Projects to control disease-spreading mosquitoes are routinely underfunded in natural disaster aid, a trend one biotech company hopes will change after Congress disbursed money to hurricane victims this year.
Intrexon Inc. owns the firm Oxitec, which makes genetically engineered insects designed so that their offspring don’t survive to adulthood. The company, whose technology will be considered for approval by the Environmental Protection Agency, has designed a sterile male Aedes aegypti mosquito as an alternative to insecticides to reduce mosquito populations.
As both Senate and House energy committees meet Nov. 14 to discuss hurricane recovery efforts, one official ...