Gene Drive in the News
A curated collection of articles from the popular press
Drones To Deliver Millions Of Mosquitoes to Prevent Bird Extinctions In Hawai‘i
34913GrrlScientist, Forbes, 2025-06-11 19:19:54.
In a brilliant demonstration of multidisciplinary collaboration, a conservation program to save Hawai’i’s critically endangered native bird species has taken another step forward. After a team of scientists created “reproductively incompatible” male mosquitoes in the lab, the next challenge was to safely deliver them to where they would most effectively suppress mosquito populations in Hawai’i. “Reproductively incompatible” male mosquitoes are created by infecting their mothers with the bacteria, Wolbachia. This bacteria, which naturally occurs in many wild insect species, interferes with reproduction in mosquitoes by making the Wolbachia-males reproductively incompatible with normal wild-type female mosquitoes. (But the males can successfully reproduce with females infected with the same strain of Wolbachia – that is how the millions of mosquitoes needed for this project are produced in the lab.) When these reproductively incompatible Wolbachia-male mosquitoes mate with normal wild female mosquitoes, the resulting eggs cannot hatch, thereby reducing the mosquito population. The good news in this story (which will become important as you read on) is that male mosquitoes (regardless of whether they carry Wolbachia) do not bite or transmit disease, and feed only on plant juices and nectar for survival and energy. On the other hand, female mosquitoes do bite because they need a fresh blood meal to produce eggs. Additionally, because mosquitoes infected with Wolbachia bacteria are not genetically modified, and because Wolbachia bacteria naturally occur in 60% or more wild insects, these mosquitoes are safe.
Battle of the mosquitoes
34911Adepoju, P, Nature Medicine, 2025-06-11 19:05:47.
The mosquito was frozen in place. Its tiny body, no longer buzzing, lay still on the cold metal surface, caught in a moment of stasis. A few minutes earlier, it had been active, darting around Oxitec’s research facility, a modified version of nature’s most dangerous killer. “We put them on ice because that slows them down”, an Oxitec scientist explained, adjusting the microscope. “It makes our job easier”. This laboratory in Abingdon, England, is where an ambitious mosquito control project is unfolding. The work being done here — modifying Anopheles stephensi mosquitoes to fight malaria—has implications not just for Djibouti, where the genetically modified insects are being released, but for the entire African continent. Outside, it’s a chilly 7 °C, but the lab is surprisingly warm and humid: a digital thermometer plugged in beside the microscope reads 21.1 °C — perfectly mimicking a mosquito’s natural habitat. Large cages fill a section, each holding different generations of modified mosquitoes, bred with a self-limiting gene that ensures that only male offspring survive when they mate with wild females. On one side of the lab, scientists peer into microscopes, searching for a tiny fluorescent marker inside the mosquitoes’ bodies — a glowing signature that confirms the genetic modification was successful. Each mosquito is carefully examined (Fig. 1), its fate decided under the magnifying glass.
Unlocking Gene Drive in Agriculture
34897Sarah Lee, Number Analytics, 2025-06-06 08:31:38.
Gene drive is a revolutionary genetic engineering technique that has the potential to transform the field of agricultural biotechnology. In this section, we will explore the definition, mechanism, and history of gene drive technology, as well as its potential applications in agriculture. Gene drive is a naturally occurring phenomenon where a particular gene or set of genes is inherited at a higher rate than expected under normal Mendelian inheritance. This is achieved through the use of CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing technology, which enables scientists to selectively modify genes and drive them through a population at an exponential rate. The mechanism of gene drive involves the following steps: Target gene identification: Scientists identify a target gene that they want to drive through a population. CRISPR-Cas9 editing: The CRISPR-Cas9 system is used to edit the target gene and introduce a gene drive element. Gene drive inheritance: The gene drive element is inherited by offspring at a higher rate than expected, leading to the spread of the modified gene through the population.
The Future of Gene Drive in Farming
34895Sarah Lee, Number Analytics, 2025-06-06 08:25:42.
