Parts Per Billion

The prospect of the wide release of genetically engineered mosquitoes got much closer to reality recently when the EPA gave a biotech company permission to conduct a mosquito field trial in the Florida Keys. The environmental impacts of releasing GMO insects into the wild could be significant, but perhaps more significant is their potential to rid the world of mosquito-borne diseases. On this episode of Parts Per Billion, reporter Adam Allington explains what these mosquitoes are engineered to do and why their public health properties might lead people to rethink their unease with GMOs. Read more about the mosquito field trial here. And check out Adam's six-part podcast on threats facing bees and other pollinators here. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.