Some scientists are now confident that they can genetically engineer the mosquito that transmits malaria, Anopheles gambiae, to make it ‘malaria-proof’. And the publication in Science is week of the insect’s genome sequence is bound to heighten interest in tinkering with its genetic make-up.

But, as Tom Clarke reports in this feature article, some researchers argue that money would be better spent on other approaches to malaria control.

Others, however, feel that the potential reward remains too great to ignore.

Link to Nature feature article

Reference : Nature 419, 429 (2002)