STAT: In a remote West African village, a revolutionary genetic experiment is on its way — if residents agree to it
“…It may be six years before the gene drive mosquitoes are actually released in Burkina Faso, but scientists are already working around the clock to prepare the community for their release. Researchers in Mali and Uganda are also working toward the same goal under the banner of the ‘Target Malaria’ project, propelled by $70 million from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and support from research laboratories in England and Italy. … But scientists still face a challenge: making sure that people understand and accept the newfangled genetic technology behind it all. That means building trust and doing basic education — explaining not only the impact of genetically engineered insects arriving in their homes, but also what genetics is in the first place…” (Swetlitz, 3/14).