Oxitec Archives

In Depth 2 Aug 2022

The evolving arsenal against mosquito-borne diseases

Genetic engineering is breaking new ground in the control of mosquito-borne diseases. However, a genetic engineering approach isn’t the only option, as many biotech companies aim to prove. As the global climate continues to warm, disease-spreading mosquitoes such as Aedes aegypti are expected to establish themselves in the U.S. and Europe. This could result in […]

August 2, 2022 - 8 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith

gates foundation oxitec malaria mosquito

News and Trends 27 May 2020

‘Just Add Water’ GM Mosquitoes Suppress Wild Population by 95%

Water-soluble capsules containing the eggs of genetically modified mosquitoes developed by the UK company Oxitec have reduced the mosquito population in a dengue-infected urban environment in Brazil by 95% after 13 weeks. Aedes aegypti mosquitoes carry a number of infections including dengue, Zika, chikungunya, and yellow fever. Dengue has increased almost 15-fold over the last […]

May 27, 2020 - 4 minutesmins - By Helen Albert

News and Trends 29 Jan 2020

Oxitec Unveils First Field Trial Results for Crop-Protecting GM Moths

A study led by Oxitec has shown for the first time that diamondback moths genetically engineered to produce only male offspring can survive in the wild, a solution that shows promise for cutting populations of the crop pest. Caterpillars of the diamondback moth Plutella xylostella are one of the most destructive pests for growers of […]

January 29, 2020 - 4 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith

genetic engineering caterpillar crop pest oxitec

News and Trends 17 Apr 2019

UK Biotech Uses Genetic Engineering to Control Crop Munching Caterpillars

Moth caterpillars attacking crops are the latest target of the UK company Oxitec, which uses genetic engineering to suppress the populations of crop pests and disease-carrying mosquitoes. The caterpillars of the soybean looper moth Chrysodeixis includens eat crops such as soybean, tomato and cotton across North and South America, causing problems for farmers. The caterpillars […]

April 17, 2019 - 3 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith

Best in Biotech 28 Jan 2019

5 Real-Life Technologies Where Biotech Meets Science Fiction

From genetic engineering to synthetic food and immortality, biotech is getting surprisingly close to recreating science fiction in real life. Science fiction is always a step ahead of real-life science. The genre imagined space travel, wireless communication and virtual reality years before they became a reality. In fact, sci-fi has coined some scientific terms […]

January 28, 2019 - 6 minutesmins - By Clara Rodríguez Fernández

Gates Foundation Oxitec Malaria Genetically Modified Mosquitoes

News and Trends 20 Jun 2018

Gates Foundation and Oxitec Fight Malaria with Genetically-Modified Mosquitoes

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has partnered with Oxitec for the development of a new strain of genetically-modified mosquitoes that can help reduce the spread of malaria in America. In its latest effort to free the world of malaria, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has joined forces with Oxitec, a British company that […]

June 20, 2018 - 2 minutesmins - By Clara Rodríguez Fernández

In Depth 25 Jul 2017

Trouble in Paradise: How Biotech is Fighting Tropical Diseases

Tropical diseases are often neglected until an outbreak causes worldwide panic. Here’s how European biotech is preparing for the next one. “What we really need is a very fast and cheap way to develop vaccines,” biotech godfather Greg Winter told me earlier this year. Such precautionary measures may well be on our minds as Europe […]

July 25, 2017 - 6 minutesmins - By Evelyn Warner

genetically modified mosquitoes Oxitec Netherlands

News and Trends 12 Jul 2017

Update: France and the Netherlands deem Oxitec’s GM Mosquitoes Safe for Release

Update (12/07/2017): France’s High Council for Biotechnology (HCB) has also backed the use, with caution, of genetically modified mosquitoes in France. Oxitec expects the report published by the HCB will help shape the policy to regulate the genetically engineered insects in France and eventually allow testing the technology in the French Caribbean. Originally published on 07/07/2017 A […]

July 12, 2017 - 3 minutesmins - By Clara Rodríguez Fernández

Interview 21 Jun 2017

Video: Can Synbio Cure Malaria? – Fireside Chat with Oxitec’s CEO Hadyn Parry

In our fireside chat with Hadyn Parry, Clara had the chance to hear all about Oxitec’s exciting technology that could save us from Dengue and Zika. Oxitec’s GM mosquitoes have the potential to halt epidemics of mosquito-borne diseases such as Zika or Dengue, which according to Hadyn are actually causing more problems every year. As Hadyn explained, “we’re […]

June 21, 2017 - 3 minutesmins - By Melanie De Almeida

Infographics 21 Jun 2017

Check Out these 42 European SynBio Startups Reimagining the Industry

Synthetic biology, or synbio for short, is rapidly infiltrating multiple fields. From bioplastics to food technology and healthcare, these are the startups in Europe that are expanding the frontiers of what synbio can do to improve our lives in many different ways. In the not-so-distant future, synthetic biology could bring us anything from spider silk […]

June 21, 2017 - 1 minutemin - By Clara Rodríguez Fernández

More News! 6 Apr 2017

Fear & Loathing in GMOs: How do you change concerned minds?

The house was packed to hear Joyce Tait of the Innogen Institute and Mark Lynas, an environmental writer, speak about smarter approaches to GM regulations. The second day of SynBioBeta yesterday started early, but fuelled by a passion for synthetic biology (on which a number of speakers commented), attendees packed into the lecture hall for a fireside chat on GMO regulation with Joyce […]

April 6, 2017 - 5 minutesmins - By Evelyn Warner

News and Trends 3 Apr 2017

New Results Show GM Mosquitoes Keep Dengue and Zika at Bay in Brazil

In its second year, Oxitec has reduced the mosquito population in a Brazilian neighborhood by 81%, demonstrating the long-term potential of GM insects. Oxitec is a spin-out from the University of Oxford that fights infectious disease with genetically-engineered mosquitoes that produce inviable offspring. The company has already made field trials in the Cayman Islands, Panama, Brazil, […]

April 3, 2017 - 2 minutesmins - By Clara Rodríguez Fernández

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