A genetically modified fungi has been developed at the University of Westminster to kill human malaria parasites in mosquitoes. The research has been heralded as a significant development in the battle against malaria.
Metarhizium anisopliae, a fungus found in soils throughout the world infects adult mosquitoes through the cuticle. This has been genetically modified and used to infect malaria-carrying mosquitoes. The fungus killed the malaria parasite in the mosquitoes, preventing it from being passed on to humans. It is hoped that this innovative approach could also offer a solution for controlling other vector-borne diseases in the future.
