Gene Drive Technology in the News
Genetically modified squirrels could curb growing population of greys
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Invasive species, Replicator/site directed nuclease, Resistance, Rodents, Self limiting, Self sustaining, Toxin-antidoteS. Knapton, Telegraph, 2021.
Mutant grey squirrels, genetically modified to spread infertility genes, could be released into the wild to tackle the burgeoning population,
Expert reaction to a paper suggesting that gene drives could be used to help control grey squirrel numbers in the UK
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Invasive species, Replicator/site directed nuclease, Resistance, Rodents, Self limiting, Self sustaining, Toxin-antidoteAnonymous, Science Media Centre, 2021.
This study assesses the prospects for using a gene drive to control invasive grey squirrels in the UK. This is a modelling study exploring the potential for such an approach – no such gene drives currently exist and developing them for grey squirrels would be quite a long-term ...
CRISPR gene drives may come to a squirrel near you.
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Invasive species, Replicator/site directed nuclease, Resistance, Rodents, Self limiting, Self sustaining, Toxin-antidoteAnonymous, NewsBeezer, 2021.
Today’s gene drive technologies could be blended to provide control of the invasive gray squirrel population in the UK – with minimal risk to other populations, according to a new modeling published in the journal Scientific reports. Gene driving introduces altered genes ...
Tensions rise as GM mosquito release nears in Florida Keys
Tags: Aedes, Dengue, Genetic biocontrol, North America, Oxitec, Population suppression, Self limiting, Sterile insect technique (SIT)T. O'Hara, Keynews.com, 2021.
Tensions seem to be rising as a planned release of genetically modified mosquitoes nears. The British-based biotech company Oxitec plans to release genetically modified Aedes aegypti mosquitoes in the Florida Keys sometime after April, but has yet to disclose exact locations in ...
Florida Keys moves forward with genetically modified mosquitoes
Tags: Aedes, Dengue, Genetic biocontrol, North America, Oxitec, Population suppression, Self limiting, Sterile insect technique (SIT)H. Vela, local10.com, 2021.
The feared GMO mosquitoes are not going away. Opponents of the technology fear the date of the release in the Florida Keys is getting closer, and they are not ready for the possible repercussions of the experiment. The fight over whether or not to release genetically modified ...
How Brussels can help or hinder the fight against malaria
Tags: Biodiversity/Conservation, Gene drive synthetic, MalariaF. Okumu, EURACTIV, 2021.
In the wake of the pandemic, the world has much for which to thank Europe. Not only did European science lead the field in developing the first approved vaccine against COVID-19, but the EU’s long history of rigorous regulatory approval has also allowed for public confidence in ...
When and where will millions of mosquitoes be released? Here are details for Florida Keys
Tags: Aedes, Dengue, Genetic biocontrol, North America, Oxitec, Population suppression, Self limiting, Sterile insect technique (SIT)D. Goodhue, Miami Herald, 2021.
The Florida Keys Mosquito Control District announced this week a wide and vague planned range of deployment for the lab-designed mosquitoes — neighborhoods from mile marker 10 to 93. The trial is being conducted by British biotech company Oxitec. It’s a method approved by the ...
Company uses engineered mosquitoes to prevent diseases
Tags: Genetic biocontrol, North America, Sterile insect technique (SIT)N. Herzog and D. Niesel, The Daily News, 2021.
It’s amazing how many serious infectious diseases are transmitted by insects like ticks, fleas and mosquitoes. These are called vector-borne diseases, which are responsible for significant human suffering and economic disruption. Mosquitoes are responsible for the spread of ...
Mosquito trial will begin in April, but Keys locations won’t be disclosed
Tags: Aedes, Dengue, Genetic biocontrol, North America, Oxitec, Population suppression, Self limiting, Sterile insect technique (SIT)S. Matthis, KEYSWEEKLY, 2021.
FKMCD spokesman Chad Huff wrote in an email, “The physical location of each box is still being finalized. Since most will be situated on private property at owner request, FKMCD-Oxitec will NOT be providing specific addresses due to privacy concerns and protection of project ...
Locals protest over genetically modified mosquito plan in Florida Keys
Tags: Aedes, Genetic biocontrol, North America, Oxitec, Sterile insect technique (SIT)D. Goodhue, Miami Herald, 2021.
Sometime this year, somewhere in the Florida Keys, a British biotech company is expected to release millions of genetically modified male mosquitoes in an effort to breed out of existence an invasive species of bug responsible for the transmittal of deadly diseases like dengue ...
