Monthly Archives: May 2021

Liverpool FC Women Season In Review: Goalkeepers And Defense – The Liverpool Offside

Posted: May 16, 2021 at 1:00 pm

The Liverpool FC Womens team completed their first season in the FA Womens Championship by finishing a disappointing third place. Last week we took a look at some of the major story lines from the tumultuous season, as well as some of the standout performers from the year. This week, we will review the goalkeepers and defensive units, as well as look ahead to next season.

All together, the goalkeepers and defenders were solid. Liverpool were tied for the least goals allowed in the league, conceding just 15 goals in 20 matches. They didnt give up more than two goals in a game all season.

Rachael Laws joined Liverpool over the summer from Reading after former number one keeper Anke Preu left the team. Laws stepped into the starting spot and was a rock all season long. She was very good in 1v1 situations, and was aggressive dealing with crosses and corners.

While Laws was the goalkeeper for the present, Rylee Foster looks to be a talent for the very near future. The back up keeper, only 22 years of age, grew up as a Liverpool fan, and has Youll Never Walk Alone tattooed on her bicep. The Canadian got to show her stuff in cup matches, and then took the starting gloves for a couple games at the end of the season. Forster was very impressive with her shot stopping, and even saved a penalty and the follow up (taking a knee to the head for her efforts) to preserve a win against Sheffield United.

Looking ahead to next year, it seems likely that both keepers return. Its unclear how much longer Rachael Laws has on her contract, but most players seem to be on two year contracts for the most part. Rylee Foster signed a new long term contract in March, and will be around for a while. The big question is if Foster will be able to beat out Laws for the top spot between the posts.

Liverpools defensive unit proved to be a consistent strength for the Reds despite limited depth and changes to personnel. Niamh Fahey was the anchor of the defense, serving as the team captain in place of Sophie Bradley-Auckland, who opted to sit the season out to help with her families home care facility amid the covid pandemic (respect). The 33 year old Fahey displayed a no-nonsense style, allowing only one of the ball or the player to get by her, but not both. She also chipped in with three goals for the season.

Leighanne Robe started the season alongside Fahey in the center of defense, but was eventually overtaken by new signing Meikayla Moore. Robe also spent some time playing as a fullback, and stepped back into a center back role when Fahey was deployed as a holding midfielder the last games of the season.

Moore, for her part, initially saw playing time in a holding midfield role after Jade Bailey went down. She eventually took over the starting center back role during the winter, and never relinquished her grip on the position. Moore scored two goals to help contribute on the offensive end.

Taylor Hinds, another new signing during the summer, locked down the left outside back position, proving to be a great two-way player. She was calm under pressure all year long, and was smooth on the ball.

On the other flank, Becky Jane and Razza Roberts split time early on. Roberts eventually became the regular right back as Becky Jane was deployed higher up the field to great effect by Amber Whiteley. Roberts had a great grittiness to her game, always happy to get stuck into a tackle, or run through a player to get to the ball. Razza provided several assists later in the season as well, showing she was no slouch on the attacking end.

The only other player to register minutes in the defense was youngster Lucy Parry. She became the youngest ever player to step in the field for the Liverpool Women at just 16 years and 150 days.

If this unit can stay together and add some depth, they should again provide a formidable backbone to the team as they hope for a promotion push next season. They managed to avoid any major injuries this season, but there is very little margin for error.

Razza Roberts just signed a new deal, and will definitely be around for next season. It still hasnt been announced whether Sophie Bradley-Auckland will return, but she would be a welcome addition in the center of defense. The biggest question marks in my mind Leighanne Robe and Taylor Hinds.

Robe signed a new deal last summer, but lost her regular starting spot. Still, with a new manager coming in, it would seem like all spots are up for grabs.

As for Taylor Hinds, she proved to be a stellar signing last summer. She impressed enough that she may be on the wish list for some WSL clubs. She is still young at just 22 years old, and has room to grow her game to new levels.

No matter what happens with outgoing players, Liverpool definitely need more depth in the defense. They had quite a few games where they couldnt fill out their bench, that included having young Lucy Parry on the bench.

