[extropy-chat] Coming Soon -- Gene-Engineered Insects

[Giu1i0 Pri5c0]

Coming soon to a jungle near you -- mosquitoes genetically engineered
so they cannot give people malaria. But this time scientists want to
do it right.
 Mindful of labels like "Frankenfoods" given to genetically modified
crops, and of attacks against test patches of gene-engineered plants
by environmental militants, they hope to reassure the public about
their newly created insects.
"I think we have reached quite a critical point in the development and
use of these organisms," said Anthony James, a professor of
microbiology and molecular genetics at the University of California,
Irvine.
James, whose lab is working on mosquitoes that could not host the
malaria parasite, said some strains are ready to be tested outside the
lab.
"We need to identify the next level in this whole adventure," he told
reporters in a telephone briefing.
James and other experts in entomology, genetic engineering, disease
and regulation were meeting on Tuesday to talk about what they need to
watch out for as they develop and test biotech bugs...
http://abcnews.go.com/wire/SciTech/reuters20040921_406.html