Keywords: Biodiversity/Conservation
Editorial Overview – Insect Genomics (2026): enhancing public health, food security, and biodiversity through genetic biocontrol.
35506Yoosook Lee, Omar S. Akbari, Current Opinion in Insect Science, 2026-03-13 09:43:24.
Genetic biocontrol is a form of biological control in which genetic variants or genetically modified forms of the target species act to reduce or eliminate the target species. In entomology, target species include agricultural pests and vector species that transmit pathogens to human, animal, or plant systems. Examples include the Anopheles mosquito gene drive system to reduce or replace malaria vectors in Africa, the use of Wolbachia symbiont induced cytoplasmic incompatibility in Culex mosquitoes to project Hawaiian native birds from avian malaria related deaths, and the use of CRISPR to generate sterile males at a scale useful for suppressing pests of fruit crops. The widespread availability of robust transgenic technologies combined with new RNA-guided DNA endonuclease-based genome manipulation technologies and platforms and advances in synthetic biology are fueling the development of genetic biocontrol technologies and systems for combating arthropods that contribute to food insecurity, pathogen- and parasite-transmission, and invasive arthropods that threaten biodiversity. Heretofore a niche area of genetic biocontrol now commands great interest and an ever-growing number of applications.
“Millions have been released.” Hawaii’s beautiful birds are dying. But scientists have a controversial plan to save them
35457James Fair, BBC Wildlife Magazine, 2026-02-24 09:58:30.
About 6-7 million years ago, common rosefinches – which are today found across a vast expanse of northern Eurasia and are even occasional winter visitors to the British Isles – island-hopped their way from the Russian Far East across the Pacific Ocean and arrived in the newly formed, volcanic land masses of Hawaii. There, a single species evolved into an extended family of 56 Hawaiian honeycreepers, many of which only barely resemble their pioneering ancestor. Take, for example, the gorgeous scarlet honeycreeper or i’iwi, with its huge downward curving bill that is perfectly adapted for extracting nectar from endemic Hawaiian flowers. At first glance, it looks nothing like a finch. It’s an amazing story, but also a tragic one, because according to the US Fish & Wildlife Service, 39 of Hawaii’s honeycreepers are extinct, and 11 of the remaining 17 are threatened. One of the biggest factors in this natural history catastrophe is avian malaria. Neither the single-celled organism that causes malaria, nor the mosquito that transmits it, are native to Hawaii, so honeycreepers and other endemic birds have almost no immunity to it. All conservationists agree that something needs to be done – and quickly – if we are to save those that remain. Step forward scientists such as Tim Harvey-Samuel, an expert in arthropod genetics at the University of Keele. Harvey-Samuel and his team are seeing whether they can “modify the mosquito population in Hawaii such that it’s no longer able to transmit avian malaria.” The idea is to insert a gene into the mosquito (Culex quinquefasciatus) so that it doesn’t allow the Plasmodium protozoan that causes malaria to complete its life-cycle.
Emerging trends in genome editing of wild animals
35453Blix, T., Myhr, A.I., Transgenic Research, 35. 2026-02-06 09:37:20.
Globally, nearly one million species are currently threatened with extinction, highlighting the need for more efficient solutions to biological conservation. Genome editing, which allows for faster and more precise changes in genomes, is a promising technique for boosting populations through facilitated adaptation, management of invasive or pathogenic populations, and potentially even facilitating the revival of extinct species. These approaches belong to a new field of research termed conservation biotechnology, which places a great responsibility on researchers and decision makers to ensure sustainability. In this paper, we have mapped the emerging trends in genome editing of wild animals. Current projects primarily focus on population control and de-extinction, with fewer initiatives aimed at preserving threatened species. We then explore four critical dimensions of conservation biotechnology: the technology itself, new perspectives on conservation practices, research organization, and governance and policy. Despite its potential, key questions remain—particularly whether genome editing can increase genetic diversity without causing unintended non-target impacts. Genome editing also provokes new perspectives on conservation practices where ecosystem-wide impact assessment, case-by-case evaluations, and post-release monitoring needs to be prioritized. Furthermore, conservation biotechnology is heavily funded through private funding showing varying stakeholder interest, which can lead to untraditional and less transparent research processes. Stakeholders, including local and indigenous people, are only to a certain degree involved, which may weaken inclusion of local knowledge and monitoring efforts. Finally, concerning governance and policy, there is an urgent need to develop more adequate regulation of conservation biotechnology, as environmental release of genome-edited animals challenges definitions and guidelines in current nature protection laws and GMO regulations. Based on our analysis, we outline key points for further investigation toward a more sustainable approach to conservation biotechnology.
Three Stunning Ways Biologists Aim to Edit Animal and Plant Genes to Fight Diseases and Extinction
35386Sandy Ong, Smithsonian Magazine, 2026-01-21 16:42:41.
In the summer of 1904, Herman Merkel, chief forester at the Bronx Zoo, in New York City, was making his usual rounds across the property when he noticed something strange growing on American chestnut trees: misshapen constellations of swollen, orange-brown cankers. Unbeknownst to Merkel, his observations were the first signs of what would later be referred to as “the greatest ecological disaster in North America since the Ice Age.” Further investigation revealed that the culprit was a fungus called Cryphonectria parasitica, or chestnut blight, which slips its spores through cracks in the bark and fatally severs a tree’s water and nutrient supply. The pathogen was a stowaway that had arrived on imported Japanese chestnut trees, which are resistant—but on American soil, it proved to be a swift and merciless killer. Barely a year later, the blight had claimed nearly all the zoo’s chestnuts—as well as those in the surrounding Bronx parks. By the 1950s, it had wiped out 99 percent of the species’ population across the Eastern United States, where more than four billion of the towering trees had once so blanketed the landscape that a squirrel was said to be able to travel from Maine to Georgia on chestnut branches alone. Since then, scientists have tried, with little success, to bring the trees back from the brink. Today, American chestnuts are considered functionally extinct. Full-sized trees are hard to come by; mainly roots and shoots remain. Scientists have bred hybrid American-Chinese chestnut trees, but planting fully native species is important for ecological restoration goals, says Andrew Newhouse, director of the American Chestnut Research and Restoration Project at the State University of New York (SUNY). Thanks to an emerging field, the iconic trees—and other imperiled species—could one day be restored. The discipline, called synthetic biology, relies on editing organisms’ DNA to introduce new genes or modify existing ones, essentially reprogramming life to fight disease, clean up the environment, increase food production and more. For chestnut trees, making changes to their genome could boost their resistance to the blight.
Exploratory conversations with biodiversity-oriented civil society groups on the potential applications of gene drive-modified mosquitoes for malaria control in Tanzania
35354Finda, M.F., Sambo, M., Malika, G. et al., Transgenic Res, 35. 2026-01-13 09:53:50.
Gene drive-modified mosquitoes (GDMMs) are gaining attention as sustainable tools to complement existing malaria control strategies. Their ability to self-propagate and spread through wild mosquito populations offers the promise of low-cost, long-lasting impact, but also raises ecological, ethical, and governance concerns. In this evolving debate, civil society organizations (CSOs) are pivotal actors in shaping dialogue, representing community concerns, and influencing policy decisions. This study examined the perspectives and recommendations of biodiversity-oriented CSOs on the governance, testing, and potential application of GDMMs for malaria control in Tanzania. An exploratory qualitative design was employed, involving eight in-depth interviews, one focus group discussion, and three large group discussions with representatives from ten biodiversity-focused CSOs in Tanzania. Participants were selected purposively based on prior involvement in national or regional dialogues related to biotechnology; and the discussions focused on concerns, uncertainties and needs associated with testing and potential use of GDMMs for malaria control, as well as the balance of prospective benefits against long-term environmental risks. Transcripts were analyzed thematically using NVivo 12 Plus. Participants expressed cautious support for research on GDMMs for malaria control but raised concerns about scientific uncertainty, limited local expertise, inadequate transparency, potential transboundary effects and technological dependency. They emphasized the importance of generating robust, context-specific evidence before considering any environmental releases of gene drives; and highlighted concerns over inadequate accountability, particularly the lack of clarity on who would assume responsibility if adverse outcomes arise. They also advocated for early, inclusive, transparent, and continuous engagement with both target communities and the broader public. Lastly, to ensure objective and impartial oversight, they recommended development of local expertise that is independent of technology developers and sponsors. The CSOs’ perspectives were diverse but broadly aligned with the precautionary principle, calling for preventive action amid uncertainty, clear accountability, and the pursuit of safer alternatives. Although many expressed serious reservations about gene drive mosquitoes, there was a shared recognition that research on the technology is necessary, provided it is conducted under controlled, transparent, and auditable conditions. Overall, these exploratory discussions underscored the need for: (i) balanced dialogue between advocates and skeptics, (ii) robust ethical and regulatory frameworks covering the full life cycle of the technology, (iii) sustained community and stakeholder engagement from the early stages of research and development, (iv) enhancements of in-country capacity, and (v) national sovereignty in decision-making regarding GDMMs. Demonstrating and effectively communicating these elements will be as critical as ensuring their existence.
Reactions as IUCN Congress votes to adopt Policy on Synthetic Biology, rejects genetic engineering moratorium
35245EnvironNews Nigeria, 2025-10-15 09:12:00.
Following the vote at the IUCN World Conservation Congress, members have rejected a moratorium on genetic engineering of wild species (Motion 133) and adopted the IUCN Policy on Synthetic Biology (Motion 087), a move observers see as a signal of support for a science-based, case-by-case approach to innovation in conservation. The Outreach Network for Gene Drive Research has welcomed the outcome as a vote of confidence in scientific collaboration and evidence-led policymaking. In a statement, the Outreach Network for Gene Drive Research said: “As a coalition that champions the value of responsible research, we welcome the adoption of IUCN’s Policy on Synthetic Biology as a constructive, balanced and science-based approach towards the potential application of this emerging field for conservation. “The escalating biodiversity crisis poses a grave threat to the future of all life on earth, with more than a million species at risk of extinction. Synthetic biology, including genetic engineering, offers new hope for solutions that can rise to the scale and urgency of the challenge.
Should genetically modified wildlife be banned? Scientists weigh the risks
35235Mariana Lenharo, Nature, 2025-10-10 16:01:10.