Plain language summary: How do we have a public conversation about new technologies for conservation? The possibilities and pitfalls of scientific language
Tags: Biodiversity/Conservation, Gene drive synthetic, Oceania, Stakeholder engagement, Synthetic biologyAnnonymous, Relational Thinking, 2021.
Having caused a catastrophic decline of animal species, people now look to new technologies to reverse the damage. Gene drive is a potential tool that could increase the proportion of male offspring in rat populations and eventually reduce their overall numbers. Some suggest this ...
Detailed genome map of malaria vector
Tags: Anopheles, Gene drive synthetic, Genomics, MalariaThe Hindu, Aspirant World, 2021.
In order to engineer advanced forms of defence against malaria transmission, including targeted CRISPR and gene drive–based strategies, scientists require intricate knowledge of the genomes of vector mosquitoes. CRISPR technology is a gene-editing tool which allows ...
Researchers Unveil Detailed Genome of Invasive Malaria Mosquito
Tags: Anopheles, Gene drive synthetic, Genomics, MalariaM. Aguilera, UC San Diego News Center, 2021.
Mosquito-transmitted malaria remains the number one worldwide killer among vector-borne diseases, claiming more than 400,000 human lives in 2019. In order to engineer advanced forms of defense against malaria transmission, including targeted CRISPR and gene drive-based ...
Projects to target a range of pest control solutions
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Pest management, Synthetic biologyK. McCormack, The Chronicle, 2021.
With the annual national cost of established vertebrate pest animals estimated to be around $800 million, and over $4 billion for weeds, it’s in Australia’s best interest to try and tackle these pesky problems at their root causes. 19 projects will be funded following a ...
Oxitec gears up for test releases
Tags: Aedes, Dengue, Genetic biocontrol, North America, Oxitec, Population suppression, Self limiting, Sterile insect technique (SIT)T. O'Hara, Keynews.com, 2021.
The United Kingdom-based biotech company Oxitec will soon announce the test locations and timetable for releasing its genetically modified mosquitoes in the Florida Keys.
Assisting Evolution: How Far Should We Go to Help Species Adapt?
Tags: Biodiversity/Conservation, CRISPR, Gene drive synthetic, Gene editing, Invasive species, Oceania, Synthetic biologyE. Kolbert, YaleEnvironment360, 2021.
It was a hot, intensely blue day in the Australian Outback, about 350 miles north of Adelaide. I was tagging along with Moseby as she checked the batteries on the motion-sensitive cameras that dot Arid Recovery, an ecosystem restoration project she and her husband launched in ...
Number of Project Wolbachia mosquitoes released is constantly reviewed to maintain suppression of dengue: NEA
Tags: Dengue, Genetic biocontrol, Genetic incompatibilities, Incompatible insect technique, WolbachiaN. L. Ching, today, 2021.
Project Wolbachia – Singapore has yielded promising results so far.Releases of non-biting male Wolbachia-Aedes mosquitoes have suppressed the urban Aedes aegypti mosquito populations in study sites at Tampines and Yishun by up to 90 per cent, and we have observed 58 to 74 per ...
Should we dim the sun? Will we even have a choice
Tags: Biodiversity/Conservation, CRISPR, Ecology, Gene drive synthetic, Gene editing, Invasive species, Oceania, Synthetic biologyE. Klein, New York Times, 2021.
“Under a White Sky” is going to be on my best books of 2021 list. It’s a wonderful work. Kolbert is the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of “The Sixth Extinction,” which you may have read. She is a staff writer at The New Yorker and just one of the great science ...
Public attitudes towards synthetic biology
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Oceania, Policy, Stakeholder engagement, Synthetic biologyCSIRO, Synthetic Biology Future Science Platform, 2021.
A national survey has been conducted by CSIRO’s Synthetic Biology Future Science Platform as an important first step in measuring public attitudes towards synthetic biology. The survey draws on the views of more than 8,000 Australians, and researchers are examining the data to ...
Grey squirrels: is birth control the solution to Britain’s invasive species problem?
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Invasive species, RodentsJ. Gilchrist, The Conversation, 2021.
As with the UK’s other invasive species, such as rabbits, signal crayfish and Japanese knotweed, introducing the grey squirrel has proved to be an expensive mistake. Not only do grey squirrels displace red squirrels, they strip bark from trees. A recent report estimated that ...
