The Scientist Speaks Podcast - Episode 2

The Buzz About Genetically Modified Mosquitoes

Written byNiki Spahich, PhD
| 1 min read

Register for free to listen to this article
Listen with Speechify
0:00
1:00
Share

Welcome to The Scientist Speaks, a new podcast produced by The Scientist’s Creative Services Team. Our podcast is by scientists and for scientists. Once a month, we will bring you the stories behind news-worthy molecular biology research.

Mosquito-borne diseases afflict a large portion of the world. In this month’s episode, we consider genetic methods to eradicate diseases such as Zika fever, Dengue fever, and malaria. We spoke with Omar Akbari, professor of Cell and Developmental Biology at the University of California, San Diego, to learn more.

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to The Scientist Speaks on your favorite podcast platform.

Music attribution: Wholesome by Kevin MacLeod. Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/5050-wholesome License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Interested in reading more?

Become a Member of

The Scientist Logo
Receive full access to more than 35 years of archives, as well as TS Digest, digital editions of The Scientist, feature stories, and much more!
Already a member? Login Here

Related Topics

Meet the Author

  • Niki Spahich headshot

    Niki Spahich earned her PhD in genetics and genomics from Duke University, where she studied Haemophilus influenzae membrane proteins that contribute to respiratory infections. She later explored Staphylococcus aureus metabolism during her postdoctoral fellowship in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Prior to joining The Scientist, Niki taught biology, microbiology, and genetics at various academic institutions. She also developed a passion for science communication in written, visual, and spoken forms, which led her to start Science Riot, a nonprofit dedicated to teaching scientists how to communicate to the public through the lens of comedy. Niki is currently the manager of The Scientist's Creative Services Team.

    View Full Profile
Share
Image of a woman with her hands across her stomach. She has a look of discomfort on her face. There is a blown up image of her stomach next to her and it has colorful butterflies and gut bacteria all swarming within the gut.
November 2025, Issue 1

Why Do We Feel Butterflies in the Stomach?

These fluttering sensations are the brain’s reaction to certain emotions, which can be amplified or soothed by the gut’s own “bugs".

View this Issue
Olga Anczukow and Ryan Englander discuss how transcriptome splicing affects immune system function in lung cancer.

Long-Read RNA Sequencing Reveals a Regulatory Role for Splicing in Immunotherapy Responses

Pacific Biosciences logo
Research Roundtable: The Evolving World of Spatial Biology

Research Roundtable: The Evolving World of Spatial Biology

Conceptual cartoon image of gene editing technology

Exploring the State of the Art in Gene Editing Techniques

Bio-Rad
Conceptual image of a doctor holding a brain puzzle, representing Alzheimer's disease diagnosis.

Simplifying Early Alzheimer’s Disease Diagnosis with Blood Testing

fujirebio logo

Products

Eppendorf Logo

Research on rewiring neural circuit in fruit flies wins 2025 Eppendorf & Science Prize

Evident Logo

EVIDENT's New FLUOVIEW FV5000 Redefines the Boundaries of Confocal and Multiphoton Imaging

Evident Logo

EVIDENT Launches Sixth Annual Image of the Year Contest

10x Genomics Logo

10x Genomics Launches the Next Generation of Chromium Flex to Empower Scientists to Massively Scale Single Cell Research