Researchers unleash genophage on...mosquitoes

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[scorptatious]

Great. Thanks to you I now imagine Wrex as a mosquito.

EDIT: OT: Hopefully this doesn't screw with nature too much.

 

[Vykrel]

On one hand, I'm not too hot on the idea with fucking with nature.

On the other hand, mosquito's are massive pains in the ass and I wouldn't exactly mourn their passing. Or their reduction.

not to mention the fact that mosquitoes are the cause of malaria... in effect, ridding the world of all mosquitoes would likely also rid the world of malaria, saving millions of human lives.

also, i dont think mosquitoes provide any kind of benefit to mankind at all. we even tolerate spiders simply because they kill mosquitoes.

 

[Terminate421]

On one hand, I'm not too hot on the idea with fucking with nature.

On the other hand, mosquito's are massive pains in the ass and I wouldn't exactly mourn their passing. Or their reduction.

On the other hand, Malaria and Yellow Fever cases will drop.

Fucking with nature is bad, but I like this idea somewhat. I just hope they've checked how this could affect anything major.

 

[NotSoLoneWanderer]

I know all about niches and stuff but *shiver* spiders are just so ******* creepy!!! I like animals to be big enough for me to easily see them dull colored and non poisonous living somewhere in Brazil with a niche that ideally takes place at night outside.

 

[maturin]

Forget the mosquitos, do this to ticks. Nothing eats them and they don't belong in suburban "habitat." Hell, they're even bringing down moose.

 

[GigaHz]

This sounds great for us humans and all, but what about all the creatures that depend on the mosquito as a source of food? And the creatures that depend on those creatures as a source of food... and etc.

Deliberately messing with the eco-system seems like a bad idea.

 

[Alade]

I hope all those blood suckers die... Of all the creatures on this god forsaken planet I hate those little bastards the most.

 

[William MacKay]

great first the mosquitoes then we get the krogan.

how?
OT: hooray for killing the prick-bugs!

 

[Biosophilogical]

I wonder what species were gonna get to severely cripple next? Please oh please be spiders.

Dude, spiders are awesome[footnote]They get rid of those annoying flies.[/footnote] ... well, some of them. The ones that don't hunt you down and kill you. All you need to do is get rid of the really venomous ones (red-back, trapdoor).

OT: Interesting ... very interesting. Can we use it on the panda so people finally just let it die?

 

[numbersix1979]

Jeez, at least there's not a whole bunch of animals that have mosquitos as big chunks of their diet, and irreparably mess with the ecosystem for our own vanity!

 

[Biodeamon]

ohhhh, what speices should we screw around with next? how bout hamsters as big as dogs?

just kidding, i think genetic modification is A O.K. no matter what morals say it's wrong

 

[pwned123456]

But if they become extinct we'll lose our wildlife park status and we'll be invaded by aliens!

Mass Effect reference
Mass Effect reference
Mass Effect reference
Lilo and Stitch?

Sir, a winner is you.

OT: Somebody satiate my fears, Skeeters aren't a large part of the food chain. . . are they?

all the things that eat them eat other bugs too so they could adapt

 

[MassiveGeek]

YEEEEEEES!

HAHAHAHA, FUCK YOU MOSQUITOES, YOU'RE FUCKED!

*Ahem* More seriously though, I hope this doesn't fuck nature up too much. Why don't they do this on the tick though? From what I gather those things are just fucking useless.

 

[Nightvalien]

great first the mosquitoes then we get the krogan.

how?
OT: hooray for killing the prick-bugs!

with sheppard and the normandy of course, that's the next step mass effect engines.

 

[PunkRex]

But if they become extinct we'll lose our wildlife park status and we'll be invaded by aliens!

Mass Effect reference
Mass Effect reference
Mass Effect reference
Lilo and Stitch?

Sir, a winner is you.

OT: Somebody satiate my fears, Skeeters aren't a large part of the food chain. . . are they?

If Wikipedia and Animal Planet are to be beleived then only Damselfly populations will be hit in any major way as the other species who prey on them dont seem to rely heavily on them.
Also, Lilo and Stitch reference, is winner indeed.

 

[William MacKay]

great first the mosquitoes then we get the krogan.

how?
OT: hooray for killing the prick-bugs!

with sheppard and the normandy of course, that's the next step mass effect engines.

i... uh... i... um... ihaventplayedmasseffect *runs away in shame*

 

[FalloutJack]

http://www.smartplanet.com/blog/rethinking-healthcare/6000-gm-mosquitoes-run-amok-in-a-malaysian-forest/2919

Basically they are creating genetically modified male mosquitoes to be sterile. They are released into mosquito populations and compete with regular males to breed. Because they are sterile, the females fail to produce offspring and thus the mosquito population drops.

It isn't quite 1 viable birth in 1000, but it did knock the mosquito population of the Kayman islands down by 80%, and the company making this says it can do even better.

Mosquitoes? Lemme know when they're up to stink bugs and tell 'em to unleash ten times as many sterile, useless, bastards on THEM so I don't have to deal with them all year 'round.