Mosquitoes genetically modified to be resistant to Zika
Tags: Aedes, Arbovirus, Gene drive synthetic, Gene editing, Genetic biocontrol, MosquitoesStaff, Lab+Life Scientist, 2021.
Researchers have wrestled with different strategies for controlling the spread of Zika virus, which is transmitted to humans from female mosquito bites. One approach, which has been approved by the US Environmental Protection Agency, will see more than 750 million genetically ...
Experts oppose plan to breed mosquitoes
Tags: Africa, Anopheles, Gene drive synthetic, Malaria, Target malariaT. Abet, Daily Monitor, 2021.
Environmentalists have opposed the plan to breed and release genetically modified mosquitoes in the country to curb malaria prevalence. They say the act presents substantial human and environmental health risks. Their objection follows last week’s announcement by scientists ...
Les Européens très critiques vis-à-vis du forçage génétique
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Policy, Regulation, Risk and safety, Stakeholder engagementL. Duboua-Lorsch, EURACTIV, 2021.
Cette technique, qui vise à éradiquer ou modifier certaines espèces dites nuisibles, sera au cœur des négociations cette année, alors que se profile la COP15 sur la biodiversité. maginez un monde débarrassé d’insectes porteurs de maladies, de parasites agricoles, ...
Project Wolbachia: Residents are killing the ‘helpful’ mosquitoes, which can be a nuisance
Tags: Aedes, Cytoplasmic incompatibility, Genetic biocontrol, Incompatible insect technique, WolbachiaT. J. Cheng, today, 2021.
In 2019, Dr Amy Khor, then Senior Minister of State for the Environment and Water Resources, said that there was a 90 per cent suppression rate at study sites in Tampines and Yishun from February to November that year. However, certain public housing estates under the project ...
Genetically modified mosquitoes to curb malaria
Tags: Africa, Anopheles, Gene drive synthetic, Malaria, Target malariaT. Abet, Daily Monitor, 2021.
Scientists at Uganda Virus Research Institute (UVRI) have started breeding mosquitoes with the aim of modifying their genetic materials and releasing them to the environment to curb malaria transmission. The genetically modified mosquitoes, according to the scientists, do not ...
New genetically modified mosquitoes to help fight malaria
Tags: Africa, Anopheles, Gene drive synthetic, Malaria, Target malariaD. Zirimala, Capital Radio FM, 2021.
According to Dr. Jonathan Kayondo, the principal investigator of the Target Malaria project, the genetically modified mosquitoes do not transmit malaria parasites when they bite. These are made infertile so that when they cross breed with the female anopheles mosquito, they are ...
Proceedings of an expert workshop on community agreement for gene drive research in Africa – Co-organised by KEMRI, PAMCA and Target Malaria [version 1; peer review: awaiting peer review]
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Genetically modified mosquitoes, Genetically modified organisms, Malaria, Stakeholder engagement, Target malariaD. Thizy, L. Pare Toe, C. Mbogo, D. Matoke-Muhia, V. P. Alibu, S. K. Barnhill-Dilling, T. Chantler, G. Chongwe, J. Delborne, L. Kapiriri, E. Nassonko Kavuma, S. Koloi-Keaikitse, A. Kormos, K. Littler, D. Lwetoijera, R. Vargas de Moraes, N. Mumba, L. Muten, Gates Open Research, 2021.
Target Malaria, the Kenya Medical Research Institute and the Pan African Mosquito Control Association co-organised a workshop with researchers and practitioners on this topic to question the model proposed by Target Malaria in its research so far that involved the release of ...
RNAi-based products: A sustainable alternative to hazardous pesticides
Tags: Gene editing, Genetic biocontrol, Genetic engineering, Pest management, Policy, Regulation, Risk and safetyGhent University, Phys Org, 2021.
RNAi-based biocontrol is a great alternative to hazardous pesticides and can contribute towards reversing the alarming decline in farmland birds and beneficial insects (especially pollinating ones). RNAi is a well-known natural biological process in most
Genetically-modified mosquitoes key to stopping Zika virus spread
Tags: Aedes, Arbovirus, Gene drive synthetic, Gene editing, Genetic biocontrol, MosquitoesUniversity of Missouri, Medical Xpress, 2021.
Alexander Franz, an associate professor in the MU College of Veterinary Medicine, collaborated with researchers at Colorado State University by using CRISPR gene-editing technology to produce mosquitoes that are unable to replicate Zika virus and therefore cannot infect a human ...
