Using genetics to try to figure out how to get mosquitoes to stop biting us
Among all the beasts in the animal kingdom, perhaps none is more dangerous to humans than the mosquito.
The whiny insects aren't just irritating - they can be deadly.
In fact, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reckons that mosquitoes are responsible for at least 700,000 deaths worldwide each year, thanks to their ability to transmit diseases such as malaria and yellow fever with a single bite.
That makes the bugs 50,000 times more deadly to humans than sharks, according to the CDC.
To thwart these tiny flying assassins, researchers have developed a range of strategies including insecticides, sterilization programs and repellents such as Deet. Now, scientists think mosquito genetics will help them add a new weapon to that