The advent of gene drive technology has opened up new avenues for transforming farming practices, improving crop yields, and promoting sustainability. Gene drive is a genetic engineering technique that allows for the rapid spread of a particular gene or trait through a population, potentially revolutionizing the way we approach crop improvement and pest management. In this article, we will explore the latest advancements in gene drive technology and its potential to shape the future of farming. Gene drive has the potential to significantly improve crop yields and nutritional content by introducing desirable traits such as pest resistance, drought tolerance, and enhanced nutritional profiles. The development of pest-resistant crops, for instance, could reduce the need for pesticides, minimizing the environmental impact of farming practices. Gene drive can be used to introduce genes that confer resistance to pests and diseases, reducing crop losses and improving yields. For example, scientists have used gene drive to develop mosquitoes that are resistant to malaria. Similarly, gene drive can be used to enhance the nutritional content of crops, such as by introducing genes that increase the production of essential micronutrients like vitamin A.
We finally may be able to rid the world of mosquitoes. But should we?
34901Dino Grandoni, Wall Street Journal, 2025-06-03 08:39:56.
They buzz, they bite, and they cause some of the deadliest diseases known to humanity. Mosquitoes are perhaps the planet’s most universally reviled animals. If we could zap them off the face of the Earth, should we? The question is no longer hypothetical. In recent years, scientists have devised powerful genetic tools that may be able to eradicate mosquitoes and other pests once and for all. Now, some doctors and scientists say it is time to take the extraordinary step of unleashing gene editing to suppress mosquitoes and avoid human suffering from malaria, dengue, West Nile virus and other serious diseases. “There are so many lives at stake with malaria that we want to make sure that this technology could be used in the near future,” said Alekos Simoni, a molecular biologist with Target Malaria, a project aiming to target vector mosquitoes in sub-Saharan Africa. Yet the development of this technology also raises a profound ethical question: When, if ever, is it okay to intentionally drive a species out of existence?
Should we wipe out the pests now that we can?
34885Miguel Ángel Criado, El Pais, 2025-06-02 18:47:38.
Felicola (Lorisicola) isidoroi is a creature that is probably either extinct or on the verge of being so. In the past, it must have been present throughout most of the Iberian Peninsula, but the last time scientists encountered one was in 1997. For biologists, this represents a loss of biodiversity. For everyone else, it’s just another bug. Felicola (L.) isidoroi is a louse that lives by sucking blood. Its unique feature is that its only host is the Iberian lynx. Specific to the most endangered feline on the planet, it shared the latter’s path to extinction until humans decided to save the feline, but not its parasite. The lynx recovery program includes deworming specimens released in the wild, a procedure that is also conducted in the event of a capture. Jesús María Pérez, a zoologist and expert in pests and parasites at the University of Jaén in southern Spain, believes that the louse is still a much rarer species than the lynx itself, and should also be saved because it is part of biodiversity: “As a unique product of evolution, it has incalculable value.” The dilemma posed by the lynx louse is the same one generated by many other parasites, pests, and species that, like some mosquitoes, are not pathogens themselves but vectors that carry the cause of various diseases. A few days ago, a group of biologists, ecologists and sociologists published an opinion piece in the journal Science whose title makes it clear what it’s about: Deliberate extinction by genome modification: An ethical challenge.
Screwworm Fly: US Threat & Prevention
34883News Directory 3, 2025-06-02 18:43:27.
A resurgence of the New World screwworm, a parasite known for consuming living flesh, is raising alarms in the U.S.cattle industry. For seven decades, the United States has waged an aerial war against this pest, scientifically known as C.hominivorax, which targets livestock and even humans. The U.S.Department of Agriculture (USDA) pioneered a strategy in the 1950s involving the mass production, sterilization via radiation, and aerial release of sterile screwworms to disrupt the parasite’s reproduction cycle. This approach successfully created a barrier at the Darién Gap between Panama and Colombia, effectively shielding North America. However, in 2022, this barrier was breached. Panama saw a surge in screwworm cases, and by 2024, the parasite was rapidly advancing northward.It has now reached Oaxaca and Veracruz in Mexico, prompting the U.S. to suspend live-cattle imports from Mexico. Wayne Cockrell,a Texas rancher and chair of the cattle-health committee for the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association, expressed concern about the potential return of the screwworm to Texas. He believes the current sterile-fly programme lacks the capacity to contain the outbreak.