How did you feel the goalkeepers and defense performed last season? Do you think the units will stay together, or will there be another exodus this season?

Liverpool FC Women Season In Review: Goalkeepers And Defense - The Liverpool Offside

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Coronavirus released intentionally, China using misinformation to mislead world: Chinese virologist – Business Today

Posted: at 12:59 pm

The coronavirus was discovered after a lot of investment by China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) and was intentionally released from a lab as a bio-weapon, Chinese virologist Dr Le-Meng Yan said.

Yan, who was previously a post-doctoral fellow at Hong Kong University, fled to United States in April last year. In a paper published in September last year, she claimed that coronavirus was created by China in a research lab.

"...this document is one of the 'smoking gun' that can prove China has a long-term programme of non-traditional bio-weapons and (plans) to use it to conquer the whole world," Yan told India Today in an interview. She was referring to the leaked documents sourced by the US State Department which said Chinese military scientists investigated weaponising coronaviruses five years before the COVID-19 pandemic.

Yan said China's objective is to deny the allegations and use misinformation to mislead the world when people realise the virus has come from a lab.

Also read: Chinese military probed weaponising coronavirus in 2015, claim leaked documents

"I started telling people via YouTube anonymously from last January that this virus came from the PLA lab and that they discovered coronavirus after a lot of investment. They finally got a human-target virus and it was intentionally released. Also, the Chinese government knows it and that's why they immediately had a response after the waiting hours," she claimed.

Yan said the leaked documents show that genetic engineering of viruses in 2015 is not the beginning of China's study of contemporary bio-weapons, but is just one step in study of bio-weapons of which there is evidence now.

"But after that, they have also modified a lot and they have recruited a lot of labs under the cover of silo labs, under the cover of international labs, and working with the military to develop it. So they have better knowledge and experience after five-six years and that's what made COVID-19 happen," the virologist said.

US officials allegedly obtained papers, written in 2015 by military scientists and senior Chinese public health officials, as part of their own investigation into the origins of COVID-19.

In the papers, Chinese scientists described SARS coronaviruses - of which COVID is one example - as presenting a "new era of genetic weapons".

Also read: Another false hope in battle against Covid-19...What is Ivermectin?

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Castle Biosciences Announces Pipeline Initiative to Develop Genomic Test Targeting Systemic Therapy Response in Patients with Psoriasis, Atopic…

Posted: at 12:58 pm

FRIENDSWOOD, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Castle Biosciences Inc. (Nasdaq: CSTL), a dermatologic diagnostics company providing personalized genomic information to improve cancer treatment decisions, today announced its innovative pipeline initiative to develop a genomic test aimed at predicting systemic therapy response in patients with moderate to severe psoriasis, atopic dermatitis and related conditions.

Castle Biosciences has designed, developed and validated multiple genomic tests, including three dermatologic genomic tests, all of which are currently commercially available. These tests are designed to provide information for clinicians and patients to make personalized treatment decisions along the patient care continuum, including pre-diagnosis and following diagnosis, based on the biology of each patients disease. With the Companys pipeline test for psoriasis, atopic dermatitis and related conditions, Castle expands its dermatology focus from cancer to include inflammatory skin disease. This pipeline initiative is expected to produce a genomic test that predicts systemic therapy response to guide therapy selection in patients with moderate to severe psoriasis, atopic dermatitis and related conditions.

We are in an industry-leading position, as the only diagnostic company with a suite of dermatologic gene expression profile tests, said Derek Maetzold, president and chief executive officer of Castle Biosciences. We have demonstrated our ability to successfully develop, validate and bring to market clinically actionable, innovative tests. We start by identifying dermatologic diseases with high unmet clinical need. We then use the gene expression profile of an individual patients biology in an effort to develop gene expression profile tests designed to assist clinicians and their patients by better informing treatment to optimize health outcomes and reduce health care costs.

