So, last week there was a press release that a group of scientists will be releasing genetically modified mosquitoes in Africa to combat malaria. I've been reading a bit about this, and while it doesn't sit well with me I really don't have enough information to form an opinion as of yet. Something I found a little odd was that no matter where you pull this story, there is no organization linked to the scientists.
In digging a bit further, I learned there have been some field trials in which genetically modified mosquitoes have been released: the Cayman Islands, Panama, and Brazil. The company that developed the mosquitoes, Oxitec, is based out of England and in 2015 was bought by a US company, Intrexon. According to the company's website, the lead independent director for Intrexon, Robert Shapiro, is a former chairman and CEO of Monsanto. Looks like he was with Monsanto from 1985-2000.
Collusion? Don't really know, but something to keep an eye on if the insect population is modified more in the future.
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