Scientists hope to rapidly increase the population of mosquitoes that cannot spread diseases after a breakthrough that could benefit mass breeding programmes.
Researchers at the University of Exeter have discovered a way to speed up mosquitoes' development, making it cheaper and quicker to farm them for release into the wild.
In control programmes, scientists genetically modify mosquitoes so they are either sterile or infected with a bacteria known as Wolbachia on the basis that the bacteria outcompetes viruses in their bodies, reducing the risk of deadly infections in humans. They are then released into the wild to mate with the biting females, which produce eggs that do not hatch, driving down the population of disease-carrying mosquitoes.
The new technique aids this process by speeding up the development of farmed mosquitoes. Working with the knowledge that some mosquitoes need bacteria to develop, scientists at the University of Exeter theorised that a particular species of bacteria – Asaia – could change the speed of the mosquitoes' growth.
When added to the water where the larvae develop, the bacteria led to an increase in their growth of 10 per cent, reducing the larval period from 10 days to nine, which could make it faster and cheaper to farm them.
“Very large-scale rearing has a number of logistical challenges,” Ben Raymond, professor of ecology and evolution at the University of Exeter, told The National. “Our experiments show that it’s possible to accelerate their development by around 10 per cent and so provide a significant cost saving for medical organisations involved in mass rearing.”
Prof Raymond said it is easy to culture the bacteria and only a small amount is needed to produce the effect. The scientists think the results would be reproduced in other places since they duplicated results in a second laboratory with different strains of mosquito. “So we think these results are robust,” he said. But there are some unknowns.
“Nevertheless, I would encourage anyone to check effects in local conditions,” he said. One specific unknown is whether or not the new bacteria will interact with the Wolbachia involved in reducing disease transmission, he added.
“The bacteria compete in malaria mosquitoes in the adults and it’s possible they may compete in [Aedes aegypti] mosquitoes also, although the context here is quite different as Asaia don’t persist beyond the larval stage and colonise adults in our experiments,” he said.
A recent study found that climate change is placing more people at risk of mosquito-borne diseases such as dengue fever, extending the seasonal window and creating frequent outbreaks that will become increasingly difficult to deal with.
The warning, shared in April, came after a report by The National revealed that global cases of dengue had risen sharply, with several Arab nations in particular experiencing an increase. Medics in Dubai said although the number of patients infected with the debilitating tropical disease requiring care was low, several cases had been reported to health authorities.
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Pad Man
Dir: R Balki
Starring: Akshay Kumar, Sonam Kapoor, Radhika Apte
Three-and-a-half stars
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Director: S Shankar
Producer: Lyca Productions; presented by Dharma Films
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Sanju
Produced: Vidhu Vinod Chopra, Rajkumar Hirani
Director: Rajkumar Hirani
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Starring: Ajay Devgn, Ileana D'cruz and Saurabh Shukla
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Zayed Sustainability Prize
FIVE%20TRENDS%20THAT%20WILL%20SHAPE%20UAE%20BANKING
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Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8
Power: 503hp at 6,000rpm
Torque: 685Nm at 2,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Price: from Dh850,000
On sale: now
Gulf Men's League final
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Company name: BorrowMe (BorrowMe.com)
Date started: August 2021
Founder: Nour Sabri
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: E-commerce / Marketplace
Size: Two employees
Funding stage: Seed investment
Initial investment: $200,000
Investors: Amr Manaa (director, PwC Middle East)
Moon Music
Artist: Coldplay
Label: Parlophone/Atlantic
Number of tracks: 10
Rating: 3/5
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Tips to stay safe during hot weather
- Stay hydrated: Drink plenty of fluids, especially water. Avoid alcohol and caffeine, which can increase dehydration.
- Seek cool environments: Use air conditioning, fans, or visit community spaces with climate control.
- Limit outdoor activities: Avoid strenuous activity during peak heat. If outside, seek shade and wear a wide-brimmed hat.
- Dress appropriately: Wear lightweight, loose and light-coloured clothing to facilitate heat loss.
- Check on vulnerable people: Regularly check in on elderly neighbours, young children and those with health conditions.
- Home adaptations: Use blinds or curtains to block sunlight, avoid using ovens or stoves, and ventilate living spaces during cooler hours.
- Recognise heat illness: Learn the signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke (dizziness, confusion, rapid pulse, nausea), and seek medical attention if symptoms occur.
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
MATCH INFO
Euro 2020 qualifier
Ukraine 2 (Yaremchuk 06', Yarmolenko 27')
Portugal 1 (Ronaldo 72' pen)
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
TOURNAMENT INFO
Women’s World Twenty20 Qualifier
Jul 3- 14, in the Netherlands
The top two teams will qualify to play at the World T20 in the West Indies in November
UAE squad
Humaira Tasneem (captain), Chamani Seneviratne, Subha Srinivasan, Neha Sharma, Kavisha Kumari, Judit Cleetus, Chaya Mughal, Roopa Nagraj, Heena Hotchandani, Namita D’Souza, Ishani Senevirathne, Esha Oza, Nisha Ali, Udeni Kuruppuarachchi
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Xpanceo
Started: 2018
Founders: Roman Axelrod, Valentyn Volkov
Based: Dubai, UAE
Industry: Smart contact lenses, augmented/virtual reality
Funding: $40 million
Investor: Opportunity Venture (Asia)
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Europe’s rearming plan
- Suspend strict budget rules to allow member countries to step up defence spending
- Create new "instrument" providing €150 billion of loans to member countries for defence investment
- Use the existing EU budget to direct more funds towards defence-related investment
- Engage the bloc's European Investment Bank to drop limits on lending to defence firms
- Create a savings and investments union to help companies access capital
THE BIO
Favourite author - Paulo Coelho
Favourite holiday destination - Cuba
New York Times or Jordan Times? NYT is a school and JT was my practice field
Role model - My Grandfather
Dream interviewee - Che Guevara
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Starring: Hani Razmzi, Maya Nasir and Hassan Hosny
Four stars