We are excited to expand our pipeline beyond cancer to other dermatologic diseases that significantly impact patients lives and have unanswered clinical questions. We are working with several leading experts in inflammatory skin diseases to develop a test that can predict a patients response to therapy for patients with moderate to severe psoriasis, atopic dermatitis and related conditions. Our goal is to shift systemic therapy selection such that the appropriate therapy is selected the first time. This goal is clinically and economically important, as the burden of cost for todays therapies are front loaded, and a significant amount is incurred within the first three months of treatment. If our test is able to guide therapy selection, based on the patients own disease biology, we believe we can help direct therapy selection decisions to start patients on potentially the most effective treatment sooner, while reducing the likelihood of a patient discontinuing or switching therapies, possibly resulting in a better utilization of healthcare resources.

Based upon our development and validation timelines, we believe that we can launch this pipeline test by the end of 2025, utilizing our well-established dermatologic sales channels, adding approximately $1.9 billion to our current estimated U.S. total addressable market.

Castle has initiated a 4,800 patient, prospective, multi-center clinical study to develop and validate this pipeline test. We expect to recruit approximately 50 participating centers from across the U.S.

About Psoriasis, Atopic Dermatitis and Related Conditions

Inflammatory skin disease accounts for a significant number of patient visits to both primary care and dermatology clinics across the U.S. every year. Psoriasis and atopic dermatitis are among the most common inflammatory skin conditions, and patient quality of life is severely impacted by these chronic diseases. Fortunately, systemic medications developed over the past 15 years have demonstrated a significant improvement in patients lives. In the U.S. alone, there are about 18 million patients diagnosed with psoriasis and atopic dermatitis, and approximately 450,000 patients annually are eligible for these systemic therapies. While there are now many effective treatments options available for those with moderate to severe disease, current clinical practice relies on a trial-and-error approach for therapy selection. To answer this unmet clinical need, Castle Biosciences is developing a gene expression profile test to predict response to systemic therapies for patients with moderate to severe psoriasis, atopic dermatitis and other related diseases. Personalized guidance for therapy selection and anticipated efficacy has the potential to improve patient health outcomes by enabling clinicians to select the best medication for their patients specific skin disease.

About Castle Biosciences

Castle Biosciences (Nasdaq: CSTL) is a commercial-stage dermatologic diagnostics company focused on providing physicians and their patients with personalized, clinically actionable genomic information to make more accurate treatment decisions. The Company currently offers tests for patients with cutaneous melanoma (DecisionDx-Melanoma, DecisionDx-CMSeq), cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (DecisionDx-SCC), suspicious pigmented lesions (DecisionDx DiffDx-Melanoma) and uveal melanoma (DecisionDx-UM, DecisionDx-PRAME and DecisionDx-UMSeq). For more information about Castles gene expression profile tests, visit http://www.CastleTestInfo.com. Castle also has active research and development programs for tests in other dermatologic diseases with high clinical need, including its test in development to predict systemic therapy response in patients with moderate to severe psoriasis, atopic dermatitis and related conditions. Castle Biosciences is based in Friendswood, Texas (Houston), and has laboratory operations in Phoenix, Arizona. For more information, visit http://www.CastleBiosciences.com.

DecisionDx-Melanoma, DecisionDx-CMSeq, DecisionDx-SCC, DecisionDx DiffDx-Melanoma, DecisionDx-UM, DecisionDx-PRAME and DecisionDx-UMSeq are trademarks of Castle Biosciences, Inc.

