{"id":691850,"date":"2025-09-25T06:25:10","date_gmt":"2025-09-25T03:25:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/new-method-streamlines-separation-of-nonbiting-males-from-females\/"},"modified":"2025-09-25T06:25:10","modified_gmt":"2025-09-25T03:25:10","slug":"new-method-streamlines-separation-of-nonbiting-males-from-females","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/new-method-streamlines-separation-of-nonbiting-males-from-females\/","title":{"rendered":"New method streamlines separation of nonbiting males from females"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_85 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a40d40d09ed5\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a40d40d09ed5\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/new-method-streamlines-separation-of-nonbiting-males-from-females\/#About_the_DeMark_system\" >About the DeMark system<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/new-method-streamlines-separation-of-nonbiting-males-from-females\/#Adding_to_the_mosquito_control_toolbox\" >Adding to the mosquito control toolbox<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"article-gallery lightGallery\">\n<div data-thumb=\"https:\/\/scx1.b-cdn.net\/csz\/news\/tmb\/2025\/a-smarter-way-to-contr.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/scx2.b-cdn.net\/gfx\/news\/2025\/a-smarter-way-to-contr.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Researcher Melanie Hempel handles a mosquito specimen in the lab. Hempel helped develop the DeMark system, a new method for producing nonbiting male mosquitoes for disease control. Credit: Marya Barlow for Virginia Tech\">\n<figure class=\"article-img\">\n            <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/scx1.b-cdn.net\/csz\/news\/800a\/2025\/a-smarter-way-to-contr.jpg\" alt=\"A smarter way to control mosquitoes\" title=\"Researcher Melanie Hempel handles a mosquito specimen in the lab. Hempel helped develop the DeMark system, a new method for producing nonbiting male mosquitoes for disease control. Credit: Marya Barlow for Virginia Tech\" width=\"800\" height=\"530\"\/><figcaption class=\"text-darken text-low-up text-truncate-js text-truncate mt-3\">\n                Researcher Melanie Hempel handles a mosquito specimen in the lab. Hempel helped develop the DeMark system, a new method for producing nonbiting male mosquitoes for disease control. Credit: Marya Barlow for Virginia Tech<br \/>\n            <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Scientists at Virginia Tech may have just made it easier to fight the world&#8217;s deadliest animal: the mosquito. Only female mosquitoes bite because they need nutrients from blood to develop eggs. That drive makes them dangerous, allowing them to spread viruses such as Zika, dengue, malaria, and yellow fever, which together kill over 1 million people a year.<\/p>\n<p>One promising disease control method is releasing sterile males, raised in labs, into the wild. When females mate with these sterile males, they don&#8217;t produce offspring, gradually shrinking the population without relying on insecticides that harm beneficial insects.<\/p>\n<p>But this <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a>roach is technically complex, labor-intensive, and costly\u2014limiting its effectiveness and scalability.<\/p>\n<p>Now, researchers have taken a major step toward solving that problem. In <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.pnas.org\/doi\/10.1073\/pnas.2412149122\" target=\"_blank\">a study<\/a> published in <i>Proceedings of the National Academy of <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/sciencee\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"5\" title=\"Science\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Science<\/a>s<\/i>, the team has unveiled &#8220;DeMark&#8221;\u2014a genetic system that streamlines the separation process. The method eliminates the need for manual sorting, multiple breeding lines, or foreign genetic material, making it easier to produce large batches of nonbiting male mosquitoes.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;This adds a potentially powerful new tool to global mosquito control efforts,&#8221; said Austin Compton, one of the study&#8217;s lead authors. &#8220;It&#8217;s relatively simple and scalable.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>The research was led by scientists from the Department of Biochemistry in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and the Fralin Life Sciences Institute.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"About_the_DeMark_system\"><\/span>About the DeMark system<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>DeMark\u2014short for differential elimination of marked sex chromosomes\u2014uses genetic markers to separate out unwanted mosquitoes before they reach adulthood. What remains is a batch of nonbiting males that are not modified with any foreign genetic material.<\/p>\n<p>To build the system, the researchers combined natural and lab-engineered versions of mosquito genes, or alleles, that are passed down through sex chromosomes. When inherited in certain combinations, these alleles cause some mosquitoes to die early. This built-in safeguard helps ensure that unmodified males are produced every generation and can be easily isolated based on their lack of marked sex chromosomes.<\/p>\n<p>Unlike other approaches that require maintaining multiple breeding lines, DeMark works with a single breeding line, reducing both production costs and complexity.<\/p>\n<p>The team also tested whether the lab-raised males could compete with wild-type mosquitoes when it came to mating. They did\u2014a key factor for any control strategy to succeed outside the lab.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Before these strains can be considered for potential field release, more work is needed to test their stability and competitiveness under mass-rearing and controlled semi-field conditions,&#8221; said Melanie Hempel, who co-led the research as a Ph.D. student and is now a postdoctoral researcher at Virginia Tech.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Adding_to_the_mosquito_control_toolbox\"><\/span>Adding to the mosquito control toolbox<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>This study focused on Aedes aegypti, the mosquito species known for spreading Zika, dengue, chikungunya, and yellow fever. The researchers say the same approach could potentially be adapted to other species, including Anopheles gambiae, which transmits malaria.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;This approach can work hand in hand with other mosquito control strategies,&#8221; said Zhijian &#8220;Jake&#8221; Tu, University Distinguished Professor and senior author of the study. &#8220;Our goal is to add to the growing toolbox of options available to fight mosquito-borne diseases in ways that make sense for different regions and communities around the world.&#8221;<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-main__more p-4\">\n<p><strong>More information:<\/strong><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tAustin Compton et al, Differential elimination of marked sex chromosomes enables production of nontransgenic male mosquitoes in a single strain, <i>Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences<\/i> (2025). <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" data-doi=\"1\" href=\"https:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1073\/pnas.2412149122\" target=\"_blank\">DOI: 10.1073\/pnas.2412149122<\/a><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"d-inline-block text-medium mt-4\">\n<p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tProvided by<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tVirginia Tech<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"icon_open\" href=\"http:\/\/www.vt.edu\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<use href=\"https:\/\/phys.b-cdn.net\/tmpl\/v6\/img\/svg\/sprite.svg#icon_open\" x=\"0\" y=\"0\"\/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/svg><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<!-- print only --><\/p>\n<div class=\"d-none d-print-block\">\n<p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<strong>Citation<\/strong>:<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tA smarter way to control mosquitoes: New method streamlines separation of nonbiting males from females (2025, September 24)<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tretrieved 24 September 2025<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tfrom https:\/\/phys.org\/<a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/news\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"2\" title=\"News\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">news<\/a>\/2025-09-smarter-mosquitoes-method-nonbiting-males.html\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t <\/p>\n<p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only.\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><script id=\"facebook-jssdk\" async=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/sdk.js\"><\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMN63nwsw68G3Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more Like this articles, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/sciencee\/\" target=\"_blank\" >Science category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/phys.org\/news\/2025-09-smarter-mosquitoes-method-nonbiting-males.html\" target=\"_blank\" >Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Researcher Melanie Hempel handles a mosquito specimen in the lab. Hempel helped develop the DeMark system, a new method for producing nonbiting male mosquitoes for disease control. Credit: Marya Barlow for Virginia Tech Scientists at Virginia Tech may have just made it easier to fight the world&#8217;s deadliest animal: the mosquito. Only female mosquitoes bite&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":691851,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/scx2.b-cdn.net\/gfx\/news\/2025\/a-smarter-way-to-contr.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-691850","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sciencee"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/691850","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=691850"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/691850\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/691851"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=691850"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=691850"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=691850"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}