Into the Wild: GMOs head for the forest
Tags: Genetically modified organisms, ResistanceL. Sharratt, Sentinel, 2021.
Genetic engineering is set to leave the farm for the forest. After over twenty years of growing genetically engineered (GE or genetically modified) crop plants in North America, researchers are now proposing to plant GE trees in the forests of eastern US and Canada. This is a ...
Responsibly Developing Gene Drives: The GeneConvene Global Collaborative
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrolJ. Toomey, Bill of Health, 2021.
The GeneConvene Global Collaborative, a project of the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health, was started this past July to promote the responsible development and regulation of gene drive technologies. It brings together researchers, regulators and stakeholders around ...
‘Clever Approach’: Scientists Create GM-Free Organisms Using Genetic Engineering
Tags: Aedes, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Genetic incompatibilities, Genetically modified organisms, OxitecA. Paleja, The WIRE, 2021.
Farther to the north, researchers at the University of Minnesota have developed a novel way to resolve this problem. They used genetic engineering to create organisms for release that are not genetically modified. Maciej Maselko was a postdoctoral associate at the university ...
CRISPR and the splice to survive: New gene-editing technology could be used to save species from extinction—or to eliminate them.
Tags: Biodiversity/Conservation, CRISPR, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Invasive species, Mosquitoes, Oceania, Population modification/replacement, Population suppressionE. Kolbert, New Yorker, 2021.
About a year ago, not long before the pandemic began, I paid a visit to the center, which is an hour southwest of Melbourne. The draw was an experiment on a species of giant toad known familiarly as the cane toad. The toad was introduced to Australia as an agent of pest control, ...
Self-Deleting Genes Project To Tackle Mosquito-Borne Diseases
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Genomics, Modeling, Mosquitoes, Self limiting, Selfish genetic elementsD. Ozdemir, INTERESTING ENGINEERING, 2021.
Did you know that mosquitoes kill at least 725,000 persons every year? They truly are one of the world's deadliest animals which is the reason why scientists from all around are trying to find new ways of dealing with them. Controlling mosquito populations and preventing them ...
Selfish elements turn embryos into a battlefield
Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Phys Org, 2021.The battle to survive is fought down to the level of our genes. Toxin-antidote elements are gene pairs that spread in populations by killing non-carriers. Now, research by the Burga lab at IMBA and the Kruglyak lab at the University of California, Los Angeles shows that these ...
ARS Science Key to Stopping ‘Man-Eating’ Parasite
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Sterile insect technique (SIT)S. Elliott, Tellus, 2021.
Screwworm infestations were once prevalent in the United States, with 230,000 cases reported in 1935 alone. ARS scientists Edward Knipling and Raymond Bushland conceived and developed the sterile insect technique (SIT) to control and eradicate screwworms. With SIT, sterilized ...
The New Yorker Magazine: Gene Drives as a Tool for Saving Nature
Tags: Biodiversity/Conservation, Gene drive synthetic, Invasive species, Rodents, X chromosome, Y-chromosomeE. Heber, Island Conservation, 2021.
In a recent New Yorker Magazine article, entitled “CRISPR and the Splice to Survive,” journalist and best-selling author Elizabeth Kolbert dives into the world of gene drive research. She touches on aspects of gene drive research from altering the toxin produced by cane toads ...
His Passion Was Contagious
Tags: Gene drive, Genetic biocontrol, History, MosquitoesD. C. McCool, Notre Dame Magazine, 2021.
Craig was an entomologist and vector biologist whose interest in mosquitoes and the diseases they transmit to people was as contagious as the pathogens themselves. Hesburgh could not have chosen a more driven faculty member. In his 38 years at Notre Dame, before he died in 1995 ...
Edit, undo: Temporary gene editing could help solve the mosquito problem
Tags: Aedes, Fruit fly, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Genomics, Self limiting, Selfish genetic elementsL. Dormehl, digitaltrends, 2020.
But if SyFy original movies have taught us anything, it’s that genetically tweaking organisms and then releasing them can… well, not go quite according to plan.With that in mind, a new Texas A&M AgriLife Research project seeks to test out genetic modifications of mosquitos ...
Self-deleting genes promise risk-free genetic engineering of mosquitoes
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Genomics, Modeling, Mosquitoes, Self limiting, Selfish genetic elementsD. Quick, New Atlas, 2020.
A new project by Texas A&M AgriLife Research is looking to enable "test runs" of genetic changes to mosquitoes that are automatically deleted. Various angles of attack using genetic engineering to combat mosquitoes have been pursued in recent years, including modifying them so ...
