tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4693000669302917676.post1084635186001022356..comments2023-05-29T01:50:54.507-07:00Comments on eco sustain green Sustainability Blog: Mosquitoes, High Tech, the Scam of Nathan Myhrvold?PacifiCAD Staffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09781034573529104451noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4693000669302917676.post-47460822310037674272010-03-12T19:04:33.950-08:002010-03-12T19:04:33.950-08:00http://www.ajtmh.org/cgi/content/full/77/6_Suppl/v...http://www.ajtmh.org/cgi/content/full/77/6_Suppl/vi<br /><br />Bart GJ Knols' journal piece on transgenic mosquitoesPaul K. Haederhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03990115945553573947noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4693000669302917676.post-83258215384125492222010-03-12T19:02:15.508-08:002010-03-12T19:02:15.508-08:00Bart -- Thanks for reminding me I re-blogged some ...Bart -- Thanks for reminding me I re-blogged some great information about IV's zapping "bug wars" gizmo. I have an hour long weekly radio show, Tipping Points: Voices from the Edge. www.kyrs.org. I'd like an hour with you on the show to discuss those disease epidemic countries most at risk, malaria, climate change affecting disease, health, etc. and other issues you grapple with witin your field and around other pursuits confronting disease, vector-borne epidemics, and equity and inequity in this malaria arena. Additionally, I'd love to read the full text of the co-authored journal article on transgenic mosquitoes and malaria. Not so sure about letting transgenic Franken-sqeeters running amok in Africa and other DEC's. <br /><br />paulha@spokanefalls.edu<br /><br />Genetic modification (GM) of mosquitoes (which renders them genetically modified organisms, GMOs) offers opportunities for controlling malaria. Transgenic strains of mosquitoes have been developed and evaluation of these to 1) replace or suppress wild vector populations and 2) reduce transmission and deliver public health gains are an imminent prospect. The transition of this approach from confined laboratory settings to open field trials in disease-endemic countries (DECs) is a staged process that aims to maximize the likelihood of epidemiologic benefits while minimizing potential pitfalls during implementation. Unlike conventional approaches to vector control, application of GM mosquitoes will face contrasting expectations of multiple stakeholders, the management of which will prove critical to safeguard support and avoid antagonism, so that potential public health benefits can be fully evaluated. Inclusion of key stakeholders in decision-making processes, transfer of problem-ownership to DECs, and increased support from the wider malaria research community are important prerequisites for this. It is argued that the many developments in this field require coordination by an international entity to serve as a guiding coalition to stimulate collaborative research and facilitate stakeholder involvement. Contemporary developments in the field of modern biotechnology, and in particular GM, requires competencies beyond the field of biology, and the future of transgenic mosquitoes will hinge on the ability to govern the process of their introduction in societies in which perceived risks may outweigh rational and responsible involvement.Paul K. Haederhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03990115945553573947noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4693000669302917676.post-50568016780474743972010-03-09T12:05:38.573-08:002010-03-09T12:05:38.573-08:00Dear Paul,
Many thanks for this blog, and re-blog...Dear Paul,<br /><br />Many thanks for this blog, and re-blogging the one I posted on MalariaWorld. Meanwhile I have challenged Intellectual Ventures to demonstrate the efficacy of their laser gun under controlled semi-field conditions in Africa. Something I am prepared to help them with.<br /><br />But...it remains quiet on their end. Not a word...<br /><br />MalariaWorld; www.malariaworld.orgDr. Bart GJ Knolshttp://www.malariaworld.orgnoreply@blogger.com