Keywords: Agriculture

Progress made for blackchin tilapia control in Thailand

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The Fish Site,  2025.
Despite tilapia being one of the most widely farmed fish in the global aquaculture industry, invasive populations of the blackchin tilapia - a cichlid native to West Africa - have been devastating the productivity of aquaculture operations throughout Thailand. However, a ...

Antagonistic kinesin-14s within a single chromosomal drive haplotype

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Meghan J. Brady, Anjali Gupta, Jonathan I. Gent, et al.,  bioRxiv,  2025.
In maize, there are two meiotic drive systems that operate on large tandem repeat arrays called knobs that are found on chromosome arms. One meiotic drive haplotype, Abnormal chromosome 10 (Ab10), encodes two kinesin proteins that interact with two distinct tandem repeat arrays ...

Mechanisms, Machinery, and Dynamics of Chromosome Segregation in Zea mays

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Duffy, Marissa E., Michael Ngaw, Shayna E. Polsky, et al.,  Genes,  15. 2025.
Zea mays (maize) is both an agronomically important crop and a powerful genetic model system with an extensive molecular toolkit and genomic resources. With these tools, maize is an optimal system for cytogenetic study, particularly in the investigation of chromosome segregation. ...

Kenya Set to Introduce GMO Maize After Public Consultation Period

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Martin Olage,  Mwakilishi,  2025.
The National Biosafety Authority (NBA) has completed a month-long public consultation regarding the potential market introduction of Genetically Modified (GM) maize, specifically known as BT Maize. This consultation, initiated in mid-December after an official notice on December ...

Selfing Promotes Spread and Introgression of Segregation Distorters in Hermaphroditic Plants

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Hongru Wang, Léo Planche, Vladimir Shchur, Rasmus Nielsen,  Molecular Biology and Evolution,  41. 2024.
Segregation distorters (SDs) are genetic elements that distort the Mendelian segregation ratio to favor their own transmission and are able to spread even when they incur fitness costs on organisms carrying them. Depending on the biology of the host organisms and the genetic ...

Chinese researchers make genetic breakthrough that could change the future of agriculture: ‘Powerful and transformative strategy’

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Jeremiah Budin,  The Cool Down,  2024.
Chinese scientists have reportedly engineered a way to use gene-editing technology to bypass natural plant behavior and force crops to inherit genes that will make them more resilient and easier to grow, according to Interesting Engineering. "The genetic manipulation of wild ...

Gene Drives Shown to Work in Wild Plants. They Could Wipe Out Weeds.

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Shelly Fan,  Singularity Hub,  2024.
Henry Grabar has had enough battling knotweed. All he wanted was to build a small garden in Brooklyn—a bit of peace amid the cacophony of city life. But a plant with beet-red leaves soon took over his nascent garden. The fastest growing plant he’d ever seen, it could sprout ...

A New CRISPR-Driven Technology for Gene Drive in Plants

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Lori Dajose,  CalTech,  2024.
Spreading a specific genetic trait through a population, even if that trait does not benefit those who carry it, is the purpose of a "gene drive." Gene drives can be used for many different applications. These are divided into two broad categories: population modification and ...

First synthetic gene drive for plants could help eradicate weeds

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Erik Stokstad,  Science,  2024.
More than a decade ago, a research group used the genome editor CRISPR to put evolution on fast forward, spurring a gene to spread throughout a population of lab-reared fruit flies many times faster than it normally could in nature. Mosquitoes with CRISPR-based “gene drives” ...

Benefits and risks of gene drives for invasive plant management – the case for common tansy

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L. Croghan, A. G. Smith, M. A. Tancos, N. O. Anderson and R. L. Becker,  Frontiers in Agronomy,  5. 2023.
Invasive plants cause significant environmental and economic damage, but land managers have few control options. Common tansy (Tanacetum vulgare) is prevalent in many US states and is one of the most reported invasive plants in Minnesota. Controlling common tansy poses a ...

Gene drive in plants emerges from infancy

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M. J. A. Awan, R. Z. Naqvi, I. Amin and S. Mansoor,  Trends in Plant Science,  2023.
Selfish genetic elements (SGEs) display biased transmission to offspring. However, their breeding potential has remained obscure. Wang et al. recently reported a natural gene-drive system that can be harnessed to prevent hybrid incompatibility and to develop a synthetic ...

Cleave and Rescue gamete killers create conditions for gene drive in plants

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O. Georg, L. J. Michelle, I. Tobin and A. H. Bruce,  bioRxiv,  2023.10.13.562303. 2023.
Gene drive elements promote the spread of linked traits, even when their presence confers a fitness cost to carriers, and can be used to change the composition or fate of wild populations. Cleave and Rescue (ClvR) drive elements sit at a fixed chromosomal position and include a ...

Overriding Mendelian inheritance in Arabidopsis with a CRISPR toxin-antidote gene drive that impairs pollen germination

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L. Yang, J. Bingke, C. Jackson and Q. Wenfeng,  bioRxiv,  2023.10.10.561637. 2023.
Synthetic gene drives, inspired by natural selfish genetic elements, present transformative potential for disseminating traits that benefit humans throughout wild populations, irrespective of potential fitness costs. Here, we constructed a gene drive system called CRISPR-Assisted ...

A natural gene drive element confers speciation in rice

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Y. Li, S. Liu and R. Shen,  Chinese Science Bulletin,  68:3400-3402. 2023.
For a long time, although many important advances have been made in the field of rice hybrid sterility, the specific molecular mechanism behind the "killer-protector"/ "poison-antidote" model has been unclear. Recently, the team of Academician Wan Jianmin of Nanjing Agricultural ...

Using Wolbachia to control rice planthopper populations: progress and challenges

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Y. Guo, J. Shao, Y. Wu and Y. Li,  Frontiers in Microbiology,  14. 2023.
Wolbachia have been developed as a tool for protecting humans from mosquito populations and mosquito-borne diseases. The success of using Wolbachia relies on the facts that Wolbachia are maternally transmitted and that Wolbachia-induced cytoplasmic incompatibility provides a ...

The role of conflict in shaping plant biodiversity

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J. M. Coughlan,  New Phytologist,  2023.
Although intrinsic postzygotic reproductive barriers can play a fundamental role in speciation, their underlying evolutionary causes are widely debated. One hypothesis is that incompatibilities result from genomic conflicts. Here, I synthesize the evidence that conflict generates ...

Meiotic segregation and post-meiotic drive of the Festuca pratensis B chromosome

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R. Ebrahimzadegan, J. Fuchs, J. Chen, V. Schubert, A. Meister, A. Houben and G. Mirzaghaderi,  Chromosome Research,  31:26. 2023.
In many species, the transmission of B chromosomes (Bs) does not follow the Mendelian laws of equal segregation and independent assortment. This deviation results in transmission rates of Bs higher than 0.5, a process known as “chromosome drive”. Here, we studied the behavior ...