The global conservation community is debating whether to ban the release of genetically modified organisms into the wild. Dozens of non-governmental organizations have called for a moratorium on field applications of synthetic biology — a technology being studied as a tool to fight diseases, control pests and help endangered species — saying that the approach has unpredictable consequences. But some researchers argue that an outright ban is too restrictive, and could have negative consequences for human health and biodiversity. A proposal for a ban will face a vote next week at a congress of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) in Abu Dhabi. The IUCN brings together governments and civil-society organizations to guide global conservation policy. Although decisions made by its members are not legally binding, they do influence legislation in many countries, says biologist Piero Genovesi, head of the Wildlife Service at the Italian Institute for Environmental Protection and Research in Rome. If members vote in favour of the proposed ban, it “could have stronger impacts in areas like Europe or Australia, where there are many lines of research focused on developing new tools based on synthetic biology for improving the efficacy of conservation action”, Genovesi says. He is among more than 240 scientists who have so far signed an open letter asking IUCN members to reject the moratorium.
Biotechnology Is a Powerful Tool for Conservation
35205Emma Kovak, The Ecomodernist, 2025-09-30 15:40:23.
What do the American Chestnut tree, the black rat, and the northern white rhinoceros have in common? They are all prime targets for conservation through biotechnology. Genetic engineering could give American chestnut trees disease resistance and restore the keystone species to Eastern forests, gene drives could eliminate rats from islands and save seabirds from the invasive predators, and assisted reproduction technology could rescue the Northern white rhinoceros from the brink of extinction. The U.S. Department of Agriculture is poised to approve an American chestnut engineered to resist the blight that functionally eliminated the species from Eastern forests. Meanwhile, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)—the world’s largest conservation network—is voting on whether to ban biotechnology outright or recommend thoughtful case-by-case evaluation. These decisions are important determinants of biotechnology’s role in the conservation toolkit. With extinction rates accelerating, conservation efforts should be able to use as many tools as possible.
Should we edit nature?
35176David Farrier, Aeon, 2025-09-26 14:10:35.
At the end of August 1939, the German archaeologist Otto Völzing discovered around 200 fragments of carved mammoth ivory at the back of a cave in southern Germany. With war just a week away, Völzing’s find was hurriedly collected in a box, where it lay unnoticed in a museum archive for decades. It wasn’t until the 1960s, when the shards were inventoried, that something astonishing emerged out of the heap of broken pieces. They formed an incomplete figurine, with a chimeric mix of features: the body of person, and the head and forearms of a cave lion. Subsequent excavations in the 1970s found further pieces of what has come to be called the Lion-Man of Hohlenstein-Stadel. Carved from a mammoth tusk around 40,000 years ago, it is one of the earliest examples of the human capacity to imagine forms that don’t exist in nature. Every age of human history since the Lion-Man has tried to think beyond nature. In Hesiod’s Theogony, composed around 700 BCE, the chimera was a compound being with the head of a lion, the body of a dragon, and a snake’s-head tail (and an extra goat’s head protruding from its back for good measure). In W B Yeats’s poem ‘The Second Coming’ (1920), a similar ‘rough beast’ is a harbinger of ruin. In our own time, the chimeras are something different. Living things in every part of the biosphere have been forced by climate change, pollution and the spread of non-native species to adapt their bodies and behaviours to a human planet. They may not have visibly merged forms like the Lion-Man, but they do bear the impression of another species: us.
Engagement for genetic modification technologies in conservation: For whom, how, and for what ends?
35126Sylvia Nissen, Franca A. Buelow, Riley Taitingfong, Amanda Black, Environmental Science & Policy, 171. 2025-09-09 09:15:42.
Questions of engagement loom large for the use of genetic modification technologies in conservation. As scientific teams rapidly move towards implementing changes that will fundamentally alter entire species, concerns are regularly raised that associated engagement activities are inadequate. It is therefore vital to take stock of recent social research that critically examines how engagement is being enacted: who is engaged and by whom, how and on what terms, and for whom or what those processes serve. Despite a rise in calls for engagement, our review shows emergent gestures towards engagement by developers and regulators lean strongly towards narrow instrumental approaches that reinforce knowledge hierarchies and existing power imbalances. It contributes to engagement practices that are often vague and tokenistic, and focused on one-way education and snapshots of opinion, rather than mutual reciprocity and dialogue. To counter these undercurrents, our review draws attention to the ways social researchers are seeking to reorient engagement for genetic modification towards its more substantive and democratic possibilities, through articulating process, amplifying plurality, and acknowledging contestation.
Are we winning the war on cane toads?
35089Tom Gurn, Particle, 2025-08-28 19:10:42.
In 1935, a species known as the giant neotropical toad (Rhinella marina) was introduced to Australia. Scientists hoped these amphibians would control native cane beetles, but cane toads quickly colonised the country and had no discernible impact on beetle populations. Many different methods are being tested to remove these warty beasts, including a toad containment zone and turning the toads into sausages. Now, almost a century later, scientists believe they have finally stumbled across a potential solution to one of the worst invasive species ever. Will clever gene-editing techniques finally rid this continent of the dreaded cane toad? Professor Emeritus Rick Shine led the team behind the new idea, based on CRISPR gene-editing techniques. “We seem to have found a chink in the toads’ armour,” says Rick. “If we could only stop their metamorphosing, we could have these eternal tadpoles,” he says. Searching for collaborators to test this cunning plan, Rick happened across molecular biologist Dr Maciej Masielko, who was immediately struck by the beauty of the idea. “We know enough about the biochemistry of metamorphosis to know what we would need to do,” says Maciej. “Like using CRISPR-Cas9 to delete a part of the cane toad’s DNA.”
Growth and development of two predator species fed a diet of genetically engineered mosquitoes
35081Egan, C.M., Chamberland, L., Ditter, R.E. et al., Parasites Vectors, 18. 2025-08-28 16:18:12.
Genetically engineered mosquitoes (GEMs) with gene drives have been developed for malaria control but remain untested in natural environments. Upon release, GEMs are expected to modify or replace wild-type counterparts, potentially uniquely interacting with nontarget organisms (NTOs). Concerns exist over possible negative effects on NTOs and broader ecological harm. Predators consuming GEMs represent a group that interacts closely with these modified mosquitoes. Here, we examine the effect of GEM and wild-type Anopheles coluzzii diets on the growth of two predator species: the aquatic mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis) and the terrestrial bold jumping spider (Phidippus audax). Gambusia affinis was fed lyophilized gravid mosquitoes, and growth was measured using length and mass. Phidippus audax was fed live semi-gravid mosquitoes, with growth tracked via eye size, body size, and mass. No adverse effects were found in either predator species fed GEM diets. Gambusia affinis showed no significant growth differences between diet groups. However, P. audax that were fed GEMs consumed more mosquitoes, grew larger, and matured faster. Differences in predator growth rate suggest that GEMs’ nutritional content is similar to that of wild-type mosquitoes, but that they may be more vulnerable to predation. Further research is needed to explore whether GEM visual or behavioral traits increase their susceptibility to predators.
Synthetically Assisted Conservation and the Application of Emerging Biological Technologies for the Protection of Biodiversity
34956Jedediah F. Brodie, Amanda Emmel, Blake Wiedenheft, et al., Conservation Letters, 8. 2025-07-08 13:20:29.
New tools of synthetic biology that enable precise manipulation of genomes, metabolic pathways, and ecosystems present new opportunities, risks, ethical dilemmas, and responsibilities for stewards of biodiversity. We argue that the risks and benefits of synthetic biology for use in biodiversity conservation, which we term “synthetically assisted conservation,” can be better understood, evaluated, and regulated by precisely defining the techniques in relation to well-established and regulated conservation frameworks: conservation translocation and integrated pest management. Synthetically assisted conservation translocation could include the release of genetically modified organisms for in situ conservation of genes or restoration of ecological functions, while a synthetically assisted application of integrated pest management could involve using genetic modifications propagated through gene drives to remove invasive species. Contextualizing the range of techniques as expansions of these frameworks clarifies how new approaches may impact conservation, facilitating risk assessment and responsible implementation. Decision-making may be informed by existing policy guidance in accordance with national and international regulations on conservation translocation and integrated pest management. Nevertheless, additional policy and evaluative guidelines are needed to keep pace with rapid technological growth and novel issues such as the release of genes (e.g., in pollen or marine-dispersed gametes) separate from live organisms.
Deliberate extinction by genome modification: An ethical challenge
35544Gregory E. Kaebnick et al., Science, 388:707-709. 2025-05-15 10:35:25.
Among the ways that genome modification could be used to modify wild populations of organisms, the deliberate outcome of fully eradicating a species has received little critical attention. The lack of discussion leaves a difficult ethical question unresolved: When so much attention is given to the value of biodiversity and the conservation of species, what circumstances, paradoxically, might justify the deliberate, full extinction of a species? At least one species is now a preliminary candidate for full extinction, and cases under consideration for temporary suppression and local extinction might pose a risk of full extinction. We discuss three cases in which genome modification might be used to eradicate a species. Together, we argue, these cases suggest that deliberate full extinction might occasionally be acceptable, but only extremely rarely. The cases also highlight tensions within some widely held views about the conservation of species and the governance of genome editing.
Maximising Eradication Potential of Rat Gene Drives Using a Two-Target Homing Rescue Strategy: Spatial Modelling of Empirical Data
34817Birand, A., Gierus, L., Prowse, T., Cassey, P., Thomas, P.Q., Molecular Ecology, 2025-05-04 16:12:38.
Gene drives are genetic elements with positively biased transmission and may be useful tools to suppress mammalian pests that threaten biodiversity worldwide. While gene drives are progressing in mice, less is known about their potential for invasive rat control. A recent report has provided the first data on germline gene conversion in rats, demonstrating that modest homing rates (up to 67%) can be achieved in females. Here, we apply these empirically derived values to investigate the potential of various gene drive strategies to suppress an island population of 200,000 rats, using our stochastic, spatially explicit, individual-based modelling framework. Standard homing drives embedded in haplosufficient fertility or viability genes failed to eradicate, but achieved permanent population suppression. In contrast, a two-target design with a homing rescue (HR) drive embedded in a haplolethal gene that also targets an independent fertility or viability gene demonstrated considerable suppression potential. Remarkably, an HR drive targeting a haplosufficient female fertility gene showed robust eradication even at the relatively low homing rates previously demonstrated in rats. Interestingly, homing rate had a relatively low influence on eradication probability while cutting efficiency at the haplolethal gene was critical. Further, as long as the latter was similar to the cutting and subsequent knockout of the unlinked female fertility gene, then eradication could be achieved across a range of homing rates. Together, these results suggest that modest homing rates, such as have been demonstrated in rats and other species, can potentially be leveraged for population suppression, offering new opportunities for gene drive development.
