A mutant fungus could prevent the spread of malaria, according to researchers at London’s Westminster University. Angray Kang and other researchers have been working for years to tweak a fungus’ genes to kill the malaria parasite in mosquitoes.
Kang and colleagues found that mosquitoes exposed to this strain of the fungus showed a sharp drop in their levels of the malaria parasite in the laboratory. If this works in the wild, the fungus could be sprayed onto walls and bednets, to get rid of malaria. And this approach could be cheaper and less environmentally damaging than insecticides and insect repellents. Photo by AP/Sang Tan. [Associated Press]
