For World Mosquito Day, TED-Ed asks 'Ethical dilemma: Should we get rid of mosquitoes?'

Happy World Mosquito Day! For this year's celebration, I'm passing along TED-Ed asking Ethical dilemma: Should we get rid of mosquitoes? - Talya Hackett.

Explore how the technology of gene drives could lead to the eradication of mosquitoes and what that could mean for our ecosystems.
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Mosquitoes are responsible for more human deaths every year than any other animal, but very few of the 3,500 mosquito species actually transmit deadly diseases to humans. Scientists have been conducting experiments using engineered technologies called gene drives that could theoretically get rid of the most lethal mosquitoes. So, should we eradicate these pesky insects? Talya Hackett investigates.

Lesson by Talya Hackett, directed by Luísa M H Copetti, Hype CG.

I'd prefer making the mosquitoes immune to the malaria parasite to driving them, pun intended, to extirpation, but I don't have to live with malaria. I'll let the people who do make that decision.

Watching this video reminds me that I have been showing Vox's The bold plan to end malaria with a gene drive to my biodiversity students for years. It's time I shared it here.

How genetically engineered mosquitoes might defeat a disease that kills millions of children.
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The invention of the CRISPR gene editing tool has injected new life into a line of research called gene drive. Gene drives use selfish genetic elements to spread a modification through a wild population.

Researchers have proposed using gene drives against agricultural pests and invasive species, but the most urgent application is against vector-borne diseases like malaria, which kills hundreds of thousands of people every year, mostly in sub-Saharan Africa.

We talked to the scientists working on this revolutionary approach to disease eradication to find out how it works and how long it might take to deploy a technology like a gene drive against malaria.

That's a wrap for today's post. Stay tuned for a non-holiday entry tomorrow.