Female meiotic drive in plants: mechanisms and dynamics

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F. Finseth,  Current Opinion in Genetics and Development,  82:102101. 2023.
Female meiosis is fundamentally asymmetric, creating an arena for genetic elements to compete for inclusion in the egg to maximize their transmission. Centromeres, as mediators of chromosomal segregation, are prime candidates to evolve via ‘female meiotic drive’. According to ...

A natural gene drive system confers reproductive isolation in rice

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C. Wang, J. Wang, J. Lu, Y. Xiong, Z. Zhao, X. Yu, X. Zheng, J. Li, Q. Lin, Y. Ren, Y. Hu, X. He, C. Li, Y. Zeng, R. Miao, M. Guo, B. Zhang, Y. Zhu, Y. Zhang, W. Tang, Y. Wang, B. Hao, Q. Wang, S. Cheng, X. He, B. Yao, J. Gao, X. Zhu, H. Yu, Y. Wang, Y. S,  Cell,  2023.
Hybrid sterility restricts the utilization of superior heterosis of indica-japonica inter-subspecific hybrids. In this study, we report the identification of RHS12, a major locus controlling male gamete sterility in indica-japonica hybrid rice. We show that RHS12 consists of two ...

Teosinte Pollen Drive guides maize domestication and evolution by RNAi

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B. Berube , E. Ernst, J. Cahn, B. Roche, C. d. S. Alves, A. Scheben, A. Siepel, J. Ross-Ibarra, J. Kermicle and R. Martienssen,  bioRxiv,  2023.07.12.548689. 2023.
Meiotic drivers subvert Mendelian expectations by manipulating reproductive development to bias their own transmission. Chromosomal drive typically functions in asymmetric female meiosis, while gene drive is normally postmeiotic and typically found in males. Using single molecule ...

Genome and Transcriptome Analyses Facilitate Genetic Control of Wohlfahrtia magnifica, a Myiasis-Causing Flesh Fly

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Z. Jia, S. Hasi, D. Zhan, B. Hou, C. Vogl and P. A. Burger,  Insects,  14. 2023.
Myiasis caused by Wohlfahrtia magnifica is a widespread parasitic infestation in mammals. The infested host suffers from damage as the developing larvae feed on its tissues. For the control of myiasis infestation, genetic methods have been shown to be effective and promising as ...

Scientists are Gene-Editing Flies to Fight Crop Damage

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E. Mullin,  WIRED,  2023.
In greenhouses in Oregon last month, researchers with the US Department of Agriculture began testing one such approach: sterilized male flies. The gene-edited bugs, made by St. Louis–based biotech company Agragene, are meant to suppress wild fly populations. The idea is that if ...

To fight berry-busting fruit flies, researchers focus on sterilizing the bugs

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M. Walling,  KTAL News.com,  2023.
Paul Nelson is used to doing battle with an invasive fruit fly called the spotted wing drosophila, a pest that one year ruined more than half the berries on the Minnesota farm he and his team run. In recent years, they’ve cut their losses closer to 5%, but it’s been ...

Wolbachia-based strategies for control of agricultural pests

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J. T. Gong, T. P. Li, M. K. Wang and X. Y. Hong,  Curr Opin Insect Sci,  101039:10.1016/j.cois.2023.101039. 2023.
Wolbachia-based incompatible insect technique (IIT) and pathogen blocking technique (PBT) have been shown to be effective at protecting humans from mosquito-borne diseases in the past decades. Population suppression based on IIT and population replacement based on PBT have become ...

Development of transgenic corn planthopper Peregrinus maidis that express the tetracycline transactivator

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A. A. Patil, W. Klobasa, D. Espinoza-Rivera, O. Baars, M. D. Lorenzen and M. J. Scott,  Insect Molecular Biology,  32:363-375. 2023.
Abstract The corn planthopper, Peregrinus maidis, is a vector of several maize viruses and is consequently a significant agricultural pest in many tropical and subtropical regions. As P. maidis has developed resistance to insecticides, the aim of this study was to develop ...

GeneConvene Global Collaborative Webinar Series | Emerging Gene Drive Systems 2023

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David O'Brochta,  2023.
Gene drive systems are being engineered in the laboratory and in some cases shown to be effective at rapidly altering target-gene frequencies in experimental populations. Much of this foundational work has been conducted in insects in the laboratory. This webinar series will ...

Gene Drive Technology With Agricultural Application Potential

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R. Carmeli-Peslak,  SeedWorld,  2023.
Gene drive technology, a genetic phenomenon that occurs in nature, causes a trait to spread in species through sexual reproduction over many generations. The inheritance rate is higher than the Mendelian rate which is 50%. Gene drives have been used for public health and ...

How CRISPR could help save crops from devastation caused by pests

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E. F. Merchant,  MIT Technology Review,  2023.
Researchers are now looking to add cutting-edge technology to California’s anti-Pierce’s arsenal, by changing the genome of the glassy-winged sharpshooter so that it can no longer spread the bacterium. Such a solution is possible thanks to CRISPR gene-editing technology, ...

Imperial startup Biocentis to develop genetic tech to control harmful insects

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D. Silverman,  Imperial College London,  2023.
The Imperial startup was founded in 2022 by Imperial researchers in partnership with technology-focused investment group Neurone to create a more effective and sustainable alternative to pesticides. While insects play an essential role in the global ecosystem, among the ...

Both male and female meiosis contribute to non-Mendelian inheritance of parental chromosomes in interspecific plant hybrids (Lolium x Festuca)

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J. Majka, M. Glombik, A. Dolezalova, J. Knerova, M. T. M. Ferreira, Z. Zwierzykowski, M. Duchoslav, B. Studer, J. Dolezel, J. Bartos and D. Kopecky,  NEW PHYTOLOGIST,  2023.
Some interspecific plant hybrids show unequal transmission of chromosomes from parental genomes to the successive generations. It has been suggested that this is due to a differential behavior of parental chromosomes during meiosis. However, underlying mechanism is unknown. We ...

Gene editing and agrifood systems

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FAO,  FAO,  2022.
Gene-editing technologies represent a promising new tool for plant and animal breeding in low- and middle-income countries. They enhance precision and efficiency over current breeding methods and could lead to rapid development of improved plant varieties and animal breeds. ...

Scientist Recommends Gene Drive Strategies Of Pest Control To Increase Food Security

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L. Agbo,  allnews,  2022.
A Nigerian scientist, Dr. Rose Gidado has recommended that Nigerian policymakers and farmers adopt the technology of a gene drive-based pest management technique in order to increase bumper harvest and food security.In an interview with NAN on Monday in Abuja, Gidado, the Deputy ...

