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Bacteria genes offer new strategy for sterilizing mosquitoes

Genetic engineering could deplete populations of disease-carrying insects

wolbachia bacteria

STERILITY CULPRITS  Wolbachia bacteria (red) effectively sterilize male insects by infecting the testes (blue, a wasp's testes shown at 100 times magnification). Now, researchers have identified genes that may be responsible for the sterility.

S. Bordenstein/Vanderbilt University

By Elizabeth Eaton

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