A research team from UCSD and Johns Hopkins engineered Anopheles stephensi mosquitoes using CRISPR-Cas9 to introduce a naturally occurring FREP1 gene variant that prevents Plasmodium parasite transmission. This single amino acid change halts malaria spread without reducing mosquito viability. The approach employs a self-propagating allelic drive to disseminate the refractory allele through wild populations. This novel strategy offers an alternative to population suppression or foreign gene drives, potentially reshaping vector control efforts against malaria.