Forward-Looking Statements

The information in this press release contains forward-looking statements and information within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, which are subject to the safe harbor created by those sections. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements concerning the potential success of our pipeline initiative; potential improvements in patient treatment, optimized health outcomes and reduced healthcare costs attributable to any test developed by our pipeline initiative; anticipated timing for launch of our pipeline test; and the potential increase in our estimated U.S. total addressable market. The words anticipates, believes, estimates, expects, intends, may, plans, projects, will, would and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. We may not actually achieve the plans, intentions, or expectations disclosed in our forward-looking statements and you should not place undue reliance on our forward-looking statements. Actual results or events could differ materially from the plans, intentions and expectations disclosed in the forward-looking statements that we make. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause our actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements, including, without limitation, changes in need and market opportunity for any tests developed through this pipeline initiative may impact our estimated total U.S. market opportunity, delays in clinical studies may delay our ability to launch our pipeline test, our pipeline test may not be as effective as anticipated, the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on our business and our efforts to address its impact on our business, changes in the competitive landscape and introduction of competitive products, subsequent study results and findings that contradict earlier study results and findings, the level and availability of reimbursement for our products, our ability to manage our anticipated growth and the risks set forth in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019, and in our other filings with the SEC. The forward-looking statements are applicable only as of the date on which they are made, and we do not assume any obligation to update any forward-looking statements, except as may be required by law.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210510005212/en/

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Psoriasis Treatment Market Projected to attain Significant Growth by 2027, Key Players Danaher, Qiagen KSU | The Sentinel Newspaper – KSU | The…

Posted: at 12:58 pm

The Psoriasis Treatment Market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 7.51% and is poised to reach US$XX Billion by 2027 as compared to US$XX Billion in 2020. The factors leading to this extraordinary growth is attributed to various market dynamics discussed in the report. Our experts have examined the market from a 360 degree perspective thereby producing a report which is definitely going to impact your business decisions.

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By Market Players:SiemensHitachi MedicalPhilips HealthcareGE HealthcareAbbottRocheMyriad GeneticsCanon Medical SystemsDanaherQiagen

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Psoriasis Treatment Market Projected to attain Significant Growth by 2027, Key Players Danaher, Qiagen KSU | The Sentinel Newspaper - KSU | The...

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End Times Update 5/15/2021: SNL, the Gas Crisis, and Courtney Stodden – Popdust

Posted: at 12:57 pm

Each week one of Popdust's disposable clones grown in a vault deep beneath the Mojave desert is exposed to the outside world through a relentless feed of news, pop culture, and social media.

The arduous process accelerates their dissolution back into an amorphous clone slurry. But before they go, they leave behind a document of what they've absorbed and what they've learned a time capsule preserving a single moment in the slow-motion collapse of civilization. We call these End Times Updates...

End Times Update SNL, the Gas Crisis, and Courtney Stodden youtu.be

Transcript: Oh hi! Welcome to another End Times Update, presented by Popdust. I'll be your clone-host for this week, Pelvis Wrestley.

[Elvis Presley]: You ain't nothin' but a hound dog. C-cryin' all the time.

As always, we'll be looking through the news, pop culture, and social media from the last week, for the latest forebodings of societal doom.

This week has been a real show-stopper when it comes to signs of the imminent demise of the human race. For a start, second richest man on Earth Elon Musk became the first ever second richest man on earth to host Saturday Night Live. Musk also made history with his monologue, in which he revealed that he's been diagnosed with Asperger's, an autism spectrum disorder.

[Elon Musk]: I'm actually making history tonight, as the first person with Asperger's to host SNL... Or at least the first to admit it.

The Mother's Day episode then proceeded, with lots of references to Musk's business ventures

[Elon Musk]: I reinvented electric cars and I'm sending people to Mars in a rocket ship I'm in charge of the whole Mars colonization project Sure, I do like electric horses, and self-driving horses -- which are just horses -- but I've also built a machine that can dig a tunnel ten times faster than a gopher.

and and his online presence

[Elon Musk]: But I also write things like "69 days after 4/20 again haha." People are so mean online. Okay, for a while I thought masks were dumb, but now I admit masks make sense.

Chad on Mars - SNL http://www.youtube.com

and also a weird amount of references to cousins being into each other.

[Mikey Day]: How many times have you found out too late that your lover is your cousin?

[Ego Nwodim]: What are you doing?

[Chris Redd]: What?

[Ego Nwodim]: You're my cousin.

[Chris Redd]: What? Oh no, I totally forgot. (Silently) Almost got away with it.

[Elon Musk]: Ooli, I think of all the good times we could have, eating fermented shark in the nude

[Chloe Fineman]: Oh my gosh. Okay, Ragnarok, stop. Cousin Check told us we were cousins.

