US poised to release 2.4bn genetically modified male mosquitoes to battle deadly diseases

The future isn't female, at least not for the invasive Aedes aegypti: the altered males are engineered to produce only male offspring

Genetically modified male mosquitoes may soon be buzzing across areas of California, in an experiment to stop the spread of invasive species in a warming climate.

Earlier this month, the EPA cleared the UK-based biotech company Oxitec to release a maximum of roughly 2.4bn of its genetically modified mosquitoes through 2024, expand its existing trial in Florida and start a new pilot project in California's Central Valley, where mosquito numbers are on the rise.