What are the evolutionary considerations of rodent gene drives for conservation and human health?
34662Triangle Center for Evolutionary Medicine, YouTube, 2025-02-21 09:38:19.
Biodiversity, human health, and food security can all be impacted by invasive rodents. These negative impacts are particularly seen on islands, where rodent eradications with traditional methods can sometimes fail due to evolutionary resistance. Gene drives may offer an approach to the challenge of rodent eradication on islands. My primary research focus is wild house mice (Mus musculus) and the potential use of gene drive technology. Mus are a key genetic model system and an invasive species on many islands worldwide. Evolutionarily sound approaches are needed, and we are investigating ways to tailor genetic techniques to unique island populations. Using models on gene drive mice can help us predict how laboratory/wild mice would introgress into a population. Evolutionary resistance is also possible; the mice may evade our best methods. However, gene drive technology in rodents can potentially produce significant gains for conservation and society. To this end, a broad interdisciplinary lens with many differing perspectives is required.
Why are gene drive technologies being considered to help restore biodiversity on islands?
32530Outreach Network for Gene Drive Research, 2024-10-15 11:55:45.
Researchers have been studying how to harness gene drives to solve some of society’s most intractable problems for a long time. Public health and ecosystem conservation are two of the main areas where research has focused, although other uses are also possible.
Is Kenya ready to turn to technology to finally defeat malaria?
31451Brygettes Ngana, Nation, 2024-09-04 21:31:11.
For decades, researchers have tested and refined dozens of methods to combat malaria, striving to outmaneuver the resilient mosquito. From deploying bed nets to developing indoor residual spraying, these strategies have formed the frontline defense against this persistent parasite. Over the years, tactics like sleeping under a treated mosquito net and destroying mosquito breeding areas have become ingrained in our daily lives. Yet, malaria remains one of the deadliest diseases in Africa, claiming nearly 600,000 lives annually, the majority of whom are children under the age of five. The disease is transmitted by the parasite Plasmodium falciparum, found in the female Anopheles mosquito, and thrive in the warm, tropical climates found across much of the continent. The World Health Organization (WHO) indicates that 249 million cases of malaria occurred in just 85 malaria-endemic countries in 2022. Nine out of 10 of these deaths occurred in Africa. Despite the development of new vaccines, and antimalarial drugs, progress in reducing malaria transmission, WHO says, has slowed. Even in some developed countries where it was once a distant memory, the disease is making a comeback.
New genetic-editing technique to alter the traits and fates of wild populations
31454Lori Dajose, CalTech, 2024-09-03 21:38:08.
Gene drives are a common technology used to insert a novel gene into a population—for example, to make mosquitos resistant to malaria. They can also be used to modify existing genes, such as making herbicide-resistant weeds susceptible to herbicides once again or even to suppress invasive populations. However, gene drives often face social concerns and regulatory challenges because they involve the spread of transgenes (genes that have been transferred and integrated into an organism's DNA) to high frequency. The new technique, called an Allele Sail, uses the CRISPR/Cas9 genome-editing technology to introduce a targeted "editor" into a population at low frequency. This editor itself does not increase in frequency as organisms reproduce, however, any organism that mates with an editor-carrying organism will become altered at the genomic position targeted by the editor, passing the altered version (called an allele) of the gene down to its own offspring. In this way, the technique mimics the natural genetic process of passing down genes and mutations, and can be used in a wider range of species than traditional gene drive approaches. "Imagine you have a big room of bouncing balls, most of them white but a few are red," says Bruce Hay, professor of biology and biological engineering. "Any time a red ball—the editor—bumps into a white ball, it turns the white ball pink—the edit. As the balls bounce around, over time, more and more of them turn pink."
No Such Thing as Containment? Gene Drives for Conservation and the (Im)possibility of an Island
30864Boersma, K., Bovenkerk, B. and Ludwig, D., Philosophy and Technology, 37:75. 2024-07-02 12:23:47.
This article explores the use of islands as tools of geographical and intellectual containment - or what we call “islanding” - in the scientific and policy literature about gene drive technologies in conservation. In the first part of the article, we explore the narrative of contained gene drive use on islands and discuss how it juggles notions of localness and localization of gene drives and their (test) releases. We question the possibility and narrative of containing the spread of gene drives technologically or geographically, and argue that the gene drives for conservation literature strategically combines contradictory and reductive understandings of islands and containment. The second part of the article is devoted to reflection on nonlocal concerns about gene drives and the possibility of local gene drive decisions. We argue that attempts to legitimize local gene drives through local decision-making evade normative concerns about their nonlocalizability and risk instrumentalizing local communities for nonlocal agendas. Our overarching conceptual aim is therefore to open up a domain of thinking around the possibility of demarcation in our world – of our political, normative decisions, and of our reality – and to argue for the vital importance of reflection on this possibility in technological decision-making.
Gene Drive Technology Unlocks Innovative Potential Solutions At The Intersection Of Climate Change And Public Health
28705Krystal Birungi, African Media Agency, 2023-12-12 17:23:52.
The inaugural ‘Day of Health’ at the UN Climate Conference (COP-28) highlighted the dramatic impact of climate change on health, diseases and in particular on malaria. Heads of State and climate experts converged in Dubai to emphasise the indisputable link between climate and health, echoing WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus’s statement that climate change is a pressing public health issue. As we grapple with the harsh reality of half a million lives lost annually to malaria, including a child succumbing every minute in Africa, it is imperative to integrate innovative solutions that address both the disease and its broader public health implications exacerbated by climate change.
ISAAA Inc. | Genetic Tools For Conservation and Health: What’s The Role of Gene Drives?
28634Kristine Grace N. Tome, Science Speaks, 2023-12-04 11:20:10.
ISAAA Inc., in partnership with the Outreach Network for Gene Drive Research and the Malaysian Biotechnology Information Centre (MABIC), gathered approximately 834 online participants during the webinar Genetic Tools for Conservation and Health: What's the Role of Gene Drives? held on November 16, 2023, via Zoom and livestreamed on Facebook and YouTube. The online session is the first of the 2023 Gene Drive Webinar Series that focuses on the interests of specific countries and aims to promote a productive and balanced conversation on the benefits and risks of possible gene drive applications relevant to national priorities. The Philippines has been picked as the first country to be engaged in the webinar series. The Philippines has been at the forefront of biotechnology research and regulation in Asia for a long time and plays an important role in shaping the region’s views on novel technologies and developing expertise.
Research breakthrough in genetic biocontrol striving to transform pest management: Centre for Invasive Species Solutions
28332ARR News, Australian Rural and Regional News, 2023-11-02 13:31:54.
A potential new non-lethal and ethical approach to control invasive mammal pests was showcased at a briefing held at the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute in Adelaide on Tuesday 31 October. Hosted by the Centre for Invasive Species Solutions and the University of Adelaide, the briefing introduced guests to a world-first breakthrough in gene drive technology. The University of Adelaide discovery is the first time a new genetic tool has been identified that is able to induce female infertility into a mouse population, offering a non-lethal way to control mice and rats. Importantly, these findings could be transferred to control other pests, such as rabbits and feral cats.
Genetic tools for conservation and health: What’s the Role of Gene Drive?
28313ISAAA, Institute of Agricultural Science for Southern Viet Nam, 2023-10-31 08:26:25.
The potential uses and impacts of gene drive technologies have garnered increasing interest at the international and national levels across the world. As part of the effort to contribute to an informed debate around gene drive technologies, the Outreach Network for Gene Drive Research and the ISAAA are organizing a new Gene Drive Webinar Series. The first webinar titled Genetic Tools For Conservation and Health: What's The Role of Gene Drives? is scheduled on November 16, 2023, 2 PM GMT+8. The registration is now open to all interested participants. The series is focused on specific countries and aims to promote a productive and balanced conversation on the benefits and risks of possible gene drive applications relevant to national priorities. Kicking off this series is the Philippines, a country that has consistently led biotechnology research and regulation in Asia, and is instrumental in shaping the region's perspectives on innovative technologies and scientific expertise. This first webinar will acquaint attendees with the fundamentals of gene drive and its significance for global health and conservation, presenting some of its prevailing applications under consideration.
Millions of Mosquitoes Will Rain Down on Hawaii to Save an Iconic Bird
28010S. Wild, Scientific American, 2023-10-06 06:53:13.
Millions of mosquitoes dropped from helicopters could be the greatest hope for Hawaii’s iconic honeycreepers. At least four species of the brightly colored birds could go extinct within the year if no action is taken to save them. “We’re seriously in a race against time at the moment,” says Hanna Mounce, program manager of the Maui Forest Bird Recovery Project. These small birds evolved on the islands over the course of millions of years and are uniquely adapted to their niche habitat, where they are crucial pollinators for many of Hawaii’s flora. For the people of Hawaii, the honeycreepers are also woven into the cultural fabric, featuring prominently in many legends and providing feathers for traditional garments. More than 50 species of honeycreepers once flitted across the archipelago, but because of introduced predators, habitat destruction and disease, that number has dwindled to only 17. Invasive Culex quinquefasciatus mosquitoes—possibly introduced via water barrels on European ships in the early 19th century—pose a particular threat because they spread the deadly avian malaria parasite.IIT works like this: C. quinquefasciatus mosquitoes, as well as many other arthropods, naturally contain Wolbachia bacteria in their gut. In order to produce offspring together, mating mosquitoes must be infected with the same strain of the bacteria. Birds, Not Mosquitoes’ plan involves releasing male mosquitoes bred by Verily Life Sciences—the life sciences research arm of Alphabet, which also owns Google. These mosquitos will host a different Wolbachia strain than those on Maui. The idea is that the existing female mosquitoes will mate with the male newcomers, but because of their incompatible Wolbachia bacteria, they will not produce viable offspring. If all goes according to plan, the overall mosquito population will plummet.
Optimizing the delivery of self-disseminating vaccines in fluctuating wildlife populations
27639C. Schreiner, A. Basinski, C. Remien and S. Nuismer, PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases, 17:e0011018. 2023-08-18 07:45:43.