Improvement of Resistance in Plants Against Insect-Pests Using Genome Editing Tools

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S. Bhat and S. Kumar,  Genome Editing: Current Technology Advances and Applications for Crop Improvement,  2022.
During growth period plants are subjected to both biotic and abiotic stresses. Like other biotic stresses, insect-pests are the most serious challenge for the plants particularly in yield losses. Genome editing techniques are becoming an emerging technology bringing real ...

Toward product-based regulation of crops

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F. Gould, R. M. Amasino, D. Brossard, C. R. Buell, R. A. Dixon, J. B. Falck-Zepeda, M. A. Gallo, K. E. Giller, L. L. Glenna, T. Griffin, D. Magraw, C. Mallory-Smith, K. V. Pixley, E. P. Ransom, D. M. Stelly and C. N. Stewart,  Science,  377:1051-1053. 2022.
Current process-based approaches to regulation are no longer fit for purpose Much effort has been expended globally over the past four decades to craft and update country-specific and multinational safety regulations that can be applied to crops developed by genetic engineering ...

Researchers propose new framework for regulating engineered crops

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North Carolina State University,  Phys Org,  2022.
A Policy Forum article published today in Science calls for a new approach to regulating genetically engineered (GE) crops, arguing that current approaches for triggering safety testing vary dramatically among countries and generally lack scientific merit—particularly as ...

Precision Guided Sterile Males Suppress Populations of an Invasive Crop Pest

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N. P. Kandul, J. Liu, A. Buchman, I. C. Shriner, R. M. Corder, N. Warsinger-Pepe, T. Yang, A. K. Yadav, M. J. Scott, J. M. Marshall and O. S. Akbari,  GEN Biotechnology,  1:372-385. 2022.
The Drosophila suzukii invasion of western countries has created an immense agricultural and economic threat to crop production. Despite many attempts to suppress its population, D. suzukii continues to destroy soft-flesh fruits. Precision guided sterile insect technique (pgSIT) ...

CRISPR-based technology targets global crop pest

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University of California - San Diego,  Phys Org,  2022.
Applying new CRISPR-based technology to a broad agricultural need, researchers at the University of California San Diego have set their aims on a worldwide pest known to decimate valuable food crops. Nikolay Kandul, Omar Akbari and their colleagues first demonstrated the ...

Reflection on the Challenges, Accomplishments, and New Frontiers of Gene Drives

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M. Melesse Vergara, J. Labbé and J. Tannous,  BioDesign Research,  2022:9853416. 2022.
Ongoing pest and disease outbreaks pose a serious threat to human, crop, and animal lives, emphasizing the need for constantgenetic discoveries that could serve as mitigation strategies. Gene drives are genetic engineering approaches discovered decadesago that may allow quick, ...

Rye B chromosomes differently influence the expression of A chromosome-encoded genes depending on the host species

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A. Boudichevskaia, A. Fiebig, K. Kumke, A. Himmelbach and A. Houben,  Chromosome Research,  2022.
The B chromosome (B) is a dispensable component of the genome in many species. To evaluate the impact of Bs on the transcriptome of the standard A chromosomes (A), comparative RNA-seq analyses of rye and wheat anthers with and without additional rye Bs were conducted. In both ...

DriverSEAT: A spatially-explicit stochastic modelling framework for the evaluation of gene drives in novel target species

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M. Legros and L. G. Barrett,  bioRxiv,  2022.06.13.496025. 2022.
Gene drives represent a potentially ground breaking technology for the control of undesirable species or the introduction of desirable traits in wild population, and there is strong interest in applying these technologies to a wide range of species across many domains including ...

Natural and Engineered Sex Ratio Distortion in Insects

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A. Compton and Z. Tu,  Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution,  10. 2022.
Insects have evolved highly diverse genetic sex-determination mechanisms and a relatively balanced male to female sex ratio is generally expected. However, selection may shift the optimal sex ratio while meiotic drive and endosymbiont manipulation can result in sex ratio ...

Supergene potential of a selfish centromere

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F. Finseth, K. Brown, A. Demaree and L. Fishman,  Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci,  377:20210208. 2022.
Selfishly evolving centromeres bias their transmission by exploiting the asymmetry of female meiosis and preferentially segregating to the egg. Such female meiotic drive systems have the potential to be supergenes, with multiple linked loci contributing to drive costs or ...

Retraction Note: Selective inheritance of target genes from only one parent of sexually reproduced F1 progeny in Arabidopsis

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T. Zhang, M. Mudgett, R. Rambabu, B. Abramson, X. Dai, T. P. Michael and Y. Zhao,  Nature Communications,  13:3270. 2022.
Retraction to: Nature Communications https://doi-org.proxy-um.researchport.umd.edu/10.1038/s41467-021-24195-5, published online 22 June 2021.We retract the article cited above because genotyping results from recent experiments are not consistent with the conclusions presented in ...

The maize abnormal chromosome 10 meiotic drive haplotype: a review

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R. K. Dawe,  Chromosome Research,  2022.
The maize abnormal chromosome 10 (Ab10) haplotype encodes a meiotic drive system that converts heterochromatic knobs into centromere-like bodies that are preferentially segregated through female meiosis. Ab10 was first described in the 1940s and has been intensively studied. Here ...

Recent advancements in CRISPR/Cas technology for accelerated crop improvement

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D. Das, D. L. Singha, R. R. Paswan, N. Chowdhury, M. Sharma, P. S. Reddy and C. Chikkaputtaiah,  Planta,  255:109. 2022.
The likelihood of reduced agricultural production due to highly turbulent climatic conditions increases as the global population expands. The second paradigm of stress-resilient crops with enhanced tolerance and increased productivity against various stresses is paramount to ...

Biotechnological Road Map for Innovative Weed Management

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A. C. S. Wong, K. Massel, Y. Lam, J. Hintzsche and B. S. Chauhan,  Frontiers in Plant Science,  13. 2022.
In most agriculture farmlands, weed management is predominantly reliant on integrated weed management (IWM) strategies, such as herbicide application. However, the overuse and misuse of herbicides, coupled with the lack of novel active ingredients, has resulted in the uptrend of ...

The non-Mendelian behavior of plant B chromosomes

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J. Chen, J. A. Birchler and A. Houben,  Chromosome Res,  2022.
B chromosomes, also known as supernumerary chromosomes, are dispensable elements in the genome of many plants, animals, and fungi. Many B chromosomes have evolved one or more drive mechanisms to transmit themselves at a higher frequency than predicted by Mendelian genetics, and ...

