Scientists have long been looking for ways to reduce or get rid of insect-borne diseases, and NC State University’s Sophia Webster is taking a new approach that involves genetically engineering the mosquitoes.

The Ph.D. student in the Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology is working to develop genetic systems for replacing mosquito populations with strains that have a reduced capacity for transmitting diseases such as Zika.

Portions of b-roll provided courtesy of the CDC.

This post was originally published in College of Agriculture and Life Sciences News.