Oxitec

Key takeaways

Oxitec belongs to biology; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Oxitec to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Oxitec from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Oxitec is a British biotechnology company that develops genetically modified insects in order to improve public health and food security through insect control. The insects act as biological insecticides. The company claims that this technology is more effective and more environmentally friendly than chemical insecticides. The main principle behind Oxitec's mosquito control technology is release of genetically engineered male insects whose female offspring dies before reaching maturity.

History Oxitec was founded in 2002 as Oxford Insect Technologies in the United Kingdom by Luke Alphey and David Kelly, working with Oxford University's Isis Innovation technology transfer company. In August 2015, Oxitec was purchased by U.S.-based Intrexon 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. The company then modified Aedes egyptii, a mosquito which spreads dengue fever, yellow fever, and chikungunya, 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's 10-to-End innovators in 2019.

Genetically modified insects

Oxitec has developed genetically modified versions of A. aegypti mosquito and of P. gossypiella pink bollworm to be released in the wild with the goal of reducing existing insect populations. OX513A strain of A. aegypti mosquito developed by Oxitec produces a lethal transgene, which is only expressed in females. In a typical field application, male mosquitos carrying that transgene are released, and mate with wild females. The female offspring of these mosquitos dies before reaching maturity. This not only reduces the population, but also specifically prevents spread of diseases, which are transmitted through the bite of a female (males of this species do not bite). The male offspring can mate, further spreading the female-lethal gene. The introduction of the transgene into the population is self-limiting, as its frequency in the male population halves with each generation due to loss of females inheriting the gene. OX5034 males are therefore expected to effectively disappear from the population 10 generations after releases stop. The lethal transgene, tTAV, is a variant of the tetracyclin transactivator (tTA) gene optimized for expression in fruitflies and other insects. The original tTA gene was developed for research purposes as a fusion of an E.coli and a Herpes simplex virus genes. In the OX513A strain it is correctly expressed only in females, due to introduction of a female-specific RNA splicing module. A high concentration of the tTAV protein is lethal, likely due to interference with transcriptional regulation. Large numbers of transgenic mosquitos can be efficiently reared by temporarily suppressing the activity of the tTAV protein in females using tetracyclin family antibiotics. Variants of tTA are widely used in human cell lines and various model organism, including fungi, mice and plants, with no known adverse effects. OX513A also carry a fluorescent gene marker for easy screening of released mosquitos.

Projects

Grand Cayman The first field trials were performed on Grand Cayman, 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.

… excerpt ends here. Continue reading the full article.

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Oxitec

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Oxitec claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In biology, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Oxitec before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Oxitec ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Oxitec

In research: Oxitec appears in biology research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Oxitec in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Oxitec is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 2002 establishments in England, Biotechnology companies established in 2002, Biotechnology companies of the United Kingdom, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Oxitec outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

How to study Oxitec in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Oxitec means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Oxitec out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Oxitec in simple terms?

Oxitec is a British biotechnology company that develops genetically modified insects in order to improve public health and food security through insect control. The insects act as biological insecticides.

Why does Oxitec matter?

Because it connects several biology ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Oxitec?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Oxitec.