Advances in Sterile Insect Technique Driven by Sugarcane Pest Management in South Africa
34852Lawrence N. Malinga, Ph.D., and Samara Singh, Entomology Today, 2025-05-26 20:21:30.
Eldana saccharina, also known as the African sugarcane stalk borer, is an insect pest indigenous to Africa that targets gramineous crops such as sugarcane, maize (corn), sorghum, and millet in several countries, including Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Ethiopia, Ghana, Nigeria, and others. In South Africa, E. saccharina is the most damaging pest of sugarcane. The larvae feed internally on plant tissue, leading to a significant reduction in sugarcane yield. In South Africa, this damage amounts to over $60 million in annual revenue losses. In 1939, the first severe outbreak of this pest was recorded on sugarcane in South Africa. Since then, E. saccharina has spread throughout the sugarcane-growing areas of South Africa, affecting both coastal and inland regions (see map). Since the 1970s, the South African Sugarcane Research Institute (SASRI) has been actively involved in conducting research to control this pest. Over the years, attempts have been made to manage E. saccharina using a variety of control tactics, including insecticides, varietal resistance, biological control, and habitat management. A more recent control strategy is the sterile insect technique (SIT), which is currently in the proof-of-concept phase at SASRI.
Mosquito Miracle: Breakthrough Brings Hope for Bangladesh in Dengue Fight
34837Staff Correspondent, Digi Bangla Tech, 2025-05-10 19:42:52.
A major scientific breakthrough is offering new hope for Bangladesh in its battle against dengue. An international team of researchers has successfully developed a strain of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes infected with Wolbachia bacteria, which are capable of adapting to the local environment of Dhaka city. Dubbed as “good mosquitoes,” this innovation opens a new, safe, and biological pathway for controlling the spread of dengue and other mosquito-borne arboviral diseases in the country, according to the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b). The research team includes scientists from QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute in Australia, the University of Queensland, icddr,b, and the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The findings were recently published in the journal Nature’s Scientific Reports. According to icddr,b, dengue has emerged as a severe public health threat in Bangladesh. In 2023 alone, a record 321,000 people were infected, with more than 1,700 deaths—making it the deadliest year on record. Rapid urbanization, erratic rainfall, and rising temperatures have contributed to the spread of Aedes mosquitoes, the primary vector of dengue. Simultaneously, the effectiveness of conventional insecticide-based mosquito control methods is declining due to growing resistance among mosquito populations. This has prompted scientists worldwide to seek more sustainable solutions, with the use of "good mosquitoes" being one of the most promising. Researchers explained that Wolbachia was chosen because it prevents Aedes mosquitoes from transmitting dengue, chikungunya, and Zika viruses, without harming humans or the environment. Wolbachia is a naturally occurring bacterium found in butterflies, fruit flies, and some mosquito species, though not in Aedes aegypti. This bacterium cannot infect humans or animals, nor is it transmissible through bites or contact.
Gene drive could reshape the malaria fight and young people must be at the centre
34803Dr. Phillip Chigiya, African Leaders Malaria Alliance, 2025-04-25 12:04:22.
The only time I was ever admitted overnight in hospital was when I was five years old. I had malaria. I still remember the strange chill of the sheets, the IV line taped to my small hand, and my mother at my bedside, watching me breathe. That moment has never left me. Since then, I have moved from patient to practitioner. I have worked in clinics and hospitals across Africa, and malaria has never been far away. I have diagnosed it in children too young to speak, in teenagers missing school, and in pregnant women arriving in labour wards with dangerously low haemoglobin. Sometimes treatment is routine. Sometimes it is a race against time. It is easy to be swept up by bold declarations, especially on World Malaria Day. But we must be honest. The progress we once celebrated is stalling. In 2023, there were over 263 million new malaria cases and an estimated 597,000 deaths, most of them in Africa. One child dies every minute. Behind every number is a name, a family, and a future lost too soon.
Uganda grapples with malaria burden amidst promising innovations
34795Innocent Lawrence Okima, The Independent, 2025-04-23 10:42:44.
