• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
HealthMalaria

This Could Be the End of Malaria as We Know It

By
Claire Groden
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Claire Groden
Down Arrow Button Icon
December 8, 2015, 8:36 AM ET
Anopheles minimus
This close-up photograph shows the Anopheles minimus mosquito, a malaria vector of the Orient, feeding on a human host. An. Minimus is one of the mosquito species responsible for spreading the drug resistant P. falciparum parasite in Thailand and Vietnam. As a result, drug resistant malaria has become one of the most important problems in malaria control in recent years.Photograph by James Gathany — MediaforMedical via Getty Images

A new study funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation says that it knows how to stop malaria—but doing so opens up a Pandora’s Box of bioethical questions.

On Monday, scientists from Imperial College London announced in the journal Nature Biotechnology that they had successfully genetically modified Anopheles gambiae, the mosquito that is a major malaria vector, to carry infertile traits. The modification process uses a breakthrough technology called CRISPR, a genome editing tool.

Thanks to a scientific advancement that can make a gene more likely to be inherited, the scientists say that the infertility gene would spread across the mosquito population in a matter of years and cause the species to crash—taking malaria with it.

“The field has been trying to tackle malaria for more than 100 years. If successful, this technology has the potential to substantially reduce the transmission of malaria,” said co-author professor Andrea Crisanti from Imperial’s department of life sciences in a press release.

The Imperial study is the second in the past month to promise an end to malaria through the use of CRIPSR technology. In late November, scientists in Southern California used the technology to show how they could spread malaria resistance in a mosquito population.

CRISPR, a technology that is about four years old, has caused major upheaval in biomedical research because it can edit genes quickly and cheaply. It’s being heralded as the greatest advancement in the field since PCR, according to Nature.

But it’ll take years or decades before the solution gets out of a lab. First, scientists have to grapple with the potential repercussions of annihilating or modifying an entire species of mosquito. “It will be at least 10 more years before gene drive malaria mosquitos could be a working intervention,” Imperial professor Austin Burt said in Monday’s press release. In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, Burt said that he didn’t think that eradicating the species would have a huge ecological effect, since it doesn’t seem to be any animal’s sole source of food, and there are many other mosquito species.

Last week, scientists convened for an international summit in Washington, D.C. to debate the ethics of CRISPR. In the concluding statement, the organizing committee wrote that widespread use of the technology would be “irresponsible” unless there is broad consensus on the societal utility of a particular genetic alteration and safety issues have been completely addressed.

About the Author
By Claire Groden
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Health

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Leadership
  • Success
  • Tech
  • Asia
  • Europe
  • Environment
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Health
  • Retail
  • Lifestyle
  • Politics
  • Newsletters
  • Magazine
  • Features
  • Commentary
  • Mpw
  • CEO Initiative
  • Conferences
  • Personal Finance
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map

Latest in Health

HealthCommentary
Nicotine pouches offer huge promise—so long as the U.S. doesn’t repeat its mistake with vaping
By Max CunninghamDecember 14, 2025
1 day ago
Thompson
C-SuiteMedia
Atlantic CEO Nick Thompson on how he learned to ‘just keep moving forward’ after his famous firing at 22
By Nick LichtenbergDecember 14, 2025
1 day ago
HealthAffordable Care Act (ACA)
A Wisconsin couple was paying $2 a month for an ACA health plan. But as subsidies expire, it’s soaring to $1,600, forcing them to downgrade
By Ali Swenson and The Associated PressDecember 13, 2025
2 days ago
Julian Braithwaite is the Director General of the International Alliance for Responsible Drinking
CommentaryProductivity
Gen Z is drinking 20% less than Millennials. Productivity is rising. Coincidence? Not quite
By Julian BraithwaiteDecember 13, 2025
2 days ago
Nicholas Thompson
C-SuiteBook Excerpt
I took over one of the most prestigious media firms while training for an ultramarathon. Here’s what I learned becoming CEO of The Atlantic
By Nicholas ThompsonDecember 13, 2025
2 days ago
Healthmeal delivery
Factor Meals Review 2025: Tester Approved
By Christina SnyderDecember 12, 2025
3 days ago

Most Popular

placeholder alt text
Uncategorized
Transforming customer support through intelligent AI operations
By Lauren ChomiukNovember 26, 2025
19 days ago
placeholder alt text
Success
40% of Stanford undergrads receive disability accommodations—but it’s become a college-wide phenomenon as Gen Z try to succeed in the current climate
By Preston ForeDecember 12, 2025
3 days ago
placeholder alt text
Success
Apple cofounder Ronald Wayne sold his 10% stake for $800 in 1976—today it’d be worth up to $400 billion
By Preston ForeDecember 12, 2025
3 days ago
placeholder alt text
Politics
Trump admits he can't tell if the GOP will control the House after next year's elections. 'I don't know when all of this money is going to kick in'
By Jason MaDecember 14, 2025
21 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Economy
Kevin Hassett says he'd be happy to talk to Trump every day as Fed chair, but the president's opinion would have 'no weight' on the FOMC
By Jason MaDecember 14, 2025
24 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Economy
The Fed just ‘Trump-proofed’ itself with a unanimous move to preempt a potential leadership shake-up
By Jason MaDecember 12, 2025
3 days ago

© 2025 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.