Linus Upson, head of engineering at Verily, told Bloomberg Verily has developed machines and sensors to count, feed, sort and transport the Aedes aegypti mosquito, which is responsible for carrying Zika.
Introducing sterile males into the environment could help reduce mosquito breeding, as female Aedes aegypti mosquitoes typically mate just once in their lifetime, reports Bloomberg. However, Mr. Upson told Bloomberg this can be financially difficult to test at scale, as some pilot projects have required a ratio of 100 sterile mosquitoes for every single wild mosquito.
Verily is also testing another route in which they infect mosquitoes with a bacteria called Wolbachia that suppresses their ability to harbor and spread diseases, according to the report. Male mosquitoes exposed to Wolbachia create unviable eggs when mating with females.
Verily is currently breeding mosquitoes in a lab near Alphabet’s headquarters in Mountain View, Calif., and plans to start piloting this project in early 2017.
More articles on Zika:
New research strengthens link between Zika and Guillain-Barre
Hurricane Matthew could aid Florida Zika spread
CDC updates guidance on preventing sexual transmission of Zika