B-A Chromosome Translocations Possessing an A Centromere Partly Overcome the Root-Restricted Process of Chromosome Elimination in Aegilops speltoides

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D. Li, A. Ruban, J. Fuchs, H. Kang and A. Houben,  Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology,  10. 2022.
Some eukaryotes exhibit dramatic genome size differences between cells of different organs, resulting from the programmed elimination of chromosomes. Aegilops speltoides is an annual diploid species from the Poaceae family, with a maximum number of eight B chromosomes (Bs) in ...

CRISPR-mediated knockout of cardinal and cinnabar eye pigmentation genes in the western tarnished plant bug

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C. C. Heu, R. J. Gross, K. P. Le, D. M. LeRoy, B. Fan, J. J. Hull, C. S. Brent and J. A. Fabrick,  Scientific Reports,  12. 2022.
The western tarnished plant bug, Lygus hesperus, is a key hemipteran pest of numerous agricultural, horticultural, and industrial crops in the western United States and Mexico. A lack of genetic tools in L. hesperus hinders progress in functional genomics and in developing ...

Studying the active role of the maize B chromosome in the modulation of gene expression

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University of Missouri,  Phys Org,  2022.
A team of University of Missouri biologists has made a new discovery that provides novel insights into the function and properties of the maize B chromosome. The study was led by Dr. Xiaowen Shi and Dr. Hua Yang, postdoctoral fellows in the Birchler lab, and reported in the ...

A gene drive does not spread easily in populations of the honey bee parasite Varroa destructor

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N. R. Faber, A. B. Meiborg, G. R. McFarlane, G. Gorjanc and B. A. Harpur,  Apidologie,  52:1112-1127. 2022.
Varroa mites (Varroa destructor) are the most significant threat to beekeeping worldwide. They are directly or indirectly responsible for millions of colony losses each year. Beekeepers are somewhat able to control varroa populations through the use of physical and chemical ...

Insect Allies – Assessment of a Viral Approach to Plant Genome Editing

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K. Pfeifer, J. L. Frieß and B. Giese,  Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management,  2022.
The DARPA program Insect Allies has already sparked scientific debate concerning technology assessment-related issues, among which the most prevalent is that of dual use potential. As apart from the issues concerning peaceful applications, the technology also provides the ...

Effect of aneuploidy of a nonessential chromosome on gene expression in maize

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X. Shi, H. Yang, C. Chen, J. Hou, T. Ji, J. Cheng and J. A. Birchler,  Plant Journal,  2022.
The nonessential supernumerary maize B chromosome (B) has recently been shown to contain active genes and be capable of impacting gene expression of the A chromosomes. However, the effect of the B chromosome on gene expression is still unclear. In addition, it is unknown whether ...

Stakeholder Views on Engagement, Trust, Performance, and Risk Considerations About Use of Gene Drive Technology in Agricultural Pest Management

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C. L. Goldsmith, K. E. Kang, E. Heitman, Z. N. Adelman, L. W. Buchman, D. Kerns, X. Liu, R. F. Medina and A. Vedlitz,  Health Security,  2021.
Gene drive is an experimental technique that may make it possible to alter the genetic traits of whole populations of a species through the genetic modification of a relatively small number of individuals. This technology is sufficiently new that literature on the understanding ...

Interaction Between Entomology and Gene Technology: Bt-transgenic and Gene Drives for Pests Control .

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J. C. Ndayıragıje, T. Özek, H. Çevik and İ. Karaca,  Türk Bilim ve Mühendislik Dergisi,  3:108-115. 2021.
Pest control is the major agricultural activity for increasing crop productivity thus insuring food security. Recent pest management programs are depending too much on chemical pesticides, which are a threat to our health and environment. One of the greatest entomological ...

Public Perceptions Regarding Genomic Technologies Applied to Breeding Farm Animals: A Qualitative Study

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F. Z. Naab, D. Coles, E. Goddard and L. J. Frewer,  BioTech,  10. 2021.
The societal acceptability of different applications of genomic technologies to animal production systems will determine whether their innovation trajectories will reach the commercialisation stage. Importantly, technological implementation and commercialisation trajectories, ...

The supernumerary B chromosome of maize: drive and genomic conflict

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J. A. Birchler and H. Yang,  Open Biol,  11:210197. 2021.
The supernumerary B chromosome of maize is dispensable, containing no vital genes, and thus is variable in number and presence in lines of maize. In order to be maintained in populations, it has a drive mechanism consisting of nondisjunction at the pollen mitosis that produces ...

Gene drive: a faster route to plant improvement

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H. A. Siddiqui, T. Harvey-Samuel and S. Mansoor,  Trends in Plant Science,  2021.
Gene drives for control of vector-borne diseases have been demonstrated in insects but remain challenging in plants. Theoretically, they could be transformative in speeding breeding programs and contributing to food security through providing novel weed control methods. Zhang et ...

New report demands moratorium on gene drives

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GM Watch,  GM Watch,  2021.
To help the public understand what's at stake, the Germany-based NGO Save Our Seeds (SOS) has published a report, "Gene Drives: The New Dimension of Genetic Engineering", which can be downloaded as a pdf document. The report provides a scientifically founded overview of how ...

Versatile Applications of the CRISPR/Cas Toolkit in Plant Pathology and Disease Management

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M. S. Wheatley and Y. N. Yang,  Phytopathology,  111:1080-1090. 2021.
New tools and advanced technologies have played key roles in facilitating basic research in plant pathology and practical approaches for disease management and crop health. Recently. the CRISPR/Cas (clustered regularly interspersed short palindromic repeats/CRISPR-associated) ...

Insect pest management in the age of synthetic biology

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R. Mateos Fernández, M. Petek, I. Gerasymenko, M. Juteršek, Š. Baebler, K. Kallam, E. Moreno Giménez, J. Gondolf, A. Nordmann, K. Gruden, D. Orzaez and N. J. Patron,  Plant Biotechnology Journal,  2021.
Arthropod crop pests are responsible for 20% of global annual crop losses, a figure predicted to increase in a changing climate where the ranges of numerous species are projected to expand. At the same time, many insect species are beneficial, acting as pollinators and predators ...

Attack of the Superweeds

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H. C. Brown,  New York Times,  2021.
If there’s a plant perfectly suited to outcompete the farmers, researchers and chemical companies that collectively define industrial American agriculture, it’s Palmer amaranth. This pigweed (a catchall term that includes some plants in the amaranth family) can re-root itself ...

Analysis of the Segregation Distortion of FcRAN1 Genotypes Based on Whole-Genome Resequencing of Fig (Ficus carica L.) Breeding Parents

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H. Ikegami, K. Shirasawa, H. Yakushiji, S. Yabe, M. Sato, T. Hayashi, K. Tashiro and H. Nogata,  Frontiers in Plant Science,  12:8. 2021.
The common fig (Ficus carica L.) has a gynodioecious breeding system, and its sex phenotype is an important trait for breeding because only female plant fruits are edible. During breeding to select for female plants, we analyzed the FcRAN1 genotype, which is strongly associated ...

