EPO – Finalist 2015 Research – Genetically-modified mosquitoes to control dengue fever, Luke Alphey
Luke Alphey (United Kingdom)
Invention: Genetically-modified mosquitoes to control dengue fever
Dengue fever is an excruciatingly painful – and sometimes fatal – disease that affects millions of people each year. The culprit behind its spread is a mosquito that has proven tricky to keep in check. That is until now. British scientist Luke Alphey has come up with a way to use the mosquito as a tool to control its own species. By programming an extra gene into the mosquitos’ DNA, he has ensured that the resulting mosquito larvae never reach reproductive maturity.