According to the report, Uganda, with a population of close to fifty million people, accounts for 5% of the world’s malaria cases and 3% of malaria-related deaths. Astonishingly, according to page 151 of the report, Uganda leads the East and Southern African countries with 23% of malaria cases and high transmission rates, beating even Mozambique, which comes in second at 19%. It’s not exactly the kind of competition anyone wants to win. Malaria’s economic toll is just as staggering. Families lose loved ones, and resources that could have contributed to building roads, schools, create jobs are diverted to fight malaria. Children – the main victims of malaria – lose access to education and young children often die (80% of malaria deaths are children under five). Pregnant women are at high risk of losing their babies and their lives because malaria in pregnancy puts them in grave danger. Uganda’s government, together with partners like WHO, has declared a fight against malaria. This includes distributing insecticide-treated mosquito nets (ITNs), spraying homes with indoor residual insecticides (IRS), and ensuring early diagnosis through rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs). Treatment relies heavily on artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs), which remain a mainstay in the battle against the disease. While these measures have shown results—malaria prevalence has declined slightly over the last decade—progress is hampered by challenges like insecticide resistance, inadequate healthcare in remote areas, and insufficient funding. Not to mention the eternal struggle of getting children to sleep under the mosquito net and fishermen not to use it as one of their equipment to trap silverfish locally known as “Mukene”. Amid these challenges, hope emerges in the form of a genetic technology called “gene drive”, currently under development, and championed by Target Malaria at the Uganda Virus Research Institute in Entebbe. This cutting-edge approach involves genetic modifications to the Anopheles gambiae mosquito, the main malaria carrier in Uganda.
World Malaria Day: Renewing our commitment to end malaria in Africa
34791Damaris Matoke-Muhia, Outreach Network for Gene Drive Research, 2025-04-23 10:14:29.
As the world marks World Malaria Day this week, we are reminded that malaria remains one of the oldest and deadliest diseases in human history. Despite decades of global effort, it continues to claim half a million lives each year. The overwhelming majority of these deaths occur in sub-Saharan Africa, where it is estimated that one person dies of the disease every minute. This year’s World Malaria Day theme: Malaria Ends with Us: Reinvest, Reimagine, Reignite is a reminder that we must renew our commitment to end malaria and rethink our approach to fighting the disease. The malaria burden in Africa remains unacceptably high. The impact of the disease extends beyond health. Malaria strains healthcare systems, reduces productivity, and hinders economic development. In many African countries, malaria-related absenteeism and healthcare costs place a significant burden on families and communities. Over the past two decades, significant progress has been made in the fight against malaria. Control programs involving the distribution of insecticide-treated bed nets, indoor residual spraying, and artemisinin-based combination therapies have resulted in a decline in malaria infections and deaths. But several challenges now threaten these gains. Insecticide resistance is rising, making it harder to control mosquito populations with the tools we have relied on for decades. Antimalarial drug resistance is emerging in some regions, complicating treatment. Urban malaria is becoming a growing concern, in part due to the spread of species such as Anopheles stephensi, a mosquito native to parts of South Asia and the Arabian Peninsula, which has been detected in several African countries. Climate change is shifting transmission dynamics, altering mosquito habitats and infection patterns, bringing malaria to new areas and intensifying the burden of the disease in regions where it was already present. By the 2030s, it is estimated that an additional 147 to 171 million additional Africans could be at risk of malaria.
Innovative video game brings gene drive technology to life in Africa’s fight against malaria
34769African Media Agency, Business Ghana, 2025-04-17 09:53:12.
Ahead of World Malaria Day, Target Malaria, a not-for-profit research consortium pioneering genetic technologies for malaria control, hosted a live demonstration this month of its educational video game, Target Malaria: The Game. This interactive tool is reshaping how science is communicated by making complex genetic technologies accessible, engaging, and fun. Originally launched at the end of 2024, the educational game places players in the role of a lab technician working on genetically modified mosquitoes — a potential tool for vector control being explored to eliminate malaria in Africa. It introduces players of all ages and backgrounds to the real-world tools and processes of molecular biology through two modules: “Microinjection” and “Transgenic Screening.” In “Microinjection”, players simulate injecting a DNA solution into mosquito embryos, and in “Transgenic Screening”, players sort fluorescent, genetically modified mosquito larvae. “This isn’t just a game — it’s a capacity-building tool,” says Louise Marston, Senior Research Technician for Target Malaria at the Crisanti Lab, in Imperial College London and who conceived the idea for the game. “We’re demonstrating how a digital experience can bring scientific discovery to life, even in low-connectivity environments.”
