GM mosquito trial sparks ‘Sorcerer’s Apprentice’ lab fears

Burkino Faso malaria test raises stakes at UN biodiversity conference

Thousands of genetically modified mosquitoes are to be released in Burkina Faso as a step towards the world's first field test of "gene-drive" technology.

The trial, which has been funded by organisations linked to the Gates Foundation, Facebook, and - indirectly - the Pentagon, is part of a project to eradicate malaria, but it has prompted concerns among local civil society organisations, who say their country is being set up as a laboratory for "Sorcerer's Apprentice" technology before the risks are fully understood.