Oxitec is a UK-based, US-owned
biotechnology
Biotechnology is the integration of natural sciences and engineering sciences in order to achieve the application of organisms, cells, parts thereof and molecular analogues for products and services. The term ''biotechnology'' was first used ...
company that develops
genetically modified insects
[
] in order to improve public health and food security through
insect control
Pest control is the regulation or management of a species defined as a pest; any animal, plant or fungus that impacts adversely on human activities or environment. The human response depends on the importance of the damage done and will range ...
. The insects act as biological insecticides. Insects are controlled without the use of chemical
insecticides
Insecticides are substances used to kill insects. They include ovicides and larvicides used against insect eggs and larvae, respectively. Insecticides are used in agriculture, medicine, industry and by consumers. Insecticides are claimed t ...
. Instead, the insects are
genetically engineered
Genetic engineering, also called genetic modification or genetic manipulation, is the modification and manipulation of an organism's genes using technology. It is a set of technologies used to change the genetic makeup of cells, including t ...
to be unable to produce offspring. The company claims that this technology is more effective than insecticides and more environmentally friendly.
History
Oxitec was founded in 2002 as Oxford Insect Technologies in the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
by Luke Alphey and David Kelly, working with
Oxford University
Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to th ...
's
Isis Innovation
Oxford University Innovation Limited (OUI) is a British technology transfer and consultancy company created to manage the research and development (R&D) of University spin-offs. OUI is a wholly owned subsidiary of the University of Oxford, and i ...
technology transfer company. In August 2015, Oxitec was purchased by U.S.-based
Intrexon
Precigen, Inc (formerly Intrexon Corporation, NASDAQ: PGEN) is an American biotechnology company. Its president and CEO is Helen Sabzevari.
Intrexon was founded in 1998, and is headquartered in Germantown, Maryland. With a suite of proprietary an ...
for $160 million,
and by US-based Third Security in early 2020.
The company's first engineered insect was the
pink bollworm (''Pectinophora gossypiella''). It was experimentally released in Arizona in 2006.
It then modifed ''Aedes egyptii'', followed by a series of field trials in multiple countries.
Grey Frandsen was appointed CEO in 2017. He is an American who led start-up initiatives in the U.S. government and the private and non-profit sectors on matters relating to national and global public health security, biotechnology and crisis response. Frandsen led the company's transition to its 2nd generation technology in 2018. During the 2010s, Oxitec established partnerships with agricultural industry leaders and the
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Frandsen was named one of
Malaria No More
Malaria No More is a nonprofit organization that seeks to eradicate malaria
Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease that affects humans and other animals. Malaria causes symptoms that typically include fever, tiredness, vomiting, a ...
's 10-to-End innovators in 2019.
Genetically modified insects
Oxitec's original insight was that genetically modifying insects could disrupt their ability to reproduce and over time, reduce their populations. Oxitec has developed genetically modified versions of ''
A. aegypti, P. gossypiella''.
Its OX513A strain alters males to produce protein
tTA, which negatively affects cell development.
OX5034 male offspring survive, allowing mating cycles that further reduce the population. In each generation fewer males pass on their self-limiting genes. OX5034 males were expected to disappear from the environment 10 generations after releases stop.
Modified males mate with wild females. The self-limiting gene prevents female offspring from surviving. The engineered gene based on elements found in ''E. coli'' and the herpes simplex virus, causes the female offspring’s cells to produce tTAV protein.
Projects
Grand Cayman
The first field trials were performed on
Grand Cayman
Grand Cayman is the largest of the three Cayman Islands and the location of the territory's capital, George Town. In relation to the other two Cayman Islands, it is approximately 75 miles (121 km) southwest of Little Cayman and 90 miles (1 ...
, starting in 2009. Approximately 3.3 million transgenic male ''A. aegypti'' were released. The experiments demonstrated that the animals were able to survive in this environment and produce offspring. Some eleven weeks after the release, the observed ''A. aegypti'' population declined about 80%. The tests were deemed a scientific success, but criticism emerged over communication policy. In May 2016 Grand Cayman announced a program to use Oxitec mosquitoes. The first phase informed the community about the programme. The next phase treated an area with about 1,800 residents in West Bay. 88% fewer ''A. aegypti'' eggs were observed compared to an equivalent untreated area.
In November 2018, the Cayman Islands government elected to cease any new field trial agreements with Oxitec, citing cost-benefit concerns with the technologies as the primary concern. Health Minister Dwayne Seymour and other legislators expressed skepticism on-the-record about the trials' effectiveness. However, Oxitec and the Mosquito Research and Control Unit of the Cayman Islands continue to analyze the data collected over the 10 year project.