Bridging the gap: Effective communication strategies for genetic biocontrol technologies
34749Caroline Thuo, African Genetic Biocontrol Consortium, 2025-04-04 10:39:01.
The 2nd Global Congress on Genetic Biocontrol Technologies took place from March 17-20, in Accra, Ghana. The Congress was jointly organized by the African Genetic Biocontrol Consortium, Ghana’s National Biosafety Authority and the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health (FNIH). Held under the theme “Harnessing Genetic Biocontrol Potential Solutions in a Changing Climate”, the event brought together delegates from 19 countries across different continents. It united professionals from diverse disciplines, including scientists, policymakers, regulatory experts and science communicators. The first two days of the congress featured intensive pre-congress workshops and courses focusing on: -Regulatory frameworks and decision-making processes for emerging biotechnologies -Strategic communication of genetic biocontrol technologies -Biosafety and biosecurity protocols for high-containment facilities The pre-congress course on communicating genetic biocontrol technologies attracted mostly journalists and science communicators from the African region. Participants explored topics such as the value of message mapping, a structured technique for crafting coherent narratives grounded in robust scientific evidence. The course also highlighted the critical role of media relationships in effective science communication. Scientists attending the course were encouraged to identify and utilize appropriate media channels suited to specific messages. They also gained a better understanding of the importance of proactively organizing field visits, media briefings, and events to support accurate reporting of scientific advances, and of consistently sharing timely and reliable information to media representatives.
Genetically modified mosquitoes released in the US: How they can prevent disease outbreaks
34732TOI Lifestyle Desk, Times of India, 2025-04-02 16:42:21.
The menace of mosquito-borne illnesses is growing in the US and the contributing factors range from climate change to their expanding habitats. The solution could lie in genetically modified mosquitoes that hold the capability to effectively control mosquito populations. Recently, genetically modified mosquitoes were released in Florida, US, following the successful trials in Brazil, the Cayman Islands, Panama, and Malaysia, where populations of aedes aegypti dropped by at least 90%. A significant step forward in preventing the deadly mosquito-borne illnesses, the bioengineered male aedes aegypti mosquitoes were introduced into the environment. While these deadly species make up for 4% of the total local mosquito population, they are enough to wreak havoc. It is to be noted that female aedes aegypti mosquitoes are the primary vectors that can transmit dengue, Zika, yellow fever, and chikungunya viruses to humans.
Experts: One Health approach to help combat zoonotic diseases in Africa
34728Milliam Murigi, People Daily, 2025-03-31 16:41:28.
If African countries are to successfully combat zoonotic diseases, human health, animal health, and environmental health must be treated as one interconnected system. This was revealed in Accra, Ghana, during the second global congress on new and emerging genetic biocontrol technologies. Speaking during the meeting, Misheck Mulumba, the congress president said that, there is no way Africa is going to win this fight if different departments keep seeing rise of zoonotic diseases as a problem for one department and not their mandate. “It is important that different practitioners in all the three departments to work together to combat these infections. These three departments should stop pointing fingers but should instead work together to solve the problems the continent has,” Mulumba said noting Africa must embrace One Health approach. One Health approach is a collaborative, multisectoral, and trans disciplinary strategy that recognizes the interconnection between human health, animal health, and the environment. It emphasises that diseases affecting humans often originate from animals and are influenced by environmental factors, making it essential for experts from different fields such as medicine, veterinary science, environmental science, and public health to work together to prevent and control health threats. With 75 per cent of emerging and reemerging diseases originating from animals, Mulumba notes, it’s clear that tackling these infections requires a collaborative approach. Apart from that, the continent needs to invest in rapid detection, response, and control mechanisms to curb disease outbreaks before they escalate into global health emergencies.
AUDA-NEPAD launches the 2nd edition APET report on gene drives for malaria control and elimination
34657Charles Mugoya, Target Malaria, 2025-03-25 09:09:33.