Host-associated differentiation of target pests should be assessed before using gene drive as a pest control tool – an opinion

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R. F. Medina,  Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata,  2021.
Abstract Advances in gene editing have made feasible the potential use of gene drive for pest control. Ecological risk assessments will certainly be required before this technology can be released into open fields. In this article I argue for the importance to include ...

Gene drive strategies of pest control in agricultural systems: challenges and opportunities

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M. Legros, J. M. Marshall, S. Macfadyen, K. R. Hayes, A. Sheppard and L. G. Barrett,  Evolutionary Applications,  2021.
Abstract Recent advances in gene editing technologies have opened new avenues for genetic pest control strategies, in particular around the use of gene drives to suppress or modify pest populations. Significant uncertainty, however, surrounds the applicability of these strategies ...

Gene Drives – Engineering the Wild

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L. Sharratt,  Sentinel,  2021.
So far, genetically engineered organisms have been mostly limited to agricultural use, with partial success. Around the world, a few major crops (mostly corn, soy, and cotton) are genetically engineered, predominantly for herbicide tolerance and insect resistance. However, the ...

UC San Diego scientists develop the first CRISPR/Cas9-based gene drive in plants

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M. Aguilera,  UC San Diego News Center,  2021.
With a goal of breeding resilient crops that are better able to withstand drought and disease, University of California San Diego scientists have developed the first CRISPR-Cas9-based gene drive in plants. While gene drive technology has been developed in insects to help stop the ...

Selective inheritance of target genes from only one parent of sexually reproduced F1 progeny in Arabidopsis

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T. Zhang, M. Mudgett, R. Rambabu, B. Abramson, X. Dai, T. P. Michael and Y. Zhao,  Nature Communications,  12:3854. 2021.
Sexual reproduction constrains progeny to inherit allelic genes from both parents. Selective acquisition of target genes from only one parent in the F1 generation of plants has many potential applications including the elimination of undesired alleles and acceleration of trait ...

Sequence of the supernumerary B chromosome of maize provides insight into its drive mechanism and evolution

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N. Blavet, H. Yang, H. Su, P. Solanský, R. N. Douglas, M. Karafiátová, L. Šimková, J. Zhang, Y. Liu, J. Hou, X. Shi, C. Chen, M. El-Walid, M. E. McCaw, P. S. Albert, Z. Gao, C. Zhao, G. Ben-Zvi, L. Glick, G. Kol, J. Shi, J. Vrána, H. Šimková, J. C. Lamb,,  Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences,  118:e2104254118. 2021.
B chromosomes are nonvital chromosomes found in thousands of plants and animals that persist through various drive mechanisms. The drive mechanism of the maize B chromosome consists of mitotic nondisjunction at the second pollen division to produce two unequal sperm and then the ...

Researchers report reference genome for maize B chromosome

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Chinese Academy of Sciences,  Phys Org,  2021.
Three groups recently reported a reference sequence for the supernumerary B chromosome in maize in a study published online in PNAS. Dr. James Birchler's group from University of Missouri, Dr. Jan Barto's group from Institute of Experimental Botany of the Czech Academy of ...

Ethics of Genome Editing

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European Group on Ethics,  European Group on Ethics in Science and New Technologies,  2021.
This Opinion addresses the profound ethical questions raised and revived by them. It analyses various domains of application, from human health to animal experimentation, from livestock breeding to crop variety and to gene drives. With its wide view across areas, it identifies ...

Holocentric Chromosomes Probably Do Not Prevent Centromere Drive in Cyperaceae

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M. Kratka, J. Smerda, K. Lojdova, P. Bures and F. Zedek,  Frontiers in Plant Science,  12:9. 2021.
In response to these selfish centromeres, the histone protein CenH3, which recruits kinetochore components, adaptively evolves to restore chromosomal parity and counter the detrimental effects of centromere drive. Holocentric chromosomes, whose kinetochores are assembled along ...

Combining refuges with transgenic insect releases for the management of an insect pest with non-recessive resistance to Bt crops in agricultural landscapes

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T. R. Brewer and M. B. Bonsall,  Journal of Theoretical Biology,  509:11. 2021.
Reinforcing the high-dose/refuge strategy with releases of transgenic insects has been suggested as a method for simultaneously managing agricultural pest populations and resistance to transgenic crops. Theoretical and empirical studies have shown that these approaches can work ...

Next-generation tools to control biting midge populations and reduce pathogen transmission

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P. Shults, L. W. Cohnstaedt, Z. N. Adelman and C. Brelsfoard,  Parasites and Vectors,  14:31. 2021.
Biting midges of the genus Culicoides transmit disease-causing agents resulting in a significant economic impact on livestock industries in many parts of the world. Localized control efforts, such as removal of larval habitat or pesticide application, can be logistically ...

Expert advises farmers to adopt gene drive-based pest control technology

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S. Thompson,  naija247news,  2020.
Dr Rose Gidado, County Coordinator, Open Forum on Agricultural Biotechnology(OFAB), has advised farmers to adopt the gene drive-based pest control technology. Gidado, also Deputy Director, National Biotechnology Development Agency (NABDA), said the adoption would significantly ...

Teach Me in 10 – Gene Drive Research with Dr. Jennifer Baltzegar

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J. Baltzegar,  Technology Networks,  2020.
Dr Baltzegar teaches us about how the maturation of genetic engineering approaches has advanced gene drives, the two different strategies for gene drives and some of the key questions surrounding the application of gene drives in society.

Atypical meiosis can be adaptive in outcrossed Schizosaccharomyces pombe due to wtf meiotic drivers

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M. A. Bravo Núñez, I. M. Sabbarini, L. E. Eide, R. L. Unckless and S. E. Zanders,  eLife,  9:e57936. 2020.
Here, we demonstrate that in scenarios analogous to outcrossing, wtf drivers generate a fitness landscape in which atypical spores, such as aneuploids and diploids, are advantageous. In this context, wtf drivers can decrease the fitness costs of mutations that disrupt meiotic ...

Après les OGM, la nouvelle technique du forçage génétique inquiète écologistes et scientifiques

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H. Leussier,  Reporterre,  2020.
Les organismes issus du forçage génétique peuvent transmettre, sans autre intervention humaine, des gènes modifiés à tous leurs descendants. Cette technique permettrait d’éradiquer des espèces nuisibles, comme certains moustiques vecteurs de la malaria. Mais des ...

