Google plans to release 32 million Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes across Florida and California

Key points

• Male mosquitoes don't bite—and that's the whole point Google's AI and robotics are what make the scale possible Google's parent company Alphabet is seeking federal approval to release 32 million specially treated mosquitoes across California and Florida over the next two years—as part of a bid to reduce the spread of mosquito-borne diseases including West Nile virus and St. Louis encephalitis.
• The proposal, filed with the US Environmental Protection Agency, is part of Alphabet's Debug initiative, a project launched in 2016 by its life sciences subsidiary Verily.
• The EPA is currently reviewing the request under an experimental use permit, with a public comment period open through early June.
• Exact release locations haven't been announced yet.The plan hinges on a naturally occurring bacterium called Wolbachia.
• Debug breeds male mosquitoes infected with this bacteria and releases them into the wild.