which helped to advance Oxitec's 2nd generation technology.
Frandsen is the chairman of the board of directors for Pilgrim Africa, an NGO implementing malaria control programs
in Uganda funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Global Fund and private donors.
In 2020, Oxitec's OX5034 mosquito was approved for release by state and federal authorities for use in Florida.
The company claimed that it had already released over 1 billion mosquitos without problems.
The company plans to release 750 million males in 2021 in the Florida Keys.
[link to en.wikipedia.org (secure)]

Who did the counting? Where do you store 750 million altered blood suck mosquitoes without killing them? How do you genetically engineer 750 million mosquitoes?

I call

retired and current cia ops get first trials.
sounds brilliant!

The main substantive difference, compared to the earlier OX513A strain,
is that the genetically engineered killing mechanismin OX5034is intended to kill the female GE mosquitoes only,
with GE males surviving for multiple generations.

Although Oxitec frequently describedits OX513A GEmosquitoes as “sterile”, this is not the case.
The released GEmales mate and produce offspring which inherit the genetically engineered late-lethality trait.
This means thatmost (but not all) of the GEmosquitoes’ offspring die at the late larval stage,
in the water where the female mosquitoes lay their eggs. GeneWatch UK has repeatedly warned
(including in its previous regulatory submissions cited above) that this partial survival rate,
even if low (a reported 3 to 4% in laboratory conditions), would lead to the establishment of hybrid mosquitoes in the environment,
which might possess altered properties, including the potential for enhanced disease transmission or resistance to insecticides
[link to www.genewatch.org]

The Aedes aegypti mosquito that Oxitec proposes to release is itself categorised as a pest,
under 7 U.S.C. § 136(t) and § 136w(c)(1), because this mosquito species may be injurious to health or the environment.
Mosquitoes are listed as Pests of Significant Public Health Importance.
Further, the Aedes Aegypti mosquitois a disease vector,
as defined in 42 CFR §71.54: “Any animals (vertebrate or invertebrate) including arthropods
or any noninfectious self-replicating system (e.g., plasmids or other molecular vector)
or animal products (e.g., a mount, rug, or other display item composed of the hide,
hair, skull, teeth, bones, or claws of an animal) that are known to transfer
or are capable of transferring an infectious biological agent to a human”.

In 2015, Intrexon purchased Oxitec, a maker of gene drive technology for $160 million.
In April 2019, Intrexon formed a subsidiary called Precigen, with a focus on human gene therapy.
In early 2020, Intrexon adopted the name of its subsidiary, Precigen, and narrowed its focus to human gene editing.
With the change in name the CEO of subsidiary Precigen, Helen Sabzevari,
took over leadership of the company from Randal J. Kirk.
[link to en.wikipedia.org (secure)]

(US8967029B1) Toxic mosquito aerial release system
A device for the aerial release of mosquitoes
includes an unmanned aerial vehicle operable by remote control.
It carries a container holding a central processing unit and a mosquito breeding bin,
which is a self-contained volume housing mosquitoes
and a mosquito food having a toxin suitable to be transmitted
by mosquito bite after the mosquito consumes the mosquito food.
[link to patents.google.com (secure)]

They'll work their way to west palm beach.

According to Dr B Reddya Naik, Professor of Zoology..

Osmania University

H...y...d...e...r...a...b...a...d

Wolbachia bacterium link to Aedes and dengue
has been long established and the new research findings with its latest promising data is a positive outcome to curb vector born diseases.
The professor further explained that the RCT trial conducted in Indonesia was based on the concept that Aedes aegypti mosquitoes
when infected by Wolbachia will not transmit viruses like dengue when they bite humans.
This technique was pioneering by an Australian researcher Scott O Neill, who is a microbiologist in Monash University in Melbourne.
Giving more details on the new research study, Dr. Naik said that the research study taken up in Indonesia
was in fact was carried out under the World Mosquito Programme (WMP),
a voluntary organization lead by Monash University in Australia,
which is working on the subject of reducing threat of viruses
like zika, dengue, chikungunya etc diseases transmitted through mosquitoes.
[link to pharmabiz.com]

H...y...d...e...r...a...b...a...d (censored terrm on GLP)

(September 10, 2020) New research finds that Wolbachia bacterium can effectively block mosquito’s ability to spread viruses
According to Dr B Reddya Naik, Professor of Zoology, Osmania University in H...y...d...e...r...a...b...a...d, Wolbachia bacterium link to Aedes and dengue
has been long established and the new research findings with its latest promising data is a positive outcome to curb vector born diseases.
The professor further explained that the RCT trial conducted in Indonesia was based on the concept that Aedes aegypti mosquitoes
when infected by Wolbachia will not transmit viruses like dengue when they bite humans.
This technique was pioneering by an Australian researcher Scott O Neill, who is a microbiologist in Monash University in Melbourne.
Giving more details on the new research study, Dr. Naik said that the research study taken up in Indonesia
was in fact was carried out under the World Mosquito Programme (WMP),
a voluntary organization lead by Monash University in Australia,
which is working on the subject of reducing threat of viruses
like zika, dengue, chikungunya etc diseases transmitted through mosquitoes.
[link to pharmabiz.com]

gee..scientists are NEVER WRONG. what could possibly happen?