Google mosquito release project: Outrage as 64 million bacteria-infested insects set for release by Alphabet

Public outrage has erupted over an experimental Google-linked project to release 64 million bacteria-infected mosquitoes into the wild, but the organisers claim it could help stop diseases.

The Debug Project, backed by Google’s parent company Alphabet, would see millions of modified mosquitoes released into the wild, in hopes of getting rid of “bad bugs”.

“Mosquitoes kill more people than every other animal combined. One species, Aedes aegypti, carries diseases such as dengue, Zika, yellow fever, and chikungunya which make hundreds of millions of people sick every year. And these diseases are spreading faster than ever,” the Debug Project says.

Their solution to the problem? “Stop bad mosquitoes by raising and releasing good ones”.

The project would essentially see mosquitoes modified with a “naturally occurring bacteria” that was leave them sterile.

“Good bugs are the same species of mosquito as the bad bugs that spread disease,” the project’s website says.

“Our good bugs are male mosquitoes that have a naturally occurring bacterium called Wolbachia, which makes them unable to have offspring with wild female mosquitoes.

“Male mosquitoes can’t bite or spread disease, so good bugs will stop bad ones from reproducing.

“Over time, there will be fewer and fewer bad mosquitoes.”

The concept isn’t new. It has been around for decades, usually referred to as Sterile Insect Technique (SIT).

In the past, it has been used successfully on bugs including fruit flies, screw worms and codling moths.

The Debug project claims that the concept has never been used successfully on mosquitoes due to the scale required to tackle the population of the disease-spreading insect.

The project would see teams raise “good” mosquitoes, infected with the male sterilising bacteria, separate the males and females, then release them into the wild.

Google’s parent company has now sought permission to go ahead with the project from the US Government, which would see the project take place over two years in California and Florida starting from 2027.

“Have we not learned our lesson with Kudzu, Sparrows, Black Birds (and) Asian Carp? Should I go on?” Tennessee Republican Rep Tim Burchett wrote on X.

“Don’t mess with the balance of nature.”

Epidemiologist Nicolas Hulscher wrote on X: “Google is about to conduct one of the LARGEST open-air biological experiments in U.S. HISTORY.”

“64 MILLION bacteria-infected mosquitoes are set to be released into Florida and California — potentially causing irreversible ecosystem disruptions. This must be STOPPED.”

One user questioned why Google and Alphabet were interested in the project.

“I want everyone to stop and ask what interest Google has in releasing mosquitoes,” the person wrote on X.

“They’re a tech company. Not an environmental group. Not a non-profit. Not a government. A tech company.”

However, speculation over Google or Alphabet having an ulterior motive appears unfounded.

The project is receiving support through Verily, an Alphabet-owned life science company.

It is also not the first time mosquitoes have been released in an attempt to stop disease spread. It is not even the first time in the US.

Multiple populations of lab-grown mosquitoes have been released in states like Florida, California and Texas since 2021 to combat disease through multiple initiatives.

If the project will go ahead remains to be seen, with Alphabet now waiting on US Government approval.