[Elon Musk]: Exaclty, we have so much in common!

Speaking of electric cars, this was not a great week for for the other kind of cars, with the average gas price in the US topping $3 a gallon for the first time in years and hundreds of gas stations along the east coast running dry with some truly wild panic buying.

The panic was brought on by the shutdown of the Colonial Pipeline, which typically delivers hundreds of millions of gallons of fuel from refineries in Texas all the way up to New York and all along the eastern seaboard. But after being attacked by the corporate ransomware outfit known as "DarkSide," the Colonial Pipeline Company lost access to their billing software, so they just stopped delivering altogether, causing a federally declared state of emergency in 17 states.

Thankfully, service was restored on Wednesday night, though the company says it will take a few more days to get back to 100%.

It was also a big week for Ellen DeGeneres, who announced that the 19th season of her daytime talk show will be the last.

Ellen's Big Season 19 Announcement http://www.youtube.com

[Elen DeGeneres]: This show has been the greatest experience of my life, and I owe it all to you The truth is, I always trust my instincts. Uh, my instinct told me it's time. As a comedian I've always understood the importance of...timing. And recently I had a dream that a bird, a beautiful bird with bright red feathers, came to my window and whispered, "You can still do stuff on Netflix." And that was the sign I was looking for.

Beginning in 2003, the show made "Be Kind" its mantra, while behind the scenes the host earned a reputation as one of the meanest bosses in Hollywood.

[Hedda Muskat]: Toxic, phony, hypocrite liar, that's what she is. We were told from the very beginning, "Don't talk to Ellen, don't do this, you can't, you know, go into her office." It was very nerve-wracking, very stressful, we all walked on eggshells all the time.

Speaking of hypocrisy

[Courtney Stodden]: Hypo-Chrissy Teigen

this week former child-bride Courtney Stodden came after model Chrissy Teigen for hurtful comments that the so-called "Mayor of Twitter" made about them when they was just a teenager including wishing for the young celebrity to take a, quote, "dirt nap."

[Courtney Stodden]: It's ironic because, right, because she left, you know, social media, complaining about bullying. She has sent me so many different tweets, private DMs, um, up to a couple years ago.

Stodden, who identifies as non-binary, first came to the world's attention in 2011 when, at the age of 16, they married 51 year old Green Mile actor Doug Hutchinson. The "Don't Put it on Me" singer

[Courtney Stodden]: Don't put it on me, girl. D-d-d-d-d-d-d-don't

quickly became the target of ridicule and commentary, despite the fact that as they've since recognized they were clearly the victim of a predatory grooming relationship.

Courtney Stodden Calls Chrissy Teigen a Hypocrite Over Bullying | TMZ http://www.youtube.com

In response to Stodden calling her out, Teigen issued an apology on Twitter, saying, quote, "I was an insecure, attention-seeking troll. I am ashamed and completely embarrassed at my behavior."

In other news, Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez have reunited to once again form Bennifer Afflepez for the first time in 17 years. And actress Kat Dennings and singer Andrew W.K. announced that they're engaged this week.

But what else... Oh, right. Violence in Israel and Gaza reached new heights this week in the decades-long conflict between a powerful military ethnostate with nuclear weapons, and a group of displaced and disenfranchised people living under martial law.

But according to President Biden, when it comes to killing protestors and toppling 13-story residential buildings

[Joe Biden]: Israel has right to defend itself.

Well, that does it for this week. If the world survives longer than I do, we'll send another clone with more updates. Until then...byyye!

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Elon Musk’s ‘SNL’ appearance shows he’s the face of EVs beyond Tesla – Mashable SE Asia

Posted: at 12:57 pm

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Cryptocurrencies, Mars colonization, and an unpronounceable child's name may have dominated Elon Musk's first Saturday Night Live appearance, but the Tesla CEO's influence on electric vehicles was clear from the ads that popped up during the late-night program.

Musk is known for "reinventing" electric vehicles as a more mainstream alternative to gas-powered cars with his Tesla brand and its original Model S sedan back in 2012. Now there are more than 50 EV models available in the U.S. including options from legacy automakers like Ford, Nissan, and Chevy.