Author summary Pathogens such as Ebola, rabies, and Lassa virus that usually infect wildlife can jump to the human population. In the worst case, this can lead to outbreaks or pandemics such as happened in 2014 with Ebola and 2019 with SARS-CoV-2. One approach to mitigate the threat of pathogens spilling into the human population is to proactively vaccinate wildlife harboring these pathogens before the pathogens infect humans. With traditional vaccines, administering enough vaccines to the wildlife population to limit pathogen spread is challenging. To address this challenge, recent technological advances have allowed the development of vaccines that allow some degree of spread of the vaccine from animal to animal. However, for a vaccination campaign using these self-disseminating vaccines to be implemented successfully, we need to know when vaccines should be administered. We used mathematical models to explore how the reservoir host’s population ecology and properties of the vaccine affect the success of a vaccination campaign. Our results demonstrate that the timing of vaccine delivery relative to seasonal reproduction can make or break the success of vaccination programs. The effectiveness of self-disseminating vaccines is optimized by introducing vaccine after the peak of seasonal reproduction when the number of animals available for vaccination is highest.
Assessing the suitability of YY males and ZZ females as an invasive species population control method across life histories
28170R. A. Erickson, H. M. Thompson, S. A. Kageyama, G. M. Andriacchi, A. R. Cupp, R. Patiño and J. J. Amberg, Biological Invasions, 25:3737-3751. 2023-08-12 12:16:15.
Natural resource managers use tools to control invasive species. In theory, stocking YY males or ZZ females would allow managers to skew sex ratios until populations collapse. In combination with other suppression methods, such as removal, this approach could be incorporated into Integrated Pest Management plans. For example, fishery managers have stocked YY males to control isolated non-native brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) populations. However, life histories and demographic factors (e.g., lifespans) vary across species and could affect the feasibility of skewing sex ratios as an effective control strategy for a given population. Likewise, some species may have sex determinations that do not allow population control through sex-skewing methods. We compared five representative aquatic invasive species with global invasion ranges for potential control by skewing the sex ratio through closed population simulations: red swamp crayfish (Procambarus clarkii), zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha), lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush), silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix), and Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus). We determined that Nile tilapia, red swamp crayfish, and zebra mussels would be the most suitable to control through skewing the sex ratio assuming appropriate sex determination exists in the species. Lake trout could be eliminated by stocking YY males but would require either long stocking periods or high stocking numbers because of the long lifespan of the species. Silver carp populations were more difficult to crash because they live longer and produce many recruits. Broadly, these patterns demonstrated that short lived species lend themselves to control by skewing the sex ratio.
Novel Conservation Strategies to Conserve Australian Marsupials
28144S. Legge, M. Hayward and A. Weeks, American and Australasian Marsupials, 2023-07-01 10:36:55.
The Australian marsupial fauna has been devastated in the past 250 years, mainly due to impacts from invasive mammalian predators (cats and foxes), although other threats such as invasive herbivores, habitat loss and fragmentation, changes to fire regimes, and now climate change have played a role. The profound and ongoing impact of invasive predators has driven substantial research and management innovation. Australia has been at the forefront of developing approaches to reduce the density and impacts of introduced predators and implementing novel and ambitious species conservation programs. A large and growing network of islands and mainland fenced areas, free of introduced predators (“havens”), has been critical for avoiding further species extinctions. Outside these havens, advances in toxin presentation and deployment have enabled cat and fox densities to be reduced over large areas. Substantial research and field trials have been carried out to understand how predator-prey interactions, and habitat quality management, can be used to reduce predation impacts on susceptible native species. Synthetic biology offers new opportunities to manage introduced predators, including potentially by using gene drives. Finally, the attenuation of the formerly large continuous ranges of many species to small, isolated population remnants (because of predation or other reasons) has also driven research and improvements in genetic and metapopulation management that will increase the chance of population persistence in the longer term. However, unless Australia continues to invest in research and innovative conservation actions, the plight of its priceless marsupial fauna will remain perilous.
Draft environmental assessment released for using modified mosquitoes to save native birds on Kauaʻi
26244Anonymous, Big Island NOW, 2023-06-23 07:24:12.
Today, the draft environmental assessment was made public for the use of Wolbachia-based incompatible male mosquitoes on Kauaʻi to stop the spread of avian malaria that is decimating native forest bird populations. The public has 31 days — from June 23 until July 24 — to comment on the draft, which was released by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the State of Hawaiʻi Division of Forestry and Wildlife. Hawaiʻi’s forest birds are facing an extinction crisis, with avian malaria a major factor. It is transmitted by non-native mosquitoes and just a single bite from an infected mosquito can be deadly. Of Kauaʻi’s 16 native honeycreepers, 10 have gone extinct and three are listed under the Endangered Species Act as threatened or endangered.
Draft environmental assessment for use of Wolbachia-based incompatible insect technique for the suppression of nonnative southern house mosquito populations on Kauaʻi
26247Hawai'i Department of Land and Natural Resources, Hawai'i Department of Land and Natural Resources, 2023-06-16 07:31:10.
The State of Hawai'i Department of Land and Natural Resources hereby transmits the Draft Environmental Assessment and Anticipated Finding of No Significant Impact (DEAEnvironmental Assessment for use of Wolbachia-based Incompatible Insect Technique for the suppression of nonnative southern house mosquito populations o Kaua'i to be published in the next available edition of The Environmental Notice.
A framework for identifying fertility gene targets for mammalian pest control
25416C. C. Anna, A. Alana, E. Rey, E. Kevin, K. Sebastian, D. Ludovic, C. Jackson, E. C. Samuel, W. M. Philipp and J. G. Neil, bioRxiv, 2023.05.30.542751. 2023-06-01 07:38:46.
Fertility-targeted gene drives have been proposed as an ethical genetic approach for managing wild populations of vertebrate pests for public health and conservation benefit. This manuscript introduces a framework to identify and evaluate target gene suitability based on biological gene function, gene expression, and results from mouse knockout models. This framework identified 16 genes essential for male fertility and 12 genes important for female fertility that may be feasible targets for mammalian gene drives and other non-drive genetic pest control technology. Further, a comparative genomics analysis demonstrates the conservation of the identified genes across several globally significant invasive mammals. In addition to providing important considerations for identifying candidate genes, our framework and the genes identified in this study may have utility in developing additional pest control tools such as wildlife contraceptives.Competing Interest StatementThe authors have declared no competing interest.
How genomics can help biodiversity conservation
24754K. Theissinger, C. Fernandes, G. Formenti, I. Bista, P. R. Berg, C. Bleidorn, A. Bombarely, A. Crottini, G. R. Gallo, J. A. Godoy, S. Jentoft, J. Malukiewicz, A. Mouton, R. A. Oomen, S. Paez, P. J. Palsbøll, C. Pampoulie, M. J. Ruiz-López, S. Secomandi, H, Trends in Genetics, 2023-02-16 19:11:36.
Genomics provides effective tools to characterize biodiversity, but the full implementation of genomic techniques in practical conservation is still limited. We review some of the main approaches in biodiversity genomics available to conservationists and genomicists.High-quality, long-read sequencing and bioinformatic technologies facilitate genome sequencing and assembly for any species. We summarize how reference genomes, in conjunction with population genomic data, can contribute to biodiversity monitoring, conservation, and restoration efforts.Over the past decade, many initiatives to generate reference genomes spanning the tree of life have emerged worldwide. We call for increased integration of reference genomes and population genomics data into interdisciplinary conservation efforts to fully unlock the potential of genomics in safeguarding global biodiversity.
The Anthropocene as the End of Nature? Why Recognizing Interventionism Is Key in Coming to Terms with the Anthropocene
24729K. Boersma, ENVIRONMENTAL ETHICS, 44:195-219. 2023-02-12 09:43:02.
In this article, I address and argue against the tendency to understand the anthropocene as inaugurating the end of nature. I conduct two key moves. First, by way of an engagement with the concept of anthropocene technology I explain how understanding the anthropocene as the end of nature prevents us from recognizing what the anthropocene is all about: interventionism. Secondly, I illustrate how a nondualist understanding of the human-nature relation allows us to recognize interventionism as the hallmark of the anthropocene without falling back into the hierarchical human-nature conceptions that underlie interventionism. A nondualist framework that conserves the human-nature distinction helps us in our ability to relate critically to contemporary science and technology in the anthropocene. I illustrate the conceptual narrative of the article through the specific case of gene drive technology development.
Social justice environmental activists move to block gene editing to control invasive species and promote biodiversity. Here’s why they’re misguided
24701S. Smyth, Genetic Literacy Project, 2023-02-07 12:46:02.
Control of invasive species has been extremely difficult with eradication virtually impossible. To control invasive plant species, chemicals are commonly used while in some instances removal of plants by hand, as Shiva advocates, is undertaken. Efforts to control invasive animals include poisoning and shooting. Needless to say, these ‘control techniques’ are inefficient and often harmful to the applicators. Advances in genetics potentially offer new solutions, using gene editing technology to create sterile populations. Sterility is a natural trait in mammals, which can be induced into invasive animals as a means of population control. Invasive pests can be captured, gene-edited to confer sterility in future generations and then released back into the wild. The offspring will gradually without the use of chemicals or hand labor contribute to reduced populations. Applying gene editing technologies is not an instantaneous solution, but they may be part of a long-term strategy.
Gene drive-mediated population elimination for biodiversity conservation. When you come to a fork in the road, take it
24281B. A. Hay and M. Guo, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 119:e2218020119. 2022-12-20 14:19:44.
How can the ability of t w2 to spread at super-Mendelian frequencies be utilized even if it is unable to directly drive the population to an unfit state? Gierus, Birand, and colleagues proposed placing Cas9 and a gRNA at a neutral position within the t haplotype. In this hybrid gene drive element, which they refer to as tCRISPR, Cas9 and the gRNA cleave and (hopefully) create loss-of-function (LOF) alleles in the male germ line of the prolactin (Prl) gene, which is required for female fertility. The goal with tCRISPR is for t-based segregation distortion in males to pump the Cas9/gRNAs cassette to high frequency within the population. The latter, through cleavage followed by inaccurate repair in males, will continuously produce LOF alleles at the independently segregating Prl locus. The hope is that the combination of t-based drive and accumulation of Prl LOF alleles will drive the population to an unfit state that contains a high frequency of infertile homozygous Prl mutant females along with some frequency of infertile homozygous t males. The combination of these two effects, they propose, could eliminate populations under a wider range of parameters than with t w2 alone
New CRISPR tech makes it possible to wipe out invasive mice
241812022-12-11 11:12:20.
