Gene Drive Basics
CRISPR could eradicate horrific parasite that’s killing cattleKristin Houser, Freethink, 2024.Uruguay is developing a CRISPR gene drive to eradicate the New World screwworm, a parasitic fly that kills cattle in a painful, grisly fashion. Releasing it into the wild would have risks, but if it works, it could help rid South America of this horrific agricultural pest. The ... Keywords: agricultural pests, CRISPR, Gene drive, screwworm, South America |
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Uruguay wants to use gene drives to eradicate devastating screwwormsAbdullahi Tsanni, MIT Technology Review, 2024.On a warm, sunny day in Montevideo, Uruguay, the air is smogless and crisp. Inside a highly secured facility at the National Institute of Agricultural Research (INIA) are a sophisticated gene gun, giant microscopes, and tens of thousands of gene-edited flies, their bright blue ... Keywords: agricultural pests, CRISPR, Gene drive, screwworm, South America |
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Otago GE Wasp Project Violates International Gene Drive AgreementGE-Free NZ, Scoop, 2024.Professor Dearden, Otago University, has received $11 million from the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Enterprise (MBIE) to engineer wasps using gene drive technology. He is only consulting with Māori and regulators, ignoring and side-lining the views of other concerned New ... Keywords: agricultural pests, CRISPR, Gene drive, screwworm, South America |
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Mosquito makeover: Tahiti’s groundbreaking solution to diseaseAtutahi Potaka-Dewes, Pacific Media Network, 2024.Mosquitoes are responsible for transmitting such diseases as dengue, malaria, zika, chikungunya, or filariosis, causing millions of deaths worldwide. French Polynesia is taking a groundbreaking initiative to address public health concerns and demonstrate a commitment to finding ... Keywords: agricultural pests, CRISPR, Gene drive, screwworm, South America |
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Gene Drives: Mechanisms and Key Research, ExplainedJulia Bauman, 60 Second Science, 2024.A technical primer on CRISPR-based gene drives, which hold massive potential for mitigating the harms invoked by some species. We cover what a gene drive is, how it works at the genetic level, and summarize key safety & efficiency features developed in recent years. Keywords: agricultural pests, CRISPR, Gene drive, screwworm, South America |
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Communicating Creatively About Genetically Modified MosquitoesLorraine Gibson, Target Malaria, 2023.In 2018, the Target Malaria team at Imperial College London published a landmark paper in Nature Biotechnology. The study demonstrated how gene drive mosquitoes successfully suppressed a population of wild-type malaria mosquitoes, marking a significant milestone for gene ... Keywords: agricultural pests, CRISPR, Gene drive, screwworm, South America |
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To End Malaria In Africa, a Scientist From Africa Invented Gene Drive Technology.Salman Ahmad, CTN News, 2023.Abdoulaye Diabate, a scientist from Africa, is currently working on a groundbreaking technology called ‘gene drive’ that has the potential to eradicate malaria or the mosquitoes that cause it from the continent. Diabate, who received the prestigious 2023 Falling Walls Prize ... Keywords: agricultural pests, CRISPR, Gene drive, screwworm, South America |
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Gene Drive: Engineered viruses take on their own kind in a new studyRizwan Choudhury, Interesting Engineering, 2023.Scientists are exploring a radical idea to combat viral infections: use viruses against themselves. They are testing whether introducing modified viruses into people with the same natural viruses can spread a gene that destroys the infection. This has yet to be done successfully ... Keywords: agricultural pests, CRISPR, Gene drive, screwworm, South America |
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Invasive Feral Cats Could Be Wiped Out Using Genetic ModificationJess Thomson, Newsweek, 2023.Hordes of feral cats terrorizing native species in Australia could be combatted using a special type of genetic engineering, scientists have suggested. The cats, which came to Australia via European colonizers, regularly kill native mammals, birds, and reptiles, including ... Keywords: agricultural pests, CRISPR, Gene drive, screwworm, South America |
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What are gene drives, and how can they help eradicate invasive species in Australia?Dr. Ellen Cottingham, ABC News (Australia Broadcasting Corporation), 2023.The impact of feral cats and other invasive species is felt across Australia. Not only do they threaten native species, but they can also spread diseases to humans and livestock. Invasive species are estimated to cost Australia an eye-watering $25 billion annually, while the ... Keywords: agricultural pests, CRISPR, Gene drive, screwworm, South America |
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New Techniques of Genetic Modification in Pest Control Spark Debate in CanadaSandeep Kunchikor, Express Healthcare Management, 2023.Scientists in Canada are urging serious discussions on the use of genetic modification as a new technique in pest control. In a recent report by the Pest Management Regulatory Agency, a branch of Health Canada that regulates pesticide use, experts argue that genetic modification ... Keywords: agricultural pests, CRISPR, Gene drive, screwworm, South America |
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Inside Gates Foundation’s $15M effort to release gene-hacked mosquitoes that end malaria with ‘killer sex’Jona Jaupi, The U.S. Sun, 2023.Malaria is a mosquito-borne disease caused by parasites and poses a significant threat to nearly half of the world's population. In 2021, an estimated 247 million people contracted malaria, with a staggering 619,000 deaths, per Imperial College. Most of those deaths affected ... Keywords: agricultural pests, CRISPR, Gene drive, screwworm, South America |
Contact
David O’Brochta
Foundation for the
National Institutes of Health
geneconvenevi@fnih.org
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