British company Oxitec’s plan to unleash genetically modified mosquitoes in Florida meet stiff opposition among residents. Oxitec said it wants to reduce the non-native Aedes aegypti mosquitoes in the southeastern state to reduce the threat of dengue fever. The process involves inserting a gene into lab-grown, male Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. The added DNA makes it impossible for their offspring to survive. The experiment sparked an outcry from fearful residents, with more than 145,000 people signing a petition at change.org urging regulators to “say no” to allowing the tourist haven to become “a testing ground for these mutant bugs.”
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