Scientists Genetically Engineered Fungus to Fight against Malaria

Scientists at the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, in the first week of March 2011, genetically engineered transgenic fungus to fight against malaria. They inserted Anisopliae into genes for a human antibody or a scorpion toxin. Both the antibody and the toxin specifically target the parasite P. falciparum which causes malaria.

Scientists, in the course of their experiment, compared three groups of mosquitoes all infected with the malaria parasite. The first group of mosquitoes was sprayed with the transgenic fungus, the second group sprayed with an unaltered or natural strain of the fungus, and the third group of mosquitoes was not sprayed with any fungus at all. It was discovered that in comparison with the other treatments, spraying mosquitoes with the transgenic fungus significantly reduced parasite development.