East Maui project hopes mosquito v. mosquito mating battle will save endangered birds
24173K. Cerizo, MAUINOW, 2022-12-11 11:03:34.
Should NZ use contentious gene tech in our war on pests?
24032J. Morton, NZ Herald, 2022-11-27 09:45:02.
Gene-altering technology could offer “breakthrough opportunities” for saving our pest-threatened species, a new future-scoping report says, but there’d be some tricky issues to address before it’d be a realistic option. Scientists have already been exploring how these contentious tools - among several areas canvassed in a new future-focused briefing by the Department of Conservation and Land Information New Zealand - might aid our ongoing war on pest predators. But it’s doubtful that would happen anytime soon, given the tech isn’t yet ready, and the Government has little appetite toward making law changes that’d likely be needed to unleash it in our environment. The briefing, just put out for public feedback, explained how gene-editing tools like Crispr-Cas9 could be used to change particular genes or introduce new traits.
Gene drive could be used to wipe out invasive mice on islands
23862M. Le Page, NewScientist, 2022-11-11 10:11:35.
For the first time, researchers have created a gene drive – a kind of genetic parasite – that could be used to eradicate mammalian pests such as mice by making them infertile. The technology could provide a humane alternative to the poison baits currently used to tackle invasive mice on islands, which have severe impacts on native birds, reptiles and plants. “It’s the first example of a mammalian gene drive technology that has had proof of concept in a laboratory setting,” says Paul Thomas at the University of Adelaide in Australia. Most animals have two copies of each chromosome, but their offspring gets only one copy from each parent. This means that if a piece of DNA is added to one chromosome of an individual, only half its offspring will inherit it. Gene drives are bits of DNA that encode various mechanisms for cheating the system and ensuring they get inherited by more than half of offspring. This means they can spread in a population even if they are harmful. Various kinds of natural gene drives have been discovered. In 2013, Kevin Esvelt at Massachusetts Institute of Technology created the first synthetic gene drive using the gene-editing technology CRISPR. Such CRISPR-based gene drives work extremely well in insects and several teams hope to use them to prevent the spread of malaria, either by wiping out mosquitoes or by making them less likely to infect people.
World first trial to eradicate mice through gene modification
23838I. Mannix, COSMOS, 2022-11-10 09:51:29.
Mouse populations could be eradicated in some areas through new gene modification technology to render female mice infertile. The technology – called t-CRISPR – was previously developed to target malaria-transmitting mosquitoes. This is the first proof of concept for its use as a mammalian genetic biocontrol tool targeting house mice, which is an invasive pest in Australia. In time, it could be used to control rodents on islands and landmasses where they cause widespread destruction. The research, published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, is the first time t-CRISPR has been successfully tested on mammals in a laboratory setting, according to senior author Professor Paul Thomas. Computer modelling conducted by the team suggests about 250 gene-modified mice could eradicate an island population of 200,000 mice in around 20 years. “We have had mouse plagues in Australia for 150 years and existing controls, like baits, cause inhumane death and are expensive and labour intensive to deploy,” says Thomas, who works across the University of Adelaide and the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute.
SHOULD WE CREATE GENE DRIVE GREY SQUIRRELS
23962S. Hartley and T. Law, GeneDriveGovernance.org, 2022-11-09 11:48:04.
UK scientists have proposed gene drive as a management tool to control grey squirrels. Now is a good time to talk about this emerging technology because the hopes and concerns of experts, stakeholders and the public can help to determine if or how it might be developed. To help foster this debate, we made a short research film on gene drive grey squirrels. The film draws on our social science research to show the complexity of the problem of grey squirrel control and invites you to think about whether scientists should develop gene drive squirrels or not.
Gene drive technology to suppress invasive mice
23843University of Adelaide, Phys Org, 2022-11-09 09:55:57.
Researchers at the University of Adelaide have released their first findings on the potential effectiveness of revolutionary gene drive technology to control invasive mice. The team has developed a world-first proof of concept for the technology—called t-CRISPR—using laboratory mice. Using sophisticated computer modeling performed by co-first author Dr. Aysegul Birand, the researchers also found about 250 gene-modified mice could eradicate an island population of 200,000 mice in around 20 years. The results of the study have been published today in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Leveraging a natural murine meiotic drive to suppress invasive populations
23835L. Gierus, A. Birand, M. D. Bunting, G. I. Godahewa, S. G. Piltz, K. P. Oh, A. J. Piaggio, D. W. Threadgill, J. Godwin, O. Edwards, P. Cassey, J. V. Ross, T. A. A. Prowse and P. Q. Thomas, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 119:e2213308119. 2022-11-08 09:36:13.
Invasive rodents are a major cause of environmental damage and biodiversity loss, particularly on islands. Unlike insects, genetic biocontrol strategies including population-suppressing gene drives with biased inheritance have not been developed in mice. Here, we demonstrate a gene drive strategy (t(CRISPR)) that leverages super-Mendelian transmission of the t haplotype to spread inactivating mutations in a haplosufficient female fertility gene (Prl). Using spatially explicit individual-based in silico modeling, we show that t(CRISPR) can eradicate island populations under a range of realistic field-based parameter values. We also engineer transgenic t(CRISPR) mice that, crucially, exhibit biased transmission of the modified t haplotype and Prl mutations at levels our modeling predicts would be sufficient for eradication. This is an example of a feasible gene drive system for invasive alien rodent population control.
Why we need to talk about ‘gene-drive’ grey squirrels
23778Anonymous, University of Exeter, 2022-10-17 07:04:37.
Would the best way of controlling the UK’s rampant grey squirrel population be to spread genetic changes throughout the species? A new research film, to be shown next month at Exeter Phoenix, sees scientists, conservation and wildlife experts debate the use of emergent ‘gene-drive’ technology in grey squirrels. The film Should we create gene drive grey squirrels?, written and produced by Sarah Hartley, a Professor in Technology Governance at the University of Exeter Business School, and independent film-maker Tom Law, documents the introduction into the UK of grey squirrels at the turn of the 20th Century and how their burgeoning population has contributed to the demise of the UK’s native red squirrel, which is now mainly found in Scotland. It presents the reasons why some people argue it would be better to limit the grey squirrel population, including the fact that they carry and spread squirrel pox, a virus fatal to red squirrels which can devastate entire populations.
Humans Have a Long History of Making ‘Very Bad Decisions’ to Save Animals
23627T. McDonnell, The New York Times, 2022-09-17 07:17:21.
Environmental reporter Tim McDonnell on the potential negative consequences of animal conservation efforts. McDonnell highlights Target Malaria’s research on gene drive to “eliminate malaria-carrying mosquitos” and quotes New Zealand researcher Philipp Messer saying that the world is “ill-prepared” for a "real-life gene drive.” The article also quotes MIT biologist Kevin Esvelt saying that misuse of the technology would cause the public and policymakers to halt gene drive research and would set the field back by a decade. The article notes that there is no international regulation to “prevent the premature deployment of gene drive in the wild” and states that “individual governments, powerful funding organizations like the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and scientists themselves” are responsible for balancing the prevention of risky interventions with the need to support basic research. Esvlet is also quoted saying that the WHO needs to “establish a registry for all gene drive experiments that requires scientists to detail safeguards and find a local community who agrees to guide the research before experiments begin.”
ISAAA Policy Brief: Risk Assessment for Gene Drive Organisms
23562Anonymous, ISAAA, 2022-08-31 14:52:33.
Gene drive is a genetic phenomenon that occurs in nature and causes a selected trait to spread rapidly through a species via sexual reproduction over generations, potentially becoming increasingly common within a specific species. Gene drive systems are being developed in the laboratory to replicate this natural phenomenon in order to help tackle major challenges such as malaria. In this way, a desired change is passed on to up to 100% of offspring, rather than at the more usual rate of 50%. This technology is currently under research, and the risks and benefits of each potential application are being thoroughly investigated.
Gene Drive in Species Complexes: Defining Target Organisms
23207J. B. Connolly, J. Romeis, Y. Devos, D. C. M. Glandorf, G. Turner and M. B. Coulibaly, Trends in Biotechnology, 2022-07-12 06:21:17.
Engineered gene drives, which bias their own inheritance to increase in frequency in target populations, are being developed to control mosquito malaria vectors. Such mosquitoes can belong to complexes of both vector and non-vector species that can produce fertile interspecific hybrids, making vertical gene drive transfer (VGDT) to sibling species biologically plausible. While VGDT to other vectors could positively impact human health protection goals, VGDT to non-vectors might challenge biodiversity ones. Therefore, environmental risk assessment of gene drive use in species complexes invites more nuanced considerations of 'Target Organisms' and ‘Non-Target Organisms' than for transgenes not intended to increase in frequency in target populations. Incorporating the concept of ‘Target Species Complexes’ offers more flexibility when assessing potential impacts from VGDT.
Genetically-enhanced biocontrols can help fight large invasive mammals
23157Pensoft Publishers, Science Daily, 2022-07-08 09:49:27.
A team of researchers from the University of Adelaide developed a mathematical model able to simulate the impact of gene drives on mammal populations at a landscape scale. Published in the open-access NeoBiotajournal, their study is the first to estimate the time it would take to eradicate long-lived alien mammals. Using CRISPR-Cas9 technology, the simulated gene drive relies on "molecular scissors" inserted into the Y-chromosome that target and slice up the X-chromosome at the right time during meiosis, so that only Y-chromosome carrying sperms are functional and can successfully fertilize the egg. In this way, the drive carrying males should only produce sons that also carry the molecular scissors on their Y-chromosome. Over multiple generations, females will become rarer and produce fewer offspring; as a result, the population size will fall.
Scalability of genetic biocontrols for eradicating invasive alien mammals
23159A. Birand, P. Cassey, J. V. Ross, P. Q. Thomas and T. A. A. Prowse, NeoBiota, 74:93-103. 2022-07-07 09:59:20.
CRISPR-based gene drives offer novel solutions for controlling invasive alien species, which could ultimately extend eradication efforts to continental scales. Gene drives for suppressing invasive alien vertebrates are now under development. Using a landscape-scale individual-based model, we present the first estimates of times to eradication for long-lived alien mammals. We show that demography and life-history traits interact to determine the scalability of gene drives for vertebrate pest eradication. Notably, optimism around eradicating smaller-bodied pests (rodents and rabbits) with gene-drive technologies does not easily translate into eradication of larger-bodied alien species (cats and foxes).
Do Australians support genetic technology to control feral animals?