Self-deleting genes to be tested as part of mosquito population control concept
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Genomics, Modeling, Mosquitoes, Self limiting, Selfish genetic elementsB. Hays, UPI, 2020.
Scientists at Texas A&M have developed a new technique for altering the genes of mosquitoes -- the new technology will cause genetic changes to self-delete from the mosquitoes' genome. Thanks to the breakthrough, described Monday in the Philosophical Transactions of the Royal ...
$3.9M project on self-deleting genes takes aim at mosquito-borne diseases
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Genomics, Modeling, Mosquitoes, Self limiting, Selfish genetic elementsO. Kuchment, AGRILIFE Today, 2020.
To control mosquito populations and prevent them from transmitting diseases such as malaria, many researchers are pursuing strategies in mosquito genetic engineering. A new Texas A&M AgriLife Research project aims to enable temporary “test runs” of proposed genetic changes in ...
Self-deleting genes tested as part of the concept of mosquito population control
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Genomics, Modeling, Mosquitoes, Self limiting, Selfish genetic elementscharlottelarson, NEWYORK NEWS TIMES, 2020.
Most genetic engineering strategies designed to control mosquito populations, and their ability to spread diseases such as malaria, require gene editing to be combined with gene drives. Gene drives allow altered DNA to spread rapidly throughout the population.
New GE unintentionally leaves traces in cells
Tags: CRISPR, Gene drive synthetic, Policy, Regulation, Risk and safetyC. Then, Testbiotech, 2020.
A new scientific publication shows that CRISPR/Cas gene scissor applications in animals unintentionally leave traces. The findings are not related to unintended changes in the DNA, which have often been described, but to gene regulation, i.e. epigenetics. The effects are ...
Converting female mosquitoes to non-biting males with implications for mosquito control
Tags: Aedes, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Sex distorter, Sterile insect technique (SIT)M. V. Candy, Vet Candy, 2020.
Virginia Tech researchers have proven that a single gene can convert female Aedes aegypti mosquitoes into fertile male mosquitoes and identified a gene needed for male mosquito flight. Male mosquitoes do not bite and are unable to transmit pathogens to humans. Female mosquitoes, ...
New insect species made via genetic engineering
Tags: CRISPR, Cytoplasmic incompatibility, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Genetic incompatibilities, Synthetic biologyL. Leffer, SCIENCELINE, 2020.
A biotech fast-forward button for evolution is on the horizon. Researchers say they have used a novel genetic engineering method to create several new species of fruit fly in the lab for the first time — an achievement which might help put a future without malaria and other ...
Scientists paved the way for field trials of gene-driven organisms
Tags: Field trials, Gene drive synthetic, Policy, Regulation, Risk and safety, Risk assessment, Stakeholder engagementK. Winslet, FLORIDA News Times, 2020.
The recent rise of gene drive research, accelerated by CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing technology, has brought about a wave of transformation throughout science.Developed with selected traits that have been genetically engineered to spread throughout the population, Gene Drive ...
Technical Support to Burkina Faso on Gene Drive Stage 2 Dossier Review
Tags: Africa, Gene drive synthetic, Policy, Regulation, Risk and safety, Risk assessmentAUDA-NEPAD, AUDA-NEPAD, 2020.
AUDA-NEPAD in partnership with the National Biosafety Agency (ANB) in Burkina Faso organised a training workshop to support to the National Biosafety Committee (NBC) on stage 2 dossier review, on December 3 – 5, 2020, in Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso. In addition to the NBC ...
Scientists Set a Path for Field Trials of Gene Drive Organisms
Tags: Ethics, Field trials, Gene drive synthetic, Policy, Regulation, Risk and safety, Stakeholder engagementM. Aguilera, UC San Diego News Center, 2020.
The modern rise of gene drive research, accelerated by CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing technology, has led to transformational waves rippling across science. Gene drive organisms (GDOs), developed with select traits that are genetically engineered to spread through a population, have ...
Fear of Oxitec mosquito release grows
Tags: Aedes, Genetic biocontrol, North America, Oxitec, Sterile insect technique (SIT)T. Java, Florida Keys Free Press, 2020.
A local effort has emerged to exclude Key Largo from a test release of genetically modified Aedes aegypti mosquitoes planned for the spring. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Florida Keys Mosquito Control District have approved a release of United Kingdom-based ...