With support from the African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD), the African Union published its 1st APET report in 2018 which noted that that, while the existing mosquito control interventions have significantly reduced the burden of malaria across Africa, complementary new interventions were very much needed to drive the residual burden towards zero and eventually achieve malaria elimination on the continent. African countries were urged to invest in the development and regulation of gene drive technology, whose greatest and most urgent application will be in malaria control and elimination. To this end, African Union (AU) held a Summit in Addis Ababa from 10 -15 February 2025 in which, AUDA-NEPAD took the opportunity to organize a side event to launch the 2nd APET report. The report provides very useful insights on genetically based vector control tools in general and gene drive in particular. The 2nd APET edition report comprises 9 sections that convey messages to update a diverse community of stakeholders on progress and current state of research and development efforts with recommendations for gene drive technology advancement.
Stowers scientists uncover principles underlying the toxicity of “selfish” genes
34644Stowers Institute for Medical Research, PRNewswire, 2025-03-21 14:55:28.
Lurking within the genomes of nearly all species—including plants, fungi, and even humans—are genes that are passed from generation to generation with no clear benefit to the organism. Called "selfish" genes, they can sometimes be harmful or even lethal. A recent study from the Stowers Institute for Medical Research sheds new light on how selfish genes "cheat" inheritance to ensure they are passed to the next generation, often at the expense of an organism's fertility. The collaboration between the labs of Associate Investigators SaraH Zanders, Ph.D., and Randal Halfmann, Ph.D., investigated these selfish genes in fission yeast, a single-celled organism and powerful system for genetic research. The teams uncovered common principles in how the widely variable wtf selfish gene family harms cells, and these properties likely exist across many forms of life. Published in PLoS Genetics on [date], the findings reveal that the ability of these selfish genes to rapidly evolve contributes to their long-term evolutionary success yet can also occasionally lead to their own self-destruction. Selfish genes operate by "driving" or favoring their own transmission during reproduction. The most extreme class, called killer meiotic drivers, create toxic proteins that destroy reproductive cells—except for those that inherit the gene that are saved by also making a protein "antidote."
Exploring the ecology of malaria mosquitoes in São Tomé and Príncipe
34636Lisa Chamberland, Outreach Network for Gene Drive Research, 2025-03-21 14:28:58.
As part of our work to develop new genetic approaches for malaria control, the University of California Malaria Initiative (UCMI) is studying mosquito movement and breeding patterns in São Tomé and Príncipe. In a study published last year, we investigated the dispersal dynamics of Anopheles coluzzii – the only malaria vector on this island nation. Our recent study examines how environmental factors influence A. coluzzii breeding sites and shape mosquito dispersal across São Tomé and Príncipe. Understanding movement and interactions between mosquito populations is key to designing malaria control strategies. The data collected will also offer key insights that will guide the design of potential field evaluations of the technology we are working to develop. To determine the most suitable habitats for A. coluzzii, we used computer modeling to analyze environmental conditions such as temperature, elevation, and human population density. Our results show that the northeastern regions of both São Tomé and Príncipe islands provide the most suitable conditions for A. coluzzii larval development, with lower elevations and higher human population densities likely contributing to greater habitat availability. Interestingly, our climate modeling suggests that the mosquito’s geographic distribution on the islands will remain largely unchanged under current climate projections, even without additional interventions.
Ghana committed to exploring gene drive to combat malaria – Minister
34638Ghana News Agency, 2025-03-20 14:31:41.
Ghana has expressed interest in exploring gene drive technology as a new approach to combatting malaria. The country is open to adopting technology that is cost-effective, efficient, harmless and has the potential to significantly reduce malaria transmission, especially in areas where traditional control methods have failed. Dr. Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed, the Minister of Environment, Science, and Technology gave the assurance in an interview with journalists after opening the Second Global Genetic Biocontrol Congress in Accra. Scientists, researchers, and stakeholders from 25 institutions drawn from 15 countries are participating in the conference on the theme: “Harnessing genetic biocontrol potential solutions in changing climate.” Describing Malaria as a “serious threat,” Dr. Muhammed said the burden of malaria on Africa’s economy was high as the continent spent millions of dollars on malaria control. He said Ghana would adopt emerging technologies to help support disease prevention including those that affect crops “as long as it does not affect our survival as human beings.” People who are against GMO have several cultural issues and social issues. But the question is, is it the way to go now?
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