23095E. Phiddian, COSMOS, 2022-07-02 07:43:33.
Synthetic biology and genetic technology could be a safer, more humane way of curbing invasive species. Feral cat populations, for instance, could be controlled by preventing them from breeding. But there’s no point trying a new technology it if it doesn’t have public support – so does synthetic biology pass the pub test? According to a report from the CSIRO, it just might. Their survey of nearly 4,000 Australians finds that most support the idea of using gene drives on feral cats.“This particular study builds on our public acceptability work over the last three to four years on synthetic biology solutions to significant national challenges,” says Dr Aditi Mankad, co-author of the report and a researcher at CSIRO Land & Water’s Sustainability Pathways Program.
Public perspectives towards using gene drive for invasive species management in Australia
23100A. Mankad, E. V. Hobman and L. Carter, CSIRO, 2022-06-30 07:55:31.
Many pest animal species live and reproduce in high numbers across Australia. This includes animal species, such as cane toads, feral cats, foxes, rodents, wild pigs, wild rabbits. These species significantly damage Australia’s agricultural industries, natural landscapes, and biodiversity. For example, feral cats kill an estimated 1.8 billion Australian animals every year. Feral animals can also carry livestock diseases and cause significant damage to land and native vegetation. This results in agricultural production losses of more than $800 million per year. Sites of cultural significance to Indigenous peoples are also at risk to pest incursions. Adding further complexity, current methods of pest control being used to manage local landscape, such as baiting, trapping and shooting, are labour-intensive and expensive. They also have animal welfare implications and are considered ineffective at scale. Genetic technologies that are developed using synthetic biology have the potential to reduce or in some cases eliminate populations of invasive pests in parts of Australia. But there are multiple social, cultural and institutional considerations to understand before genetic technologies could feasibly be integrated with current pest management practices.
Breeding out the feral cat problem
23097S. Schmidt, ECOS, 2022-06-30 07:48:16.
While feral cats have only existed as part of Australia’s ecosystem for the last 200 or so years, they’ve left a destructive mark on our landscape. They’ve contributed to a growing list of Australian native animals that have become threatened or extinct in that time. Today, feral cats (Felis catus) are rampant in all parts of Australia, covering 99% of Australia’s total land area. That includes ecosystems from deserts to forests and grasslands, and even many of our offshore islands. Though they might share their species name and genome with their domestic counterparts, that’s where their similarity ends, explains Biosecurity Research Director at CSIRO, Dr Raghu Sathyamurthy. “Feral cats are opportunistic predators. They’re one of the most significant threats to our native species including small mammals, birds and reptiles,” says Dr Sathyamurthy.
The suppressive potential of a gene drive in populations of invasive social wasps is currently limited
23091A. B. Meiborg, N. R. Faber, B. A. Taylor, B. A. Harpur and G. Gorjanc, bioRxiv, 2022.06.27.497711. 2022-06-30 07:33:43.
Social insects are very successful invasive species, and the continued increase of global trade and transportation has exacerbated this problem. The yellow-legged hornet, Vespa velutina nigrithorax (henceforth Asian hornet), is drastically expanding its range in Western Europe. As an apex insect predator, this hornet poses a serious threat to the honey bee industry and endemic pollinators. Current suppression methods have proven too inefficient and expensive to limit its spread. Gene drives might be an effective tool to control this species, but their use has not yet been thoroughly investigated in social insects. Here, we built a model that matches the hornet’s life history and modelled the effect of different gene drive scenarios on an established invasive population. To test the broader applicability and sensitivity of the model, we also incorporated the invasive European paper wasp Polistes dominula. We find that although a gene drive can spread through a social wasp population, it can only do so under stringent gene drive-specific conditions. The main issue is that the large number of offspring that social wasp colonies produce guarantees that, even with very limited formation of resistance alleles, such alleles will quickly spread and rescue the population. Furthermore, we find that only a gene drive targeting female fertility is promising for population control due to the haplodiploidy of social insects. Nevertheless, continued improvements in gene drive technology may make it a promising method for the control of invasive social insects.Competing Interest StatementThe authors have declared no competing interest.
Australians open to using genetic technology to manage feral cats
23086CSIRO, MIRAGE, 2022-06-30 07:20:05.
New genetic technologies could help address the rise of invasives through a number of ways, one of which is called gene drive. Gene drive can determine the sex of offspring, reducing the number of animals able to reproduce, and therefore over time driving down populations. Researchers from CSIRO surveyed more than 3,800 people across Australia to understand public perceptions of using gene drive on feral cats. The research found 86 per cent of people were at least moderately supportive for the local implementation of gene drive technology to manage invasive feral cat species in their local area.
Natural and Engineered Sex Ratio Distortion in Insects
23010A. Compton and Z. Tu, Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution, 10. 2022-06-15 08:25:52.
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 distortion (SRD). Recent advances in sex chromosome genomics and CRISPR/Cas9-mediated genome editing brought significant insights into the molecular regulators of sex determination in an increasing number of insects and provided new ways to engineer SRD. We review these advances and discuss both naturally occurring and engineered SRD in the context of the Anthropocene. We emphasize SRD-mediated biological control of insects to help improve One Health, sustain agriculture, and conserve endangered species.
Generation of Gene Drive Mice for Invasive Pest Population Suppression
22890M. D. Bunting, C. Pfitzner, L. Gierus, M. White, S. Piltz and P. Q. Thomas, Applications of Genome Modulation and Editing, 2022-06-14 06:00:54.
Gene drives are genetic elements that are transmitted to greater than 50% of offspring and have potential for population modification or suppression. While gene drives are known to occur naturally, the recent emergence of CRISPR-Cas9 genome-editing technology has enabled generation of synthetic gene drives in a range of organisms including mosquitos, flies, and yeast. For example, studies in Anopheles mosquitos have demonstrated >95% transmission of CRISPR-engineered gene drive constructs, providing a possible strategy for malaria control. Recently published studies have also indicated that it may be possible to develop gene drive technology in invasive rodents such as mice. Here, we discuss the prospects for gene drive development in mice, including synthetic “homing drive” and X-shredder strategies as well as modifications of the naturally occurring t haplotype. We also provide detailed protocols for generation of gene drive mice through incorporation of plasmid-based transgenes in a targeted and non-targeted manner. Importantly, these protocols can be used for generating transgenic mice for any project that requires insertion of kilobase-scale transgenes such as knock-in of fluorescent reporters, gene swaps, overexpression/ectopic expression studies, and conditional “floxed” alleles.
Mosquito control to save Hawaiian honeycreepers does not involve GMOs
22859Department of Land and Natural Resources, Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources, 2022-06-08 08:42:00.
Despite misinformation circulating on social media, the importation of “incompatible-male” mosquitoes to control populations of wild mosquitoes and to save four native bird species from extinction, does not involve the use of any genetically modified organisms (GMOs) or genetically engineered (GE) organisms. On Thursday, the Plant and Animal Advisory Committee of the Dept. of Agriculture will consider listing three species of mosquitoes on its Restricted Species List A. The listing would allow the importation of three species of mosquitoes, all of which are already present in Hawai‘i. One of these, the Southern House Mosquito (Culex quinquefasciatus) isresponsible for sharp declines in the populations of many honeycreeper species on Kaua‘i, Maui, and Hawai‘i Island. The other two species – Yellow Fever Mosquito (Aedes aegypti) and Asian Tiger Mosquito (Aedes albopictus) – transmit human diseases.
Investigating CRISPR/Cas9 gene drive for production of disease-preventing prion gene alleles
22796A. R. Castle, S. Wohlgemuth, L. Arce and D. Westaway, PLoS One, 17:e0269342. 2022-06-07 09:14:53.
Prion diseases are a group of fatal neurodegenerative disorders that includes chronic wasting disease, which affects cervids and is highly transmissible. Given that chronic wasting disease prevalence exceeds 30% in some endemic areas of North America, and that eventual transmission to other mammalian species, potentially including humans, cannot be ruled out, novel control strategies beyond population management via hunting and/or culling must be investigated. Prion diseases depend upon post-translational conversion of the cellular prion protein, encoded by the Prnp gene, into a disease-associated conformation; ablation of cellular prion protein expression, which is generally well-tolerated, eliminates prion disease susceptibility entirely. Inspired by demonstrations of gene drive in caged mosquito species, we aimed to test whether a CRISPR/Cas9-based gene drive mechanism could, in principle, promote the spread of a null Prnp allele among mammalian populations. First, we showed that transient co-expression of Cas9 and Prnp-directed guide RNAs in RK13 cells generates indels within the Prnp open-reading frame, indicating that repair of Cas9-induced double-strand breaks by non-homologous end-joining had taken place. Second, we integrated a ~1.2 kb donor DNA sequence into the Prnp open-reading frame in N2a cells by homology-directed repair following Cas9-induced cleavages and confirmed that integration occurred precisely in most cases. Third, we demonstrated that electroporation of Cas9/guide RNA ribonucleoprotein complexes into fertilised mouse oocytes resulted in pups with a variety of disruptions to the Prnp open reading frame, with a new coisogenic line of Prnp-null mice obtained as part of this work. However, a technical challenge in obtaining expression of Cas9 in the male germline prevented implementation of a complete gene drive mechanism in mice.
What role can gene editing play in predator control? And are we ready to accept it?
22727K. Green, Stuff, 2022-05-16 08:07:14.
The once-forbidden concept of gene editing for predator control is back on the table after two projects receivedGovernment funding. Despite advances overseas, experts are worried research in New Zealand will never make it out of the lab, with no plans to change current restrictive laws. Appetite for gene editing has always been low among the New Zealand public. In 1999, 20,000 people protested in Auckland alone, marching down Auckland’s Queen St calling for a ban on genetically engineered crops. Gene editing joined nuclear-free as a hallmark of clean, green New Zealand. However last month, the crown entity responsible for pest control, Predator Free 2050, announced investment of $6.7 million into research projects, including $2.25m to investigate whether recent overseas advances in producing mice of only one sex could be adapted for rats, and $200,000 to explore stoat breeding genetics, and whether that could be used for control.
The principles driving gene drives for conservation
22295S. Hartley, R. Taitingfong and P. Fidelman, Environmental Science and Policy, 135:36-45. 2022-05-04 08:30:40.
