In 1985, Chen Xiaoguang was "forced" into a parasitology research lab, sparking a relentless battle with mosquitoes that has spanned over two decades. Today, he is a professor at Southern Medical University and a recipient of the State Council Special Allowance. Over the past 20-plus years, he has unveiled the world's first whole-genome sequence of Aedes albopictus. He is also researching gene drive technology targeting mosquitoes, aiming to render them unable to feed on blood or reproduce.

Faced with Guangdong's perennial struggle with dengue fever and the challenge of traditional insecticides easily inducing resistance in mosquitoes, Chen decided to seek a breakthrough at the genetic level. In 2015, after five years of work and massive investment, his team completed the world's first whole-genome sequencing of Aedes albopictus. Guided by this genetic blueprint, he decoded the mechanisms of mosquito sex determination, olfaction, and reproduction, leading to the development of a groundbreaking "gene drive technology."

Through gene editing, this technology engineers a "male-determining genetic element," which converts female mosquitoes into males. Moreover, this genetic trait has an inheritance probability of over 75%. These genetically modified male mosquitoes are highly competitive in the wild. After several generations of breeding, the male-to-female ratio of the mosquito population may become severely imbalanced, ultimately leading to a natural population collapse. Laboratory data shows that by the 10th generation, the population size can be reduced by 90%.

Addressing ecological safety concerns, Chen noted that the technology precisely targets specific mosquito species, adding that Aedes albopictus is not irreplaceable in the ecosystem. The ultimate goal is to reduce mosquito density to a level that prevents large-scale infectious disease outbreaks, rather than driving the species to complete extinction.

他用转基因将蚊子变雌为雄，蚊子后代将吸不了血，传不了病

1985年，陈晓光被“逼”进寄生虫学研究室，从此与蚊子“死磕”20余年。如今，他已是国务院政府特殊津贴专家、南方医科大学教授。20多年来，他首先揭示了全球首个白纹伊蚊全基因组序列，还正在研究针对蚊子的基因驱动技术，让蚊子吸不了血，传不了代。

面对广东常年被登革热困扰的境况和传统杀虫剂极易引发蚊子抗药性的困境，陈晓光决定从基因层面破局。2015年，其团队耗时五年、投入巨资，完成了全球首个白纹伊蚊全基因组序列测序。借此“天书”，他掌握了蚊子的性别决定、嗅觉及繁殖机制，并研发出颠覆性的“基因驱动技术”。

该技术通过基因编辑构建“雄性决定基因元件”，使雌蚊转化为雄蚊，且该基因能以超75%的概率遗传。转基因雄蚊在野外极具竞争力，经多代繁衍，可使蚊群雌雄比例严重失衡，最终导致种群自然崩溃。实验室数据显示，到第十代种群数量可压缩90%。

针对生态安全担忧，陈晓光表示该技术精准打击特定蚊种，且白纹伊蚊在生态链中并非不可替代。其目标是将蚊虫密度降至不引发大规模传染病的程度，而非彻底灭绝。

文｜记者 张华
图｜受访者提供
海报｜陈健怡
译｜陈冠臻
英文审校｜盛嘉