The future of beef might be a sausage fest

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N. Johnson,  grist,  2020.
N. Johnson. (2020) grist. A media report on the creation of a cow with a sex ratio altering genetic change expected to lead to 3/4 of the cow's offspring being males. This type of sex ratio distortion results in gene drive and is also being considered to help control populations ...

Meet Cosmo the Frankenbull: Scientists genetically engineer a bull calf so that 75 per cent of its offspring will be male

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J. Pinkstone,  Daily Mail,  2020.
J. Pinkstone (2020). Daily Mail. A media report on the creation of a cow with a sex ratio altering genetic change expected to lead to 3/4 of the cow's offspring being males. This type of sex ratio distortion results in gene drive and is also being considered to help control ...

A Crispr calf is born. It’s definitely a boy

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M. Molteni,  WIRED,  2020.
M. Molteni (2020). Wired. UC Davis scientists spent years editing a sex-determining gene into bovine embryos. In April, Cosmo arrived—and his DNA reveals how far the field has to go. This type of sex ratio distortion results in gene drive and is also being considered to help ...

Meet the first genetically modified bull. Why did scientists change it

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J. Kessler,  Free News,  2020.
J. Kessler (2020). Free News. UC Davis scientists have successfully introduced a bovine embryo, or the bovine SRY gene, which is responsible for the development of the male. This is the first demonstration of targeted gene insertion for large DNA sequences through embryo-mediated ...

Scientists use CRISPR technology to insert sex-determining gene

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A. Quinton,  Phys Org,  2020.
A. Quinton (2020). Phys Org. Scientists at the University of California, Davis, have successfully produced a bull calf, named Cosmo, who was genome-edited as an embryo so that he'll produce more male offspring. The research was presented in a poster on July 23 at the American ...

An argument for gene drive technology to genetically control populations of insects like mosquitoes and locusts

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I. Ronai and B. Lovett,  The Conversation,  2020.
The fate of society rests in part on how humans navigate their complicated relationship with insects – trying to save “good” insects and control “bad” ones. Some insects, like mosquitoes, bite people and make them sick – remember Zika? Now the U.S. mosquito season is ...

Gene Drive: Can this be the Future of Agricultural Pest Management?

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P. Mondal, U. Mohapatra and M. Ganguly,  International Journal of Current Microbiology and Applied Sciences,  9. 2020.
A world free of hunger may be possible when the agricultural production exceeds the global demand for the food. In the era of increasing population, the need for increased food production can be attainable by managing the destructive pests of the agricultural and horticultural ...

Bioengineering horizon scan 2020

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L. Kemp, L. Adam, C. R. Boehm, R. Breitling, R. Casagrande, M. Dando, A. Djikeng, N. G. Evans, R. Hammond, K. Hills, L. A. Holt, T. Kuiken, A. Markotić, P. Millett, J. A. Napier, C. Nelson, S. S. ÓhÉigeartaigh, A. Osbourn, M. J. Palmer, N. J. Patron, E. P,  eLife,  9:e54489. 2020.
Horizon scanning is intended to identify the opportunities and threats associated with technological, regulatory and social change. In 2017 some of the present authors conducted a horizon scan for bioengineering (Wintle et al., 2017). Here we report the results of a new horizon ...

Le forçage génétique (gène drive) et ses applications

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V. Courtier-Orgogozo,  Bulletin de l'Académie Vétérinaire de France,  172:94-98. 2020.
Gene drive is a new genetic engineering technology that has been developed over the past five years and that allows genetic modifications to spread rapidly in natural populations. Potential applications are numerous, for public health issues, agriculture and conservation biology. ...

Case Study 2: Oilseed Rape (Brassica napus L.)

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Johnannes L. Frieß, Broder Breckling, Kathrin Pascher and Windfried Schröder,  Gene Drives at Tipping Points,  2020.
SPAGESelf-Propagating Artificial Genetic Elements (SPAGE) (Self-Propagating Artificial Genetic Element) technologies allow for a proliferation of genetic information on the populationPopulation level at a higher rate than usual Mendelian inheritanceMendelian inheritance. ...

Understanding the Science of Gene Drive and the Potential for an Improved Crop Pest Control System in Nigeria

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A. Isah and R. S. M. Gidado,  OFAB Nigeria,  2020.
Several studies have shown that the Cas9-mediated gene drive technology is cheaper and will be easily affordable by the efficient Nigerian scientists to explore. The application of the gene drive technologies have many more controls over several other devastating insects in ...

Gene technologies in weed management: a technical feasibility analysis

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N. Kumaran, A. Choudhary, M. Legros, A. W. Sheppard, L. G. Barrett, D. M. Gardiner and S. Raghu,  Current Opinion in Insect Science,  38:6-14. 2020.
With the advent of new genetic technologies such as gene silencing and gene drive, efforts to develop additional management tools for weed management is gaining significant momentum. These technologies promise novel ways to develop sustainable weed control options because gene ...

Gene drives in Wisconsin agriculture: What are they, and should you support it?

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Jones, M. and Mitchell, P. D.,  Renk Agribusiness Institute,  2019.
Spotted wing drosophila and citrus psyllid are not serious economic problems for Wisconsin agriculture. However, these and other smaller, geographically limited applications of gene drives are excellent ways to prove the concept and refine the methods. Pending the outcome of ...

A 2017 horizon scan of emerging issues for global conservation and biological diversity

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Sutherland, WJB, P.; Broad, S.; Clout, M.; Connor, B.; Cote, I. M.; Dicks, L. V.; Doran, H.; Entwistle, A. C.; Fleishman, E.; Fox, M.; Gaston, K. J.; Gibbons, D. W.; Jiang, Z.; Keim, B.; Lickorish, F. A.; Markillie, P.; Monk, K. A.; Pearce-Higgins, J. W.; Peck, L. S.; Pretty, J.; Spalding, M. D.; Tonneijck, F. H.; Wintle, B. C.; Ockendon, N.,  Trends in Ecology & Evolution,  32:31-40. 2019.
We present the results of our eighth annual horizon scan of emerging issues likely to affect global biological diversity, the environment, and conservation efforts in the future. The potential effects of these novel issues might not yet be fully recognized or understood by the ...

Herbicide resistant weeds: A call to integrate conventional agricultural practices, molecular biology knowledge and new technologies

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V. E. Perotti, A. S. Larran, V. E. Palmieri, A. K. Martinatto and H. R. Permingeat,  Plant Science,  290:110255. 2019.
Herbicide resistant (HR) weeds are of major concern in modern agriculture. This situation is exacerbated by the massive adoption of herbicide-based technologies along with the overuse of a few active ingredients to control weeds over vast areas year after year. Also, many other ...

B chromosome first—mechanisms behind the drive of B chromosomes uncovered

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Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research,  Phy Org,  2019.
The specific number of chromosomes is one of the defining characteristics of a species. Whilst the common fruit fly carries 8 chromosomes, the genome of bread wheat counts 42 chromosomes. In comparison, the human genome is made out of a total of 46 chromosomes. However, about 15% ...