Tesla doesn't do traditional advertising, but its competitors do. During Saturday's SNL episode several car companies ran ads for their EVs, timed with Musk's appearance. Musk didn't say much about Tesla or EVs during the show aside from a joke about driving a Toyota Prius hybrid.

During the ad breaks, there was a 30-second spot from startup Lucid with its yet-to-arrive Air luxury sedan, plugging its 517-mile range battery. Tesla has a Model S version coming out in 2022 with a purported 520-mile battery range.

Publications like The Verge and USA Today noticed other EV ads from Audi for its E-tron, Volvo with a plug-in hybrid SUV, Ford with the Mustang Mach-E electric SUV, and Volkswagen with the recently released ID.4.

Musk is the the public figure most associated with electric vehicles, so his appearance on a show with an audience as wide as SNL's led car companies to take advantage of the moment. Lucid, the EV company that has delayed the release of its first car, saw a pop in Google traffic that matched search interest with Musk's Tesla during the SNL broadcast.

trends.embed.renderExploreWidget("TIMESERIES", {"comparisonItem":[{"keyword":"tesla","geo":"US","time":"now 1-d"},{"keyword":"lucid air","geo":"US","time":"now 1-d"}],"category":0,"property":""}, {"exploreQuery":"date=now%201-d&geo=US&q=tesla,lucid%20air","guestPath":"https://trends.google.com:443/trends/embed/"});

Musk has always welcomed competition in the EV space, but things are starting to heat up.

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Elon Musk's 'SNL' appearance shows he's the face of EVs beyond Tesla - Mashable SE Asia

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The Future of Nashville arts following the pandemic p5 – Yahoo News

Posted: at 12:57 pm

Reuters Videos

U.S. House members have reached a deal to push forward with a bipartisan, independent commission to investigate the Jan. 6 storming of U.S. Capitol.In a statement, the Democratic chairman of the Homeland Security Committee Bennie Thompson and ranking Republican member John Katko said on Friday they would introduce legislation before the House as soon as next week to set up the investigative panel.It will be modeled after the one used to probe the attacks of September 11th. U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi praised the agreement, calling January 6th (quote) "one of the darkest days in our history."Like the Sept. 11 panel, this one would have five commissioners appointed by each party as well as the authority to issue subpoenas to carry out its investigation. The lawmakers said its report and "recommendations to prevent future attacks" would be due by Dec. 31.The agreement paves the way for the panel's creation after a partisan fight over the scope of the investigation - and as Republican committee members increasingly downplay the events of the day in an effort to defend former President Donald Trump and his supporters.Both the House and the Senate would have to approve the bill, which would then go to President Joe Biden to sign into law.

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The Future of Nashville arts following the pandemic p5 - Yahoo News

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Cook Co. homeowner received nearly $2K refund thanks to phone bank – Yahoo News

Posted: at 12:57 pm

Reuters Videos

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Cook Co. homeowner received nearly $2K refund thanks to phone bank - Yahoo News

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First Genetically Modified Mosquitoes Released in U.S. Are Hatching Now – Scientific American

Posted: at 12:56 pm

This week, mosquito eggs placed in the Florida Keys are expected to hatch tens of thousands of genetically modified mosquitoes, a result of the first U.S. release of such insects in the wild. A biotechnology firm called Oxitec delivered the eggs in late April as part of a federally approved experiment to study the use of genetic engineeringrather than insecticidesto control disease-carrying mosquito populations. The move targets an invasive species, called Aedes aegypti, that carries Zika, dengue, chikungunya, yellow fever and other potentially deadly diseases, some of which are on the rise in Florida.

The experiment relies on a genetic alteration that will be lethal to a large number of future offspring. In this case, male mosquitoes have been modified to carry a gene that makes their female progeny dependent on the antibiotic tetracyclineand thus fated to die in the wild. As the mating cycle repeats over generations, female numbers are depleted, and the population is suppressed. The modified insects eventually die off, making this approach self-limiting.