Brazil
In 2011 Oxitec conducted a field test in cooperation with the company Moscamed and the
University of São Paulo
The University of São Paulo ( pt, Universidade de São Paulo, USP) is a public university in the Brazilian state of São Paulo. It is the largest Brazilian public university and the country's most prestigious educational institution, the bes ...
. The observed population declined by 80–95%.
In July 2015, Oxitec released results of a test in the
Juazeiro
Juazeiro, formerly also known as Joazeiro, is a municipality in the state of Bahia, in the northeastern region of Brazil.
The city is twinned with Petrolina, in the state of Pernambuco. The two cities are connected by a modern bridge crossing ...
region of Brazil to fight Dengue, Chikungunya and Zika viruses. They concluded that mosquito populations were reduced by about 95%.
It was used to try to combat Zika in
Piracicaba
Piracicaba ( or ) is a city located in the Brazilian state of São Paulo. The population is 407,252 (2020) in an area of 1378.07 km². It is at an elevation of 547 m above sea level.
Name
The place name comes from a word in the Tupi langua ...
, São Paulo in 2016.
A 2013 OX513A project in
Jacobina
Jacobina is a city in the Centro Norte Baiano mesoregion of Bahia. It was founded July 28, 1722 and the population is 80,635. The town is surrounded by mountains, hills, lakes, rivers, springs, and waterfalls. Located in the northwest region of ...
in the state of
Bahia
Bahia ( , , ; meaning "bay") is one of the 26 states of Brazil, located in the Northeast Region of the country. It is the fourth-largest Brazilian state by population (after São Paulo, Minas Gerais, and Rio de Janeiro) and the 5th-largest b ...
Some 450,000 males were released every week for 27 months. Wild populations were studied before the program began and at intervals of 6, 12 and 27 to 30 months.
Another OX513A field test began on 23 May 2018 in
Indaiatuba
Indaiatuba is a municipality in the state of São Paulo in Brazil. It is part of the Metropolitan Region of Campinas. The population is 256,223 (2020 est.) in an area of . The elevation is . The city's name derives from the Tupi language
Ol ...
, a municipality in the state of
São Paulo
São Paulo (, ; Portuguese for ' Saint Paul') is the most populous city in Brazil, and is the capital of the state of São Paulo, the most populous and wealthiest Brazilian state, located in the country's Southeast Region. Listed by the Ga ...
. The company announced the trial's results in June 2019, reporting that the project reduced the mosquito population by 79%.
A 2019 outside study reported that genes characteristic of the altered males had entered the wild population.
Oxitec put out a statement, citing concern with the paper's "misleading and speculative statements". The company's statement included rebuttals directed of some of its claims. All of these were confirmed by ''
Scientific Reports'' and ''
Nature
Nature, in the broadest sense, is the physical world or universe. "Nature" can refer to the phenomena of the physical world, and also to life in general. The study of nature is a large, if not the only, part of science. Although humans are ...
'' Magazine in March 2020 in an Editorial Expression of Concern.
It was reported that some of the authors claimed that they had not approved the version that was submitted for publication.
Several critics responded to the paper, including entomologist Jason Rasgon of
Pennsylvania State University, who stated that the finding was important, but that some claims were overstated and irresponsible.
A 2018-2019 Indaiatuba study of four densely populated neighborhoods with high levels of ''Aedes aegypti'' reported that mosquito populations declined an average 88 percent over 11 months in those neighborhoods. In two, scientists released 100 male mosquito eggs per resident per week and 500 in the others, reporting that the smaller numbers were as effective as the higher ones. Boxes filled with eggs are available for home and business use.
Malaysia
Field trials were carried out in
Malaysia
Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...
in 2015.
Panama
Field trials were conducted in Panama in 2016.
United States
Arizona
The company released an engineered
pink bollworm (''Pectinophora gossypiella'') in Arizona in 2006.
Florida
A 2016 field trial planned in
Florida
Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...
was cancelled.
Oxitec was invited to the
Florida Keys in the early 2010s. The company conducted extensive community engagement. A November 2016 referendum showed overwhelming local support for the project to release genetically engineered male mosquitos. 31 out of 33 Monroe County precincts voted in favor. The company established waitlists due to resident interest in hosting mosquito boxes.
Some residents opposed the project, worrying about bites by the mosquitoes (male mosquitoes do not have the mouthparts to bite). Others were unhappy about becoming a test site, with some threatening to derail the experiments by filling the mosquito boxes with bleach.
