Flying syringe

Last updated

Flying syringe is a phrase that is used to refer to proposed, but not yet created, genetically modified mosquitoes that inject vaccines into people when they bite them. [1]

Contents

History

In the 1990s, Bob Sinden of Imperial College, London, and Julian Crampton of the University of Liverpool, developed this idea and filled three related patents between 1997 and 2003. [2]

In 2008, the Gates Foundation awarded $100,000 to Hiroyuki Matsuoka of Jichi Medical University in Japan to do research on them, with a condition that any discoveries that were funded by the grant must be made available at affordable prices in the developing world. If Matsuoka proves that his idea has merit, he will be eligible for an additional $1 million of funding. The Washington Post referred to flying syringes as a "bold idea". [3]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mosquito</span> Family of flies

Mosquitoes, the Culicidae, are a family of small flies consisting of 3,600 species. The word "mosquito" is Spanish for "little fly". Mosquitoes have a slender segmented body, one pair of wings, three pairs of long hair-like legs, and specialized, highly elongated, piercing-sucking mouthparts. All mosquitoes drink nectar from flowers; females of some species have in addition adapted to drink blood. Evolutionary biologists view mosquitoes as micropredators, small animals that parasitise larger ones by drinking their blood without immediately killing them. Medical parasitologists view mosquitoes instead as vectors of disease, carrying protozoan parasites or bacterial or viral pathogens from one host to another.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Syringe</span> Medical injection device

A syringe is a simple reciprocating pump consisting of a plunger that fits tightly within a cylindrical tube called a barrel. The plunger can be linearly pulled and pushed along the inside of the tube, allowing the syringe to take in and expel liquid or gas through a discharge orifice at the front (open) end of the tube. The open end of the syringe may be fitted with a hypodermic needle, a nozzle or tubing to direct the flow into and out of the barrel. Syringes are frequently used in clinical medicine to administer injections, infuse intravenous therapy into the bloodstream, apply compounds such as glue or lubricant, and draw/measure liquids. There are also prefilled syringes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Night fighter</span> Fighter aircraft adapted or designed for use at night

A night fighter is a fighter or interceptor aircraft adapted or designed for effective use at night, during periods of adverse meteorological conditions, or in otherwise poor visibility. Such designs were in direct contrast to day fighters; fighters and interceptors designed primarily for use during the day or during good weather. The concept of the night fighter was developed and experimented with during the First World War but would not see widespread use until WWII. The term would be supplanted by “all-weather fighter/interceptor” post-WWII, with advancements in various technologies permitting the use of such aircraft in virtually all conditions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trapeze</span> Aerial circus or gymnastics apparatus

A trapeze is a short horizontal bar hung by ropes, metal straps, or chains, from a ceiling support. It is an aerial apparatus commonly found in circus performances. Trapeze acts may be static, spinning, swinging or flying, and may be performed solo, double, triple or as a group act.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Needle and syringe programmes</span> Method of providing drug users with uninfected equipment

A needle and syringe programme (NSP), also known as needle exchange program (NEP), is a social service that allows injecting drug users (IDUs) to obtain clean and unused hypodermic needles and associated paraphernalia at little or no cost. It is based on the philosophy of harm reduction that attempts to reduce the risk factors for blood-borne diseases such as HIV/AIDS and hepatitis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yōsuke Matsuoka</span> Japanese politician, war criminal 1880-1946

Yōsuke Matsuoka was a Japanese diplomat and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Empire of Japan during the early stages of World War II. He is best known for his defiant speech at the League of Nations in February 1933, ending Japan's participation in the organization. He was also one of the architects of the Tripartite Pact and the Soviet–Japanese Neutrality Pact in the years immediately prior to the outbreak of war.

The Pathfinders were target-marking squadrons in RAF Bomber Command during World War II. They located and marked targets with flares, at which a main bomber force could aim, increasing the accuracy of their bombing. The Pathfinders were normally the first to receive new blind-bombing aids such as Gee, Oboe and the H2S radar.

<i>The Shepherd</i> Novella by Frederick Forsyth

The Shepherd is a 1975 novella by British writer Frederick Forsyth.

Colin Albert Murdoch was a New Zealand pharmacist and veterinarian who made a number of significant inventions, in particular the tranquilliser gun, the disposable hypodermic syringe and the child-proof medicine container. He had a total of 46 patents registered in his name.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dart gun</span> Non-lethal gun used to paralyze animals

A dart gun is an air rifle that fires a dart. The dart is tipped with a hypodermic needle and filled with a sedative, vaccine, or antibiotic. A dart gun containing a sedative is called a tranquillizer gun, derived from the word "tranquil", which means "calm".

Raymond Corbett Shannon was an American entomologist who specialised in Diptera and medical entomology.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yoky Matsuoka</span> Japanese computer scientist

Yoky Matsuoka is the CEO and Founder of Yohana. She was the CTO of Google Nest, a co-founder of Google X and previously held roles as VP of Technology and Analytics at Twitter, technology executive at Apple, and as VP of Technology at Nest.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jichi Medical University</span>

Jichi Medical University is a private university in Shimotsuke, Tochigi, Japan, established in 1972. In 2008 the Gates Foundation awarded $100,000 to Hiroyuki Matsuoka, a medical researcher at the university, to do research on flying syringes. It is served by Jichi Medical University Station.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aerial reconnaissance</span> Military exploration and observation by means of aircraft or other airborne platforms

Aerial reconnaissance is reconnaissance for a military or strategic purpose that is conducted using reconnaissance aircraft. The role of reconnaissance can fulfil a variety of requirements including artillery spotting, the collection of imagery intelligence, and the observation of enemy maneuvers.

Entomological warfare (EW) is a type of biological warfare that uses insects to interrupt supply lines by damaging crops, or to directly harm enemy combatants and civilian populations. There have been several programs which have attempted to institute this methodology; however, there has been limited application of entomological warfare against military or civilian targets, Japan being the only state known to have verifiably implemented the method against another state, namely the Chinese during World War II. However, EW was used more widely in antiquity, in order to repel sieges or cause economic harm to states. Research into EW was conducted during both World War II and the Cold War by numerous states such as the Soviet Union, United States, Germany and Canada. There have also been suggestions that it could be implemented by non-state actors in a form of bioterrorism. Under the Biological and Toxic Weapons Convention of 1972, use of insects to administer agents or toxins for hostile purposes is deemed to be against international law.

No. 109 Squadron RAF was an aircraft squadron of the Royal Air Force.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mosquito laser</span> Proposed device for killing mosquitoes

A mosquito laser is a proposed device that would use lasers to kill mosquitoes. The primary goal would be to reduce malaria infection rates.

Ronald Eric Bishop CBE FRAeS, commonly referred to as R. E. Bishop, was a British engineer who was the chief designer of the de Havilland Mosquito, one of the most famous aircraft of the Second World War. He also designed the de Havilland Comet jetliner of 1949.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Healthcare in Rwanda</span>

Healthcare in Rwanda was historically of poor quality, but in recent decades has seen great improvement. Rwanda operates a universal health care system, and is considered to have one of the highest-quality health systems in Africa.

Julian M. Crampton was a British biologist and academic. From 2005 to 2015, he was Vice-Chancellor of the University of Brighton.

References

  1. Rocket Scientists Shoot Down Mosquitoes With Lasers, Wall St. Journal, March 14, 2009
  2. "'Breakthrough' of the week: Flying syringes". www.malariaworld.org. 19 March 2010. Retrieved 2022-09-30.
  3. Flying Syringes and Other Bold Ideas, The Washington Post, October 23, 2008