Genetic Engineering and Diseases – Gene Drive & Malaria
Why Hacker News recommends it
HN links it as a clear explainer of gene drive when mosquito genetic engineering comes up.
What it is
A Kurzgesagt animation on using gene drives to modify mosquitoes against malaria, and whether we should. It explains the mechanism and the ethical trade-offs.
Recommended by 1 HN commenters across 1 different months, 2016 to 2025.
What Hacker News said
Recommends smnscu · 2016-10 · on “We’re trying to stop bad mosquitoes by raising and releasing good ones”
Similar (using crispr to change the mosquitoes' genome) video from Kurzgesagt, one of my favourite Youtube channels: [this video]
Cites chasil · 2022-04 · on “Results from first US trial of genetically modified mosquitoes”
The introduction of an invasive species can have an overall beneficial effect if carefully evaluated, and there is a lot that can go wrong. [LINK] It appears that a "gene drive" was introduced into the Florida Keys in this case, and that is much more targeted and specific to a species that it is intended to destroy. [this video]
Cites gcanyon · 2025-03 · on “Gene drive modified mosquitoes offer new tool for malaria elimination efforts”
The idea of using gene drive on mosquitoes has been circulating for at least 8 years. [1] In that time, something like 4 million people have died of malaria, many millions more have been infected, and it is significantly impacting the economic growth of Africa. What will it take for us to pull the trigger on this? 1. [this video]