Oxitec overcame significant regulatory hurdles before getting the go-ahead from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2016 and then the Environmental Protection Agency in 2020. If the current pilot effort is successful, the firm is set to release as many as 20 million more males in the prime of Floridas mosquito season later this year. The results of the experiment could ultimately help address concerns about releasing genetically modified organisms into the wild.

To learn more about the risks and rewards of Floridas foray into bioengineered pest control, Scientific American spoke with Omar Akbari, a molecular biologist whose lab works on genetic control technologies at the University of California, San Diego. He is also a co-founder of Agragene, a biotech company that is using genetically engineered agricultural pests as a biological pest control.

[An edited transcript of the interview follows.]

Do you think the Aedes aegypti experiment in the Florida Keys will reduce the spread of mosquito-borne diseases?

The current method of controlling this species is to use insecticides, but they dont really work well. Weve noticed resistance in the field, so new technologies are definitely needed.

Oxitecs technology for releasing genetically modified insects has been tested in other places. [The company has] reported reaching A. aegypti population suppression of more than 90 percent in many of their releases, including effective control of the A. aegypti population in Brazil. Given its prior testing, the experiment in the Keys is likely to work and to suppress A. aegypti populations. And hopefully it will directly translate into an epidemiological impact, effectively reducing disease transmission.

How safe is this technology?

Its extremely safe. The EPA has done its due diligence and tested many of the potential side effects of this technology. The real question here is: What are the existing control mechanisms that are in place? This mosquito has been controlled using many different broad-spectrum insecticides in Florida, including pyrethroids that also kill honeybees, ladybugs, dragonflies and other insects. Pictures show aerial spraying of insecticides from airplanes over neighborhoods in Florida during the Zika virus outbreak in 2016. By comparison, Oxitecs technology is extremely safe. Its only going to target A. aegypti, and youre using the mosquito to control the mosquito.

Is there a risk to the ecosystem?

Its a misconception that this process could get rid of all mosquitoes. There are more than 3,500 different species of mosquitoes on earth. A handful of them transmit pathogens. Oxitec is not trying to eliminate all mosquitoes. [The company is] getting rid of one mosquito species from a localized population to stop it from transmitting pathogens to humans. And this mosquito speciesA. aegyptiis invasive and doesnt have a purpose in this environment. So I dont think there will be any negative environmental impact from removing the species from the environment.

Do you anticipate the future use of Oxitecs technology in other U.S. states?

Right now it is only approved to do mosquito egg releases in that one area of Florida. Its authorized here for experimental use. And the technology is localized. These mosquitoes cant travel very far.

The first requirement for use of the technology in other areas will be success with the current experiment in Florida. Once that is in hand, Oxitec can apply for more permits to do broader releases in other areas. If that were to happen, the process would resemble what took place in Florida. I think [Oxitec] would connect with the local mosquito-control districts in those locations and coordinate releases and monitoring the density of the A. aegypti female population over time. Getting approval in other locations might also require putting it on a ballot to get the public to weigh in on the decision, as was done in Florida.

What are the possible limitations of this approach to controlling mosquitoes that spread diseases?

One question is scalability. Can they scale this technology to eliminate this pest from, lets say, all the states in America that its present in, which is basically half of the U.S.? Or is it only useful in small communities? And if they scale if it, what is the cost associated with that?

Also, species-specific technology is a double-edged sword. On the one hand, youre only targeting one species. On the other hand, there are often multiple species transmitting a pathogen. For example, in Brazil, you have two different species that transmit dengue virusA. aegypti and Aedes albopictus. Thats also the case in Florida. So if you get rid of one of them, the other is still out there.

With global warming, how likely is it that other regions will take the same course that the Florida Keys mosquito district has?

Some already have. Oxitec has received approvals to do releases of its modified A. aegypti mosquitoes in the Cayman Islands and Panama. It is doing trials in Indiagenetically modified mosquitoes are released into cages with wild-type mosquitoes to mate and then compared with cages without the modified insect. [Others have] done releases in Malaysia and Australia. And as there are more examples of success stories, I think more countries will be willing to adopt this technology, assuming that the costs make sense.

