Oxitec

History

2023: U.S. Authorities Study of Infectious Mosquitoes

The US is studying infectious mosquitoes with Bill Gates' money to create "artificial foci of natural focal infections." This was announced in July 2023 by the head of the radiation, chemical and biological defense forces of the Russian Armed Forces, Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov.

For mass production of carriers, dual-use production facilities can be involved, in particular the biotechnology company Oxitec, funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, he said.

US studies infectious mosquitoes

The spokesman for the Ministry of Defense believes that the Pentagon "successfully owns methods for adapting and growing vectors collected in their natural habitats." This technique helps to obtain mosquitoes and ticks infected with arboviruses in laboratory conditions, Kirillov explained.

He drew attention to the fact that the nature of the spread of vectors is uncontrollable. Entire countries and regions may be involved in the epidemic process, the general believes.

Kirillov also recalled that during the SVO, documents were found indicating that "specialized research organizations of the US Department of Defense" worked in Ukraine.

The Russian Ministry of Defense has already expressed concern earlier that such dangerous research is carried out in specialized organizations both in the United States and in other biological laboratories abroad, where more than 100 species of ticks and mosquitoes are studied.

In April, the Russian Defense Ministry announced that it was investigating 240 pathogens of dangerous diseases found in Ukrainian biological laboratories. Among them are pathogens of cholera and anthrax, specified in the Russian defense department.

Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy previously denied Moscow's version that the United States is implementing its military biological programs on the territory of his country. According to Zelensky, laboratories in Ukraine have remained since the time of the Soviet Union and are "engaged in ordinary science," and not military technologies.^[1]

2018: Bill Gates investment

In late June 2018, it became known about Bill Gates' investment in a research project that creates genetically modified mosquitoes that can eradicate malaria. The founder of Microsoft has invested about $4 million.

The initiator of the project is the British company Oxitec, which has already developed mutant mosquitoes to fight Zika virus and dengue fever. Thanks to the company's efforts, the number of insects capable of carrying the Zika virus has decreased by 90%.

Bill Gates invests in creating mutant mosquitoes

The new idea of ​ ​ the developers is to grow special male mosquitoes that will destroy relatives by mating.

Humans are known to be bitten by female mosquitoes as males have no stabbing bristles without which it is impossible to pierce the skin. If females feed on blood, then males - pollen and nectar of flowers.

Oxitec only wants to remove males whose gene will kill females after mating. In the breeding process, a gene will be passed to future generations to prevent the born mosquitoes from surviving into the adult period when they start drinking blood. Thanks to this, researchers want to eliminate the spread of serious diseases that insects carry. First of all, this applies to malaria, from which more than 1 million people in the world die every year.

Mutated mosquitoes to fight malaria will be ready for testing by 2020, according to scientists' plans. In June 2018, they showed how a gene drive along with a bacterial system called CRISPR-Cas can cause the rapid spread of malaria-resistant genes in a laboratory population of mosquitoes of the genus Anopheles (one of the main vectors of malaria in Asia).

Oxitec and Bill Gates have a noble goal, but   this project also has critics. For example, members of Friends of the Earth say that the creation of modified insects will negatively affect the natural balance. In addition, they can be dangerous for people.^[2]

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