Malaria could be eliminated by a CRISPR 'gene drive' that wipes out the mosquitoes that spread it, transforming the lives of hundreds of millions of people for the better

Physicists are now exploring laser-based technology traditionally used for studying conditions in the atmosphere -- such as Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) -- to shine a light on the subtlest of features of mosquito activity and better track populations that may carry a viral threat.

They approach with the telltale sign -- a high-pitched whine. It's a warning that you are a mosquito's next meal. But that mosquito might carry a virus, and now the virus is in you. Now, with the help of state-of-the-art technology, researchers can see how a virus moves within a mosquito's body, which could lead to the prevention of mosquitoes transmitting diseases.

Researchers have used a bioinformatics approach to integrate information from multiple studies on insecticide resistance in mosquitoes and uncovered a number of important resistance mechanisms that had not previously been recognized.

Researchers spent two years testing chemical compounds for their ability to inhibit the malaria parasite at an earlier stage in its lifecycle than most current drugs, revealing a new set of chemical starting points for the first drugs to prevent malaria instead of just treating the symptoms.

Their home full of soggy furniture and mosquitoes, Wilmer Capps was desperate to find shelter for his wife and their son Luke, born just three days after Hurricane Michael ravaged the Florida Panhandle.
So Capps, his wife Lorrainda Smith and little Luke settled in for the longest of nights in the...