Google subsidiary Debug is expanding its Kaki Bukit facility in Singapore from 20,000 sq ft to 28,000 sq ft as it steps up support for Project Wolbachia. The company also plans to hire more staff, including software engineers and mosquito biologists. Debug now has a headcount of 20. [1, 2, 3]
The expansion is aimed at strengthening the programme’s mosquito sorting, release and production systems. Monica Tsai said the site “will further automate its processes to produce more higher-quality mosquitoes as well as enhance its use of AI in the sorting of male mosquitoes for release.” [1]
Debug produces more than 10 million male mosquitoes each week, up from about 6 million in 2024. The National Environment Agency’s facility produces or releases about 5 million mosquitoes per week. Project Wolbachia was launched in 2016 to cut Aedes mosquito numbers by releasing laboratory-grown male mosquitoes infected with Wolbachia bacteria. [1, 2, 3]
Debug began as a project under Verily Life Sciences, the precision health company under Alphabet. The National Environment Agency first partnered with it in 2018 to trial automated sex-sorting and mosquito release technology. [1, 2, 3]
Debug announced the expansion and hiring plans on 2026-05-12. [1, 2, 3]