A natural, conditional gene drive in plants

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Conner, AJJ, J.M.E.,  bioRxiv,  519884:1-10. 2019.
A new class of gene drive in plant populations with herbicide resistance is described; a conditional gene drive that operates following herbicide application. Screening progeny from controlled crosses of Brassica napus heterozygous for a dominant allele conferring chlorsulfuron ...

Transmission ratio distortion is frequent in Arabidopsis thaliana controlled crosses

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Seymour, DKC, E.; Arioz, B. I.; Koenig, D.; Weigel, D.,  Heredity,  122:294-304. 2019.
The equal probability of transmission of alleles from either parent during sexual reproduction is a central tenet of genetics and evolutionary biology. Yet, there are many cases where this rule is violated. The preferential transmission of alleles or genotypes is termed ...

Making a murderer: The evolutionary framing of hybrid gamete-killers

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Sweigart, ALB, Yaniv; Fishman, Lila,  Trends in Genetics,  35:245-252. 2019.
Recent molecular investigations of hybrid incompatibilities have revealed fascinating patterns of genetic interactions that have been interpreted as the remnants of a history of selfish evolution. Instead of framing hybrid incompatibilities in light of genetic conflict, we ...

Gene drives in plants: opportunities and challenges for weed control and engineered resilience

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Barrett, LGL, Mathieu; Kumaran, Nagalingam; Glassop, Donna; Raghu, S.; Gardiner, Donald M.,  Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences,  286:9. 2019.
Plant species, populations and communities are under threat from climate change, invasive pathogens, weeds and habitat fragmentation. Despite considerable research effort invested in genome engineering for crop improvement, the development of genetic tools for the management of ...

Gene driving the farm: who decides, who owns, and who benefits?

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Montenegro de Wit, M,  Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems,  43:1054-1074. 2019.
This commentary essay explores the social and ecological implications of gene-driving agriculture.

Just Say No to Agricultural Gene Drives

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Bassey-Orovwuje, M.,  Project Syndicate,  2018.
By forcing laboratory-made genes on an entire population or species, cutting-edge gene-drive technologies have the power to transform entire ecosystems in one fell swoop. But where leading industrial agriculture firms see dollar signs, farmers in the regions where gene drives ...

Forcing the Farm

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etc group,  etc group,  2018.
This report is being issued as an alert to governments, civil society organisations and grassroots movements. It points to how gene drives, while promoted as a tool for medicine and conservation, will find their real use in food and farming by agribusiness. It calls for a pause ...

Genetics-based methods for agricultural insect pest management

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N. Alphey and M. B. Bonsall,  Agricultural and Forest Entomology,  20:131-140. 2018.
Abstract The sterile insect technique is an area-wide pest control method that reduces agricultural pest populations by releasing mass-reared sterile insects, which then compete for mates with wild insects. Contemporary genetics-based technologies use insects that are homozygous ...

Gene Drives – Wundermittel? Biowaffe?

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Swiss Academy of Sciences,  2018.
Gene drives are genetic elements that skew the pattern of inheritance of a given characteristic in sexually reproduc- ing organisms. They can be used to spread a characteristic that can alter or even reduce the numbers of individuals in wild populations of a certain species.

Gene drives and the management of agricultural pests

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R. F. Medina,  Journal of Responsible Innovation,  5:S255-S262. 2018.
Like all pest control strategies, gene drives are not hazard-free. Ecological risk assessment of gene drives designed to control agricultural pests should be conducted before their deployment. The present commentary provides some thoughts on some of the issues one should consider ...

Summary

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Committee on Gene Drive Research in Non-Human Organisms: Recommendations for Responsible,  Journal of Responsible Innovation,  5:S243-S254. 2018.
Scientists have studied gene drives for more than 50 years. The development of a powerful genome editing tool in 2012, CRISPR/Cas9,1 led to recent breakthroughs in gene drive research that built on that half century’s worth of knowledge, and stimulated new discussion of the ...

Agricultural production: assessment of the potential use of Cas9-mediated gene drive systems for agricultural pest control

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M. J. Scott, F. Gould, M. Lorenzen, N. Grubbs, O. Edwards and D. O’Brochta,  Journal of Responsible Innovation,  5:S98-S120. 2018.
To highlight how gene drives could be useful for control of agricultural insect pests, we selected species that are pests of animals (New World screwworm), plants (spotted wing Drosophila, diamondback moth, Bemisia tabaci whitefly), or stored grains (red flour beetle). We ...

Gene drive systems: Do they have a place in agricultural weed management?

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Neve, P,  Pest Management Science,  74:2672-2679. 2018.
There is a pressing need for novel control techniques in agricultural weed management. Direct genetic control of agricultural pests encompasses a range of techniques to introduce and spread novel, fitness-reducing genetic modifications through pest populations. Recently, the ...

Identifying and detecting potentially adverse ecological outcomes associated with the release of gene-drive modified organisms

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Hayes, KRH, G. R.; Dana, G. V.; Foster, S. D.; Ford, J. H.; Thresher, R.; Ickowicz, A.; Peel, D.; Tizard, M.; De Barro, P.; Strive, T.; Dambacher, J. M.,  Journal of Responsible Innovation,  5:S139-S158. 2018.
Synthetic gene drives could provide new solutions to a range of old problems such as controlling vector-borne diseases, agricultural pests and invasive species. In this paper, we outline methods to identify hazards and detect potentially adverse ecological outcomes at the ...

THE NATIONAL BIOSAFETY TECHNICAL COMMISSION (CTNBio) NORMATIVE RESOLUTION No. 16, OF JANUARY 15, 2018

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CTNBio,  National Biosafety Technical Commission of Brasil,  2018.
Sets forth the technical requirements for submitting an inquiry to the CTNBio concerning Precision Breeding Innovation Techniques. THE NATIONAL BIOSAFETY TECHNICAL COMMISSION (CTNBio), using its legal and regulatory powers and in observance of sections XV and XVI of article 14 of ...

Economic issues to consider for gene drives

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Mitchell, PDB, Z.; McRoberts, N.,  Journal of Responsible Innovation,  5:S180-S202. 2018.
We examine four economic issues regarding gene drive applications made possible by gene editing technologies. First, whether gene drives are self-sustaining or self-limiting will largely determine which types of organizations have incentives to develop and deploy gene drives and ...

