What could go wrong? (serious question!)
The worst, worst possible case would be this gene getting somehow into the general mosquito population and making mosquitoes extinct. That would be a disaster since they are an important food source for so many other species.
Presumably, the much-smarter-than-me scientists have thought of this.
Or it wouldn't be a disaster since there's no species that exclusively feed on mosquitos.
The species of mosquito targeted here is actually a pest that follows humans around. It tends to only infest areas where humans have settled and mostly preys on humans. Where we go, it goes.
The genetic modification here is designed to shut down their breeding patterns. It targets that specific species and is far, far better for the local ecosystems than pesticides or other measures.
Basically, it's trying to kill off a pest species we bring with us.
In addition, theoretical downsides that have been considered and deemed unlikely by the scientific community (like making it seem that disease carrying mosquitos are an irreplaceable food source) are trotted out again and again.
In addition, just like with vaccines, the risk of doing nothing (kids die from measles, etc in the case of vaccines, and kids die from malaria and Zika, etc in the case of mosquito control).
Based on what I've read this sounds safe but that is not a fair analogy and given our pretty crappy track record of screwing up local ecosystems by trying to introduce balancing species, I'd say this warrants caution and wouldn't fault people their discomfort.
Even with vaccines there have been issues. See for example the Russian vaccine with the live virus. Or people who have caught polio from the Sabine vaccine. Or the kids with bowel intusseception from the Rotavirus vaccines. Or the scare about blood clots with Astra-Zeneca and J&J.
You will never be able to achieve 100% safety with zero risk.
However, you have to consider the trade offs and the baseline risks.
I think when you consider this for both vaccines and genetically modified mosquitoes, the benefits far outweighs the risks.
Edit:
Also, Moderna and Pfizer are the first vaccines to use mRNA technology. Because they haven’t been tried and true for decades, which seems to be your standard of safety, would you advise people not to take them?
Can only become tried and true if you actually try it ;).
If anything, it should make the environment better for the native species of mosquitos (of which there are many), due to decreased competition from the invasive species.
1. https://www.todayonline.com/voices/number-project-wolbachia-...
2. https://www.nst.com.my/world/region/2020/05/590838/singapore...
Another important point is that it only accounts for 4% of all mosquitoes in the area, so even if it was entirely eradicated, 96% of mosquitoes would still be fine.
Hopefully far-fetched.
> Among insects, so-called killer bees were accidentally created during an attempt to breed a strain of bees that would both produce more honey and be better adapted to tropical conditions. It was done by crossing a European honey bee and an African bee.
Inheritable fertility manipulation and gene drives should be applied very, very carefully
2. Some males will evolve genes which disable the sterilization gene. By opening this evolutionary pathway we could enhance the mosquitoes in unintended ways.
That causes the population of Mosquitoes to become more troublesome.
Hopefully unlikely!!
All joking aside, I hope everything works out okay.
We don't currently believe that they are, however.