With global warming, the habitable range of A. aegypti mosquitoes is expanding. The species now is present in many U.S. states, whereas 10 years ago it wasnt. This, too, is going to become more important as this mosquito species becomes more prevalent and the pathogens also become more prevalent.

What biological pest-control technologies are you currently working on?

Our lab has a [preprint] paper currently under review describing a new CRISPR-based technology that can be used to eliminate A. aegypti populations. Its also self-limiting. Were excited about this because we were able to eliminate the populations in experimental cages in the lab. And we think this technology might be a next-generation technology that can be used alongside the Oxitec technology. The outcome is very similar.

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First Genetically Modified Mosquitoes Released in U.S. Are Hatching Now - Scientific American

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Scotlands midge problem could be solved after scientists genetically modify bugs that cant bite… – The Scottish Sun

Posted: at 12:56 pm

SCOTLAND'S bloodthirsty midges may finally meet their match, as a result of revolutionary genetic manipulationtechniquesthat could stop the pesky insects biting chunks out of the tourist industry.

News that a British biotechnology company has used genetically engineeringto produce non-biting mosquitoes in Florida to help curb yellow and dengue fevers and ultimately malaria may spell long-term hope of beating the annual Scottish scourge.

Oxford-based Oxytec and American partners recently released genetically modified mosquito larvae in the Florida Keys after gene editing suppressed wild, disease-carrying populations without recourse to pesticides.

While midges share some characteristics with mosquitoes, Dr Simon Carpenter, a leading entomologist from the Pirbright Institute and part of the team that generated and built the first ever complete genome of a Culicoides biting midge, said using the same process in Scotland was more complex - and might take 20 years.

He toldThe Sunday Times: I would be amazed if no one took it on as a project. I would be surprised if there is not a genome (by then).

Professor Bruce Whitelaw, director of the Roslin Institute which gave the worldDolly the sheep, said it was conceptually possible to use the technology to reduce midge and even deer tick populations which can spread Lyme Disease.

But he added: [We] would need a lot of basic research to understand fertility in midges and establish the needed genetic engineering capability.

Carpenter said the sheer abundance of midges made it currently really difficult to knock out enough of the population to make a difference.

He added: Mosquitoes are pretty abundant in Florida but Culicoides Impunctatus - the species of midge native to Scotland - is insane.

He said that during research we were collecting 600 midges off an exposed arm.

During the controversial Florida project, 12,000 males were released but eventually hundreds of millions could be hatched.

The genetic material in the male mosquitoes was altered to pass on a lethal gene to female offspring, preventing them manufacturing an essential protein and reaching maturity. They then die off.

Whitelaw added: They try and mate but nothing will come of it."

"The insects only have to be released once and they drive through a population.

Oxytec claims the work is sustainable and eco-friendly and less damaging than toxic pesticides which insects can become resistant to.

Carpenter said researching midges was low down on the list of funding priorities because the end point of the bite is not fatal.

Deer tick were likely to be addressed ahead of midges, he added.

Swarms of midges descend across a quarter of the country every summer spreading viruses like blue-tongue disease in cattle and making life miserable for holidaymakers and locals.

It has been estimated to cost tourism 268million.

People rely on a variety of repellents to ward away midges.

Many walkers swear by Avons Skin So Soft and essential oils, while others resort to midge hoods and sophisticated machines that suck up huge quantities of the insects.

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Morag Phillips, who grew up on Skye and still visits the island, said: Certainly genetic modification would be good for tourism and make it easier for people to carry on working outside.

"The words genetic modification conjures up scary thoughts. But the idea of a midge that doesnt bite sounds like heaven to me.

But they are not universally detested. Adult midges are consumed by spiders and swallows and their larve are eaten by fish, dragonfly larvae, water beetles and other predators.

We pay for your stories and videos! Do you have a story or video for The Scottish Sun? Email us at scoop@thesun.co.uk or call 0141 420 5300

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