Gene drive inhibition by the anti-CRISPR proteins AcrIIA2 and AcrIIA4 in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

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Basgall, EMG, S. C.; Goeckel, M. E.; Giersch, R. M.; Roggenkamp, E.; Schrock, M. N.; Halloran, M.; Finnigan, G. C.,  Microbiology-Sgm,  164:464-474. 2018.
Given the widespread use and application of the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/Cas gene editing system across many fields, a major focus has been the development, engineering and discovery of molecular means to precisely control and regulate ...

A CRISPR–Cas9-based gene drive platform for genetic interaction analysis in Candida albicans

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Shapiro, RSC, Alejandro; Porter, Caroline B. M.; Hamblin, Meagan; Kaas, Christian S.; DiCarlo, James E.; Zeng, Guisheng; Xu, Xiaoli; Revtovich, Alexey V.; Kirienko, Natalia V.; Wang, Yue; Church, George M.; Collins, James J.,  Nature Microbiology,  3:73-82. 2018.
Candida albicans is the leading cause of fungal infections; yet, complex genetic interaction analysis remains cumbersome in this diploid pathogen. Here, we developed a CRISPR–Cas9-based ‘gene drive array’ platform to facilitate efficient genetic analysis in C. albicans. In ...

CRISPR-based gene drives for pest control

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McFarlane, GRW, C. Bruce A.; Lillico, Simon G.,  Trends in Biotechnology,  36:130-133. 2018.
Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-based gene drives (GDs) could be used to spread desirable genetic elements through wild populations. With the imminent development of this technology in vertebrates, we believe that it is timely to highlight two ...

Veni, vidi, vici: the success of wtf meiotic drivers in fission yeast

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López Hernández, JFZ, Sarah E.,  Yeast,  35:447-453. 2018.
Meiotic drivers are selfish DNA loci that can bias their own transmission into gametes. Owing to their transmission advantages, meiotic drivers can spread in populations even if the drivers or linked variants decrease organismal fitness. Meiotic drive was first formally described ...

Development of a multi-locus CRISPR gene drive system in budding yeast

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Yan, YF, Gregory C.,  Scientific reports,  8:17277-17277. 2018.
The discovery of CRISPR/Cas gene editing has allowed for major advances in many biomedical disciplines and basic research. One arrangement of this biotechnology, a nuclease-based gene drive, can rapidly deliver a genetic element through a given population and studies in fungi and ...

Tuning CRISPR-Cas9 gene grives in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

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Roggenkamp, EG, Rachael M.; Schrock, Madison N.; Turnquist, Emily; Halloran, Megan; Finnigan, Gregory C.,  G3-Genes Genomes Genetics,  8:999. 2018.
Control of biological populations is an ongoing challenge in many fields, including agriculture, biodiversity, ecological preservation, pest control, and the spread of disease. In some cases, such as insects that harbor human pathogens (e.g., malaria), elimination or reduction of ...

Using CRISPR-based gene drive for agriculture pest control

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V. Courtier-Orgogozo, B. Morizot and C. Boëte,  EMBO Reports,  18:1481. 2017.
The authors respond to comments to their publication 10.15252/embr.201744205

Illinois study advances possibility of genetic control for major agricultural weeds

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L. Quinn,  ACES News,  2017.
Waterhemp and Palmer amaranth, two aggressive weeds that threaten the food supply in North America, are increasingly hard to kill with commercially available herbicides. A novel approach known as genetic control could one day reduce the need for these chemicals. Now, scientists ...

Agricultural pest control with CRISPR-based gene drive: time for public debate

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V. Courtier-Orgogozo, B. Morizot and C. Boëte,  EMBO Reports,  18:878-880. 2017.
Gene drive technology to control disease vectors or pests has great potential for addressing humanitarian and public health problems. Its application for pest control in agriculture, however, raises important environmental, social and ethical issues.

Is it time for synthetic biodiversity conservation?

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Piaggio, AJS, G.; Seddon, P. J.; Alphey, L.; Bennett, E. L.; Carlson, R. H.; Friedman, R. M.; Kanavy, D.; Phelan, R.; Redford, K. H.; Rosales, M.; Slobodian, L.; Wheeler, K.,  Trends in Ecology & Evolution,  32:97-107. 2017.
Evidence indicates that, despite some critical successes, current conservation approaches are not slowing the overall rate of biodiversity loss. The field of synthetic biology, which is capable of altering natural genomes with extremely precise editing, might offer the potential ...

wtf genes are prolific dual poison-antidote meiotic drivers

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Nuckolls, NLN, M. A. B.; Eickbush, M. T.; Young, J. M.; Lange, J. J.; Yu, J. S.; Smith, G. R.; Jaspersen, S. L.; Malik, H. S.; Zanders, S. E.,  eLife,  6:e26033. 2017.
Meiotic drivers are selfish genes that bias their transmission into gametes, defying Mendelian inheritance. Despite the significant impact of these genomic parasites on evolution and infertility, few meiotic drive loci have been identified or mechanistically characterized. Here, ...

Engineering species-like barriers to sexual reproduction

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Maselko, MH, Stephen C.; Chacón, Jeremy M.; Harcombe, William R.; Smanski, Michael J.,  Nature Communications,  8:883. 2017.
Controlling the exchange of genetic information between sexually reproducing populations has applications in agriculture, eradication of disease vectors, control of invasive species, and the safe study of emerging biotechnology applications. Here we introduce an approach to ...

The End of the GMO? Genome Editing, Gene Drives and New Frontiers of Plant Technology

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K. L. Hefferon and R. J. Herring,  Review of Agrarian Studies,  7. 2017.
mprovements to agriculture will constitute one of the world’s greatest challenges in the coming century. Political and social controversies, as well as complications of plant breeding, intellectual property, and regulation, have compromised the promised impact of genetically ...

Science and Technology Committee Genetically Modified Insects

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UK Parliament,  UK Parliament,  2015.
The UK is a world leader in the development of this technology. The European Union’s regulatory process, however, is likely to hold back progress. There is a moral duty to test the potential of the technology. We therefore support further research and call for action to test ...

What is Gene Drive?

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Entomological Society of America,  2015.
A fact sheet from the Entomological Society of America.

Regulatory experience and challenges for the release of GM insects

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Beech, C,  Journal Fur Verbraucherschutz Und Lebensmittelsicherheit-Journal of Consumer Protection and Food Safety,  9:S71-S76. 2014.
Genetically modified (GM) insects are a potentially valuable new tool for the biological control of insect pests of humans, animals and plants. Considerable progress has been made recently in transfer of GM insects from the laboratory to release and evaluation in the environment. ...

B chromosomes and genome size in flowering plants

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Trivers, RB, A.; Palestis, B. G.,  Genome,  47:1-8. 2004.
B chromosomes are extra chromosomes found in some, but not all, individuals within a species, often maintained by giving themselves an advantage in transmission, i.e. they drive. Here we show that the presence of B chromosomes correlates to and varies strongly and positively with ...