Mini-review Genetic enhancements to the sterile insect technique to control mosquito populations

The Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) uses the mass release of sterile insects as a highly effective area-wide, environmentally safe method of pest control. Various uses of genetics to enhance the sterile insect technique for mosquitoes have been proposed since the early 1950's. Using induced mutations, chromosomal rearrangements, breeding and selection researchers were able to develop traits such as sex-specific insecticide resistance and hybrid sterility. Unfortunately, selection of such traits is very laborious and can take decades to achieve. In addition this process is usually associated with severe reductions in fitness. Although several studies and control programs developed techniques to rear mosquitoes in large numbers, efficiently sort males, sterilize, distribute, and achieve localized control no large scale control of mosquitoes using SIT is currently being performed. The advent of modern biotechnology has made available a wide variety of tools to manipulate and express genes within mosquitoes on shorter time scales and with a wider range of accessible phenotypes than is possible through classical genetics. This mini review looks at a recent advance in mosquito control that promises to control Aedes aegypti and has the potential to be applied to many other mosquito species.