Gene drive technology is an emerging biotechnology with the potential to address some of the most intractable global biodiversity conservation issues. Scientists are exploring potential gene drive applications for managing invasive species and building resilience in keystone species threatened by climate change. The possibility to use gene drive for these conservation purposes has triggered significant interest in how to govern its development and eventual applications. This includes a plethora of documents prescribing governance principles, which can be a sensible response to the governance gap created by emerging technologies and help shore up legitimacy. We conducted qualitative documentary analysis to examine the range and substance of principles emerging in the governance of conservation gene drive. Such analysis aimed to better understand the aspirations guiding these applications and how scientists and other experts imagine their responsibility in this field. We found a collection of recommendations and prescriptions that could be organised into a set of seven emerging principles intended to shape the governance of gene drive in conservation: broad and empowered engagement; public acceptance; decision-making informed by broad ranging considerations, state and international collaboration; ethical frameworks; diverse expertise; and responsible self-regulation by developers. We lay bare these emergent principles, analyzing the way in which they are valued, prioritized, and their strengths and weaknesses. By identifying these prescriptive principles, stakeholders can further interrogate their merits and shortcomings and identify more concrete ways that governance frameworks might embody them.
GeneConvene Global Collaborative Webinar Series | Demystifying the Convention on Biological Diversity – Seven Videos
21940Hector Quemada and David O'Brochta, GeneConvene Global Collaborative, 2022-04-28 12:39:49.
The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) is an international agreement aimed at providing the legal framework for country cooperation to conserve biodiversity, while also enabling its sustainable use, and providing for fair and equitable sharing of the benefits derived from that use. It became effective in 1993 when the first 30 countries signed it, but now has 196 parties. Biotechnology figures prominently in this agreement, since one of its major goal is to "promote and advance priority access on a fair and equitable basis by Contracting Parties, especially developing countries, to the results and benefits arising from biotechnologies." The CBD provides the basis for regulations on biotechnologies, particularly genetically engineered organisms (including gene drive organisms). While the convention, and its subsidiary agreements, have a significant impact on the regulatory environment within which synthetic gene drive research takes place, the procedures and decision-making processes connected with the CBD are often not transparent to researchers and others who do not closely follow the proceedings.
Track New Zealand’s Bid to Take Back Nature
20169K. Peek, Scientific American, 2022-01-25 09:05:48.
A thousand years ago the islands that today form New Zealand were riotously wild. Birds, reptiles and invertebrates flourished in lush forests hundreds of miles from any other landmass. Māori settlers in the 1200s brought Polynesian rats for food, and together the humans and the rodents began to shift the ecological balance. Native species started to go extinct. Enter European ships, bearing new carnivores: more aggressive rat species, plus mice, stoats, and others. These ground-based predators hunted differently from the falcons and other aerial threats New Zealand wildlife had evolved with. Native birds that slept in burrows made easy prey for prowling mammals. Invasive predator populations exploded, devastating native wildlife. But in the past 60 years humans have intervened to help old New Zealand ecosystems claw their way back. First, a single five-acre (two-hectare) islet called Maria Island (Ruapuke in Māori) was declared rat-free by ecologists in 1964, five years after volunteers set poisoned bait. It was a special case. The white-faced storm petrels at risk there were especially charismatic—they appear to walk on water—and easily gained public support. The ample baiting effort also got particularly lucky with its placement, ecologists say. Nevertheless, the serendipitous success kicked off decades of eradication efforts.
Gene drives for vertebrate pest control: realistic spatial modelling of eradication probabilities and times for island mouse populations
20171A. Birand, P. Cassey, J. V. Ross, J. C. Russell, P. Thomas and T. A. A. Prowse, Molecular Ecology, 2022-01-24 09:06:03.
Abstract Invasive alien species continue to threaten global biodiversity. CRISPR-based gene drives, which can theoretically spread through populations despite imparting a fitness cost, could be used to suppress or eradicate pest populations. We develop an individual-based, spatially explicit, stochastic model to simulate the ability of CRISPR-based homing and X-chromosome shredding drives to eradicate populations of invasive house mice (Mus muculus) from islands. Using the model, we explore the interactive effect of the efficiency of the drive constructs and the spatial ecology of the target population on the outcome of a gene-drive release. We also consider the impact of polyandrous mating and sperm competition, which could compromise the efficacy of some gene-drive strategies. Our results show that both drive strategies could be used to eradicate large populations of mice. Whereas parameters related to drive efficiency and demography strongly influence drive performance, we find that sperm competition following polyandrous mating is unlikely to impact the outcome of an eradication effort substantially. Assumptions regarding the spatial ecology of mice influenced the probability of and time required for eradication, with short-range dispersal capacities and limited mate-search areas producing `chase' dynamics across the island characterised by cycles of local extinction and recolonization by mice. We also show that highly efficient drives are not always optimal, when dispersal and mate-search capabilities are low. Rapid local population suppression around the introduction sites can cause loss of the gene drive before it can spread to the entire island. We conclude that, although the design of efficient gene drives is undoubtedly critical, accurate data on the spatial ecology of target species is critical for predicting the result of a gene-drive release.
Scientists expand CRISPR-Cas9 genetic inheritance control in mammals
20038M. Aguilera, Phys Org, 2022-01-12 09:43:07.
Led by graduate student Alexander Weitzel, Grunwald, Cooper and their colleagues have now succeeded in developing CRISPR-Cas9 inheritance control in male mice by shifting the gene editing window to more closely match the timing of meiosis in both sexes. Their results were published December 23, 2021 in the journal PLOS Biology. The achievement advances the prospects of scientists being able to use genetic editing for new laboratory models in an array of research pursuits, from investigations of human disease to therapeutic drug design to invasive species removal. "For these gene conversion strategies to work in any context—in the lab or in wild populations—you need the mechanism of gene conversion to work in both males and females," said Cooper, associate professor in the Section of Cell and Developmental Biology, Division of Biological Sciences. "It seems as though the reason this process was previously working in females is because we were closer to the female meiotic window. Now that we've moved Cas9 expression to within the meiotic window in males, it works in them too."
How sci-fi weapon could stop grey squirrels killing Britain’s trees
19723rymeradelle, INentertainment, 2021-12-23 12:41:06.
Grey squirrels pose the greatest threat to British foresters at the moment. They eat the bark of trees, leaving them to die. Picture: Grey squirrel perched on a tree It’s bad enough watching Britain’s ash trees wither from the ash dieback fungus now ravaging our countryside. We can only do so much. The squirrel is an exception to this rule. And it’s not just trees which are paying the price. This pest kills songbirds, and also pinches nests. Worse still, our native red squirrel, which once roamed the entire country — without chewing trees to death — is now an endangered species, clinging on in pockets of Scotland and places such as the Isle of Wight. The number of people living in the area is estimated to be around 200,000. Red Squirrel Survival Trust will make an announcement next month, with Red Squirrel Day on January 21. Its patron, the Prince of Wales, loves the vanishing red so much that he has a squirrel-feeding table in the hallway at Birkhall, his home on the Balmoral estate (where he has also erected ‘Squirrel Crossing’ road signs).
New developments in the field of genomic technologies and their relevance to conservation management
19273G. Segelbacher, M. Bosse, P. Burger, P. Galbusera, J. A. Godoy, P. Helsen, C. Hvilsom, L. Iacolina, A. Kahric, C. Manfrin, M. Nonic, D. Thizy, I. Tsvetkov, N. Veličković, C. Vilà, S. M. Wisely and E. Buzan, Conservation Genetics, 2021-11-11 16:22:03.
Recent technological advances in the field of genomics offer conservation managers and practitioners new tools to explore for conservation applications. Many of these tools are well developed and used by other life science fields, while others are still in development. Considering these technological possibilities, choosing the right tool(s) from the toolbox is crucial and can pose a challenging task. With this in mind, we strive to inspire, inform and illuminate managers and practitioners on how conservation efforts can benefit from the current genomic and biotechnological revolution. With inspirational case studies we show how new technologies can help resolve some of the main conservation challenges, while also informing how implementable the different technologies are. We here focus specifically on small population management, highlight the potential for genetic rescue, and discuss the opportunities in the field of gene editing to help with adaptation to changing environments. In addition, we delineate potential applications of gene drives for controlling invasive species. We illuminate that the genomic toolbox offers added benefit to conservation efforts, but also comes with limitations for the use of these novel emerging techniques.
A Golden Menace
19202S. Moutinho, Science, 2021-10-21 14:46:14.
An even bigger catastrophe looms: the invasion of the Amazon and its tributaries, part of the largest drainage basin in South America, which spans eight countries and is one of the richest hot spots for biodiversity on the planet. Golden mussels have been documented in the Pantanal wetlands just 150 kilometers from the Téles Pires River, which flows into the Amazon basin and connects to the Tapajós River, a tributary of the Amazon.“It only takes one boat encrusted with the mussel to cross the wetlands for the invader to make a new home in an Amazon river,” says biologist Marcia Divina at the state-owned Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation. If the invader spreads in the Amazon, it could wipe out native species that scientists have not even studied yet, she adds. “We can’t even calculate the size of the impact.”Despite a late and anemic government response, researchers funded largely by affected hydroelectric companies have developed new tools to track the mussels’ relentless advance. And some are looking to an aggressive form of genetic engineering to eradicate it. That untested strategy is still likely years from being ready to deploy, but scientists see few other ways to slow an invader so easily spread by human transit and trade.
Genetically-modified possums and all-in-one trapping machines: funding for new predator-free studies
18787A. Allott, stuff, 2021-09-24 13:32:23.
Research into possum genes and creating an all-in-one predator detecting, luring, and trapping machine are among a handful of projects to receive new funding to help bring them into reality. Predator Free 2050 has awarded $2.4 million in Jobs for Nature funding to six postgraduate and post-doctoral researchers from Otago, Canterbury, Lincoln and Auckland universities. University of Otago researcher Alana Alexander, who is trying to discover which genes are important for possums’ reproduction and survival, is one of them. “Gene drives seem very exciting, but they’re a genie in a bottle. We don’t really want possums in New Zealand, but they are part of the ecosystem in Australia, so making sure it’s contained would be really important.” Alexander said she wants people to understand the risks and benefits, so they can give informed consent when thinking about pest control down the line.
Faut-il miser sur le forçage génétique contre les espèces invasives?
18933P. Minet, Le Temps, 2021-09-12 19:51:46.
