Oxitec is a UK-based biotech company that pioneered a whole new way of dealing with the deadly dengue fever. About 50 to 100 million people worldwide suffer from dengue every year, it is known as one of the major causes of sudden death everywhere in the world. In the last 50 years, the number grew 30-fold. The major issue lies in controlling Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, the carrier of the deadly disease.

Aside from dengue, Oxitec is also dealing with agricultural pests that destroy farmers’ crops. The most widespread pests include medfly, pink bollworm and olive fly. These pests have caused significant financial loses to farmers worldwide.

Efforts to control the spread of dengue virus, though intense, proved to be futile. Spraying mosquito repellants and defogging offer temporary solutions. The mosquitoes have developed a certain level of resistance to these chemicals. Furthermore, Aedes aegypti can breed anywhere, even in water jars, vases – any vessels at home – making it difficult to control.

Oxitec is using advanced genetics in developing new solutions that would control the population of Aedes aegypti and other harmful insects through a cost-effective, sustainable and environment-friendly way.  Oxitec has developed genetically modified “sterile” male mosquitoes with a harnessed natural instinct to look for female mosquitoes in the wild and mate with them. The resulting offspring will not survive into adulthood. This results in a major decline in mosquito population.

To monitor the effects of the solution, Oxitec developed the system called Oxitec Control Program that will regularly monitor the conditions in the dengue-infested areas. The program gathers the data on the declining population of mosquitoes in the area.

Although Oxitec’s technologies deal with insects, its approach is focused on one single specie – in this case, Aedes aegypti. It does kill insects indiscriminately, like many conventional insecticides. This assures the solution’s effectivity while maintaining a healthy environment.