--- title: Genetically Modified Mosquitoes: Florida Could Have Them Fight Disease description: Scientists could release millions of genetically modified mosquitoes in the Florida in an attempt to kill off insects that spread disease canonical: https://time.com/3681770/gmo-mosquito-florida/ author: Justin Worland article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-01-25T21:41:12.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-02-22T03:51:38.125Z article:section: Science og:title: Millions of Genetically Modified Mosquitoes Could Be Released in Florida og:description: If scientists have their way. og:url: https://time.com/3681770/gmo-mosquito-florida/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltca7f5d62c35af780/69877bc3428a9e5b59cc6c48/mosquitoes-florida.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 2560 og:image:height: 1440 og:image:alt: Jason Garcia og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Millions of Genetically Modified Mosquitoes Could Be Released in Florida twitter:description: If scientists have their way. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltca7f5d62c35af780/69877bc3428a9e5b59cc6c48/mosquitoes-florida.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Millions of Genetically Modified Mosquitoes Could Be Released in Florida > Sponsored content. 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Future Proof is TIME's weekly climate and energy newsletter, written by senior correspondent Justin Worland. It connects the energy transition to the decisions reshaping business, technology, policy and markets. #### Where can I follow the energy transition as a business story? Future Proof covers climate and energy as an economic and business story rather than only an environmental one. It publishes every Friday and is free at time.com/newsletters. #### Who writes Future Proof? Justin Worland, a senior correspondent at TIME and an award-winning climate journalist, writes Future Proof. #### Is Future Proof free? Yes. Future Proof is free at time.com/newsletters. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-futureproof-2026q3/newsletters?i=523fac87-e40d-4bb2-83ef-ba390e183068&cr=time-nl-futureproof-2026q3-v1)  by [Justin Worland](https://time.com/author/justin-worland/)  ## Justin Worland Senior Correspondent Jan 25, 2015 9:41 PM UTC  Jason Garcia, a field inspector with the Florida Keys Mosquito Control District, tests a sprayer that could be used in the future to spray pesticides to control mosquitos in Key West, Fla., on Oct. 4, 2012 Jason Garcia, a field inspector with the Florida Keys Mosquito Control District, tests a sprayer that could be used in the future to spray pesticides to control mosquitos in Key West, Fla., on Oct. 4, 2012 Wilfredo Lee—AP  by [Justin Worland](https://time.com/author/justin-worland/)  ## Justin Worland Senior Correspondent Jan 25, 2015 9:41 PM UTC Scientists could [release millions of genetically modified mosquitoes](http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/florida/fl-gmo-mosquitoes-florida-keys-20150125-story.html) in the Florida Keys in an attempt to kill off insects that spread the diseases dengue and chikungunya — if their proposal wins regulatory approval. The male mosquitoes, created by British biotech firm Oxitec, are engineered to keep their partners from producing offspring when they mate in the wild, the _Sun Sentinel_ reports. The number of mosquitoes capable of spreading the diseases would be reduced if enough wild mosquitoes mate with the genetically modified population. “This is essentially using a mosquito as a drug to cure disease,” Michael Doyle, executive director of the Florida Keys Mosquito Control District, told the _Sun Sentinel_. Despite the benefits of reducing incidences of dengue and chikungunya, two viral diseases that cause a number of uncomfortable conditions, many are wary about releasing genetically modified organisms into the wild. More than 130,000 people have signed a Change.org petition opposing the release of the mosquitoes in the Florida Keys. \[[_Sun Sentinel_](http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/florida/fl-gmo-mosquitoes-florida-keys-20150125-story.html)\] ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3681770/gmo-mosquito-florida/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3681770/gmo-mosquito-florida/"},"headline":"Millions of Genetically Modified Mosquitoes Could Be Released in Florida","datePublished":"2015-01-25T21:41:12.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-22T03:51:38.125Z","description":"\"This is essentially using a mosquito as a drug to cure disease\"","url":"https://time.com/3681770/gmo-mosquito-florida/","keywords":["animals","Disease","Florida","health"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltca7f5d62c35af780/69877bc3428a9e5b59cc6c48/mosquitoes-florida.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Justin Worland","jobTitle":"Senior Correspondent","url":"https://time.com/author/justin-worland/"}],"articleSection":"Science","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltca7f5d62c35af780/69877bc3428a9e5b59cc6c48/mosquitoes-florida.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Jason Garcia","caption":"Jason Garcia","creditText":"Wilfredo Lee—AP","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/science/","name":"Science"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/animals/","name":"animals"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/3681770/gmo-mosquito-florida/","name":"Millions of Genetically Modified Mosquitoes Could Be Released in Florida"}}]}] ```