Un «gene drive» peut servir à annihiler complètement et rapidement une population d’animaux indésirables. Prometteuse pour lutter contre les espèces invasives, cette technologie a fait l’objet d’âpres débats dans le cadre du congrès mondial de la nature à Marseille. Cela peut paraître paradoxal: dans certaines situations, la protection de la biodiversité passe par l’anéantissement d’une espèce. C’est le cas lorsque des écosystèmes fragiles sont confrontés à l’irruption d’un animal ou d’une plante originaire d’une autre zone géographique, et qui a le potentiel de détruire ou de supplanter les espèces locales. L’exemple typique est celui de nombreuses îles où des rats introduits par l’être humain déciment les oiseaux en mangeant leurs œufs.
Scientists debate promise, peril of tweaking wild genomes
18517J. Zamora, Phys Org, 2021-09-11 14:53:57.
In the movie Jurassic Park, reconstructing and tweaking genetic material makes it possible to bring dinosaurs back to life. Today, a technology that manipulates animal genomes, called gene drive, has become a reality. The goal, however, is not to revive long-gone species, but to eliminate invasive ones. Steven Spielberg's film was set on an imaginary island off the coast of Costa Rica, and it is also on an island that the first open-air experiments in programmed extinction could take place, according to experts gathered at the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Congress in Marseille. It could happen within a decade, they told AFP. That's because fragile island ecosystems are in crisis. Dozens of vertebrate species have vanished in the last century, and dozens more are on a glide path to extinction. The culprits are non-native rats, snakes and mosquitoes—all introduced by humans, for the most part by accident—that eat bird eggs, infect birds with disease, or outcompete indigenous amphibians and mammals.
The international governance of gene drive organisms
18320F. Rabitz, Environmental Politics, 2021-08-29 13:07:16.
Gene Drive Organisms (GDOs) are a proposed biotechnological intervention that might generate significant benefits for the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity while also raising critical biosafety issues. Despite their inevitable transboundary effects, their implications for international institutions remain undertheorized. This text develops a theoretical analysis of international GDO governance. First, it elaborates the problem-structural characteristics of GDOs that turn them into a novel and distinct governance challenge, focusing on leverage, cost-benefit distributions, irreversibility, as well as uncertainty and unpredictability. Second, it derives the implications of problem structure for institutional design by focusing on pre-release risk assessment and authorization, as well as post-release monitoring and liability. Third, it uses these institutional implications for benchmarking the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety, the focal point in international biotechnology regulation, for effective GDO governance. The text concludes that institutional reforms are required for folding GDOs into international biodiversity policy.
Invasive Mice and Engineered Genes
17952W. M. Adams and K. H. Redford, Yale University Press Blog, 2021-08-02 12:36:13.
On Gough Island, a steep speck of land deep in the South Atlantic, giant mice eat albatross chicks as they sit on their nests. They are house mice, accidental arrivals on the ships of long-dead sealers. But they have lost their secretive, timid, mousy ways. Over numerous generations, on an island without predators, they have become predators themselves. They have grown bigger, and fierce. The internet offers gruesome videos of Tristan albatross chicks being eaten alive in the night. The house mice of Gough Island are examples of one of the most serious and intractable drivers of biodiversity decline, invasive species. Not all species introduced by people outside their normal range become invasive, but invasive species are the most common threat to amphibians, reptiles, and mammals on the IUCN Red List, and have been a contributing cause in a quarter of plant extinctions and a third of animal extinctions in recent centuries. Traditional tools for addressing invasive species include traps, guns, fences, and particularly poisons. Though often effective, these often have undesired, and sometimes unexpected, knock-on effects on native species. Synthetic biology, the application of new genetic tools like CRISPR, is being explored as a source of new approaches to control with fewer side effects. The use of such methods in conservation blurs the distinction between what is natural and what is human-made.
World Nature Conservation Day: Technology to Forge a Path for Nature Conservation and Communities
17912P. Becker, Isand Conservation, 2021-07-28 15:23:24.
Gene drives are a genetic phenomenon that occurs in nature and causes a gene or trait to have a greater than 50% chance of inheritance. Island Conservation and partners have formed the Genetic Biocontrol of Invasive Rodents (GBIRd) partnership, to explore the technical and social feasibility of creating a gene drive to eliminate invasive rodents on islands. For example, a gene drive that causes rats to produce all male offspring spreads through an invasive population until there is no natural recruitment. On this World Nature Conservation Day, I would like to invite you to reflect on the scale, speed and costs of the efforts needed to address current conservation challenges. Gene drive could be a game-changer for conservation, making nature restoration and sustainable development gains possible on islands where these are currently out of reach today. Combined with existing tools, gene drive could transform the future of island restoration, drastically increasing the scope, scale, and pace of our work, and realizing benefits for island wildlife and communities around the world.
Genetically Modifying Bats Could Prevent the Next Pandemic, Scientists Say
17744G. Dutton, BioSpace, 2021-07-15 13:26:12.
The next COVID pandemic could be prevented by using a gene drive to preemptively edit the genome of bats to prevent them from becoming hosts for coronaviruses, according to a proposal by scientists from Israel’s Interdisciplinary Center (IDC) Herzelia and the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Meanwhile, a team of researchers from Imperial College London is devising a way to prevent gene drives from spreading and conferring heritable, anti-competitive traits to entire populations. The two projects may be in conflict with one another, or the London project may provide a degree of safety that could manage unintended consequences. The IDC/NIH plan, Preventing COVID-59, was published recently on GitHub by Uaniv Erlich of the (IDC) and Daniel Douek of the Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergies and Infectious Diseases at the NIH in the U.S. Its premise is that the SARS-CoV-2 virus – the third such virus to infect humans in the past 20 years – is part of a growing pattern of betacoronaviruses infecting human populations.
Gene Drive: The Technology and its Potentials for Biodiversity Conservatio
17611Z. Bugnosen, Science Speaks, 2021-07-01 14:43:19.
Gene drive is a gene editing tool that is rapidly advancing as scientists investigate further its potentials to address concerns related to agriculture, the environment, and even human health. To help the public understand it better, ISAAA and its network of Biotechnology Information Centers, in partnership with the Outreach Network for Gene Drive Research, launched the four-part Gene Drive Webinar Series. Gene drive experts were invited to talk about the technology and how it can help conserve biodiversity during the first two sessions of the series.
European Parliament calls for ban on gene drive technology
17296Save Our Seeds, Save Our Seeds, 2021-06-09 10:56:17.
The European Parliament yesterday confirmedi it‘s precautionary stance towards the use of a new genetic engineering technology called gene drive. In its report on the EU’s Biodiversity Strategy for 2030, adopted at the European Parliament’s plenary on 08.06.2021, Parliamentarians demand that „no releases of genetically engineered gene drive organisms should be allowed, including for nature conservation purposes, in line with the precautionary principle.“ Mareike Imken, coordinator of the European Stop Gene Drive Campaign welcomes this decision and comments: „With its position today, the European Parliament recognizes that this technology raises a series of scientific, regulatory, societal and ethical questions and concerns. As its use could severely harm biodiversity, the European Parliament calls to postpone any environmental releases until these questions have been addressed and settled. This is an important message that should feed into the ongoing discussions about global regulations at the next meeting of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) in September in Marseille and those of the Convention on Biological Diversity in October in Kunming, China.“ 27 civil society and science organisations from across the EU had sent a letter to Parliamentarians in support of the amendment ahead of the vote. It „provides reasonable suggestions on how to implement the European Parliament’s previous position in its resolution on the 15th meeting of the Conference of Parties (COP15) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (2019/2824(RSP)“. In that previous position, adopted in January 2020, the European Parliament had called “on the Commission and the Member States to call for a global moratorium at the COP15 on releases of gene drive organisms into nature, including field trials, in order to prevent these new technologies from being released prematurely and to uphold the precautionary principle, which is enshrined in the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union as well as the CBD“.
First evidence of deviation from Mendelian proportions in a conservation programme
17556C. E. Grueber, K. A. Farquharson, B. R. Wright, G. P. Wallis, C. J. Hogg and K. Belov, Molecular Ecology, 13. 2021-05-29 14:38:25.
Classic Mendelian inheritance is the bedrock of population genetics and underpins pedigree-based management of animal populations. However, assumptions of Mendelian inheritance might not be upheld in conservation breeding programmes if early viability selection occurs, even when efforts are made to equalise genetic contributions of breeders. To test this possibility, we investigated deviations from Mendelian proportions in a captive metapopulation of the endangered Tasmanian devil. This marsupial population is ideal for addressing evolutionary questions in conservation due to its large size, range of enclosure types (varying in environmental conditions), good genomic resources (which aid interpretation), and the species' biology. Devil mothers give birth to more offspring than they can nurse in the pouch, providing the potential for intense viability selection amongst embryos. We used data from 140 known sire-dam-offspring triads to isolate within-family selection from population-level mechanisms (such as mate choice or inbreeding), and compared observed offspring genotypes at 123 targeted SNPs to neutral (i.e., Mendelian) expectations. We found lower offspring heterozygosity than expected, and subtle patterns that varied across a gradient of management intensity from zoo-like enclosures to semi-wild environments for some loci. Meiotic drive or maternal-foetal incompatibilities are consistent with our results, although we cannot statistically confirm these mechanisms. We found some evidence that maternal genotype affects annual litter size, suggesting that family-level patterns are driven by differential offspring mortality before birth or during early development. Our results show that deviations from Mendelian inheritance can occur in conservation programmes, despite best-practice management to prevent selection.
Cloning wildlife and editing their genes to protect them and us.
16982H. Thomasy, NEO-LIFE, 2021-05-06 16:06:20.
In December 10, 2020, Elizabeth Ann made history just by being born. She isn’t a British royal, an American married to a British royal, a movie star’s daughter, or even human for that matter. Elizabeth Ann is a ferret—but perhaps the most famous ferret of all time. More specifically, she is the clone of a black-footed ferret named Willa who has been dead for more than 30 years. Elizabeth Ann’s momentous birth marks the first successful cloning of an endangered species native to North America (endangered species like the gaur, or Indian bison, and the mouflon, a wild sheep originally found in Corsica and Sardinia, have been cloned previously). If she can breed successfully, Elizabeth Ann will add valuable genetic diversity to the very small estimated population of around 600 remaining black-footed ferrets, which are all descended from just seven animals. But low genetic diversity isn’t the only thing standing in the way of these ferrets making a comeback. The other major threat is disease. Diseases are a huge problem for many endangered species, but, as the previous year has emphasized all too well, diseases that circulate in animals can also have disastrous consequences if they jump to humans. Genetic engineering of animals in the wild might offer us a way to protