According to The Noticer, a joint venture between a British biotechnology company funded by Bill Gates and Australia's national science agency, CSIRO, plans to release genetically engineered mosquitoes in Australia for a trial.
The partnership, Oxitec Australia, was formed last month by UK-based Oxitec and CSIRO to combat mosquito-borne diseases like dengue, Zika, and yellow fever.
The trial will involve releasing genetically modified male mosquitoes carrying a self-limiting gene. This gene ensures that only non-biting males survive, aiming to reduce the population of pest female mosquitoes and thus the overall mosquito population. Oxitec's CEO, Grey Frandsen, stated that the company wishes to conduct the release in the Torres Strait after consultation with local Indigenous communities. He emphasized the company's commitment to collaborating with these communities, scientific institutions, industry partners, and farmers to improve pest control methods.
The Noticer reports that Oxitec received a $1,415,894 grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in 2020 and has previously conducted field trials of genetically engineered mosquitoes in Brazil, Malaysia, Panama, and the United States. The outlet also points out the rarity of dengue-related deaths in Australia.
Independent Queensland senator Gerard Rennick has publicly opposed the trial, stating that the Office of the Gene Technology Regulator (OGTR) should reject the license application for the technology. He argues that the trial is "completely unnecessary and risky" given Australia's low incidence of dengue fever. He has pledged to investigate why the OGTR is even considering the application.
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