In 2020, Oxitec's OX5034 mosquito was approved for release by state and federal authorities for use in Florida. In April 2021, boxes containing mosquito eggs were placed at six locations. Once they hatched, about 12,000 males were expected weekly over the following 12 weeks, totaling 144k. In the second phase, nearly 20 million mosquitoes were expected over 16 weeks. In 2022, 5 million mosquitoes were released. All female offspring that inherited the lethal gene were reported to have died before reaching adulthood. The company also reported that spread of the related mutations was limited to a small area.
California
In 2022,
EPA
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is an independent executive agency of the United States federal government tasked with environmental protection matters. President Richard Nixon proposed the establishment of EPA on July 9, 1970; it be ...
officials approved the release of 2.4 billion males of ''A. aegypti'' in California's
Central Valley through 2024. The project is a partnership with the Delta Mosquito and Vector Control district in
Tulare county
Tulare County ( ) is a county located in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 473,117. The county seat is Visalia. The county is named for Tulare Lake, once the largest freshwater lake west of the Great Lakes. ...
. It awaits approval by California pesticide regulators. Specimens cannot be released near any potential
tetracycline
Tetracycline, sold under various brand names, is an oral antibiotic in the tetracyclines family of medications, used to treat a number of infections, including acne, cholera, brucellosis, plague, malaria, and syphilis.
Common side effects in ...
sources (which allows females to develop), or within 500 meters of
wastewater treatment facilities, commercial citrus, apple, pear, nectarine, peach growing areas, or livestock. Opponents include
Friends of the Earth, the Institute for Responsible Tech and the
Center for Food Safety who object to the lack of public data on the Florida trial and the technique's experimental status. Specimens have been identified in 21 of
California's
California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
58 counties.
In 2022 Oxitec was seekIng approval for a pilot release.
Regulation
OX513A was approved by Brazil's National Biosecurity Technical Commission (CTNBio) in April 2014. In January 2016 Brazil's National Biosafety Committee approved the release Oxitec mosquitos throughout their country.
Brazil's health-regulatory agency,
Anvisa
Brazilian Health Regulatory Agency ( pt, Agência Nacional de Vigilância Sanitária, links=no, italics=yes, ''Anvisa'', literally National Health Surveillance Agency) is a regulatory body of the Brazilian government, created in 1999 during Presi ...
, declared on 12 April 2016 that it would regulate Oxitec's mosquitoes. Anvisa announced that it was creating a legal framework for regulations. It requested Oxitec to demonstrate that its technology was safe and could reduce the transmission of mosquito-borne viruses.
In 2020 Brazilian Biosafety Regulatory Authority CTNBio granted full commercial biosafety approval for Oxitec’s mosquitoes.
Oxitec’s Florida Keys project was approved by federal and state regulators, including the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS). In August 2020, the Florida Keys Mosquito Control District (FKMCD) Board of Commissioners approved the project.
The Netherlands agreed to release Oxitec's genetically modified mosquitoes to fight
dengue fever,
chikungunya
Chikungunya is an infection caused by the ''Chikungunya virus'' (CHIKV). Symptoms include fever and joint pains. These typically occur two to twelve days after exposure. Other symptoms may include headache, muscle pain, joint swelling, and a ra ...
and zika in
Saba Saba may refer to:
Places
* Saba (island), an island of the Netherlands located in the Caribbean Sea
* Şaba (Romanian for Shabo), a town of the Odesa Oblast, Ukraine
* Sabá, a municipality in the department of Colón, Honduras
* Saba (river), ...
, a Dutch
Caribbean island, after a report by The National Institute of Public Health and the Environment (RIVM)
examined the effects that these mosquitoes could have in the local ecosystem and concluded the release of the mosquitoes would not pose risks to human health or the environment.
The French High Council for Biology supported Oxitec mosquito releases in 2017.
Criticism
A 2019 study claimed that Oxitec's first generation A. aegypti (the redundant OX513A) had successfully hybridized with the local ''A. aegypti'' population.
It was challenged by Oxitec and most of the study's co-authors. The study was found to be purely speculative and is now marked by its publisher with an Editorial Expression of Concern.
See also
*
Genetically modified organism
*
Sterile insect technique
The sterile insect technique (SIT) is a method of biological insect control, whereby overwhelming numbers of sterile insects are released into the wild. The released insects are preferably male, as this is more cost-effective and the females ma ...
References
External links
*
{{authority control
2002 establishments in England
Biotechnology companies established in 2002
Biotechnology companies of the United Kingdom
Companies based in Oxfordshire
Companies associated with the University of Oxford
Insect-borne diseases
Pest control
Science and technology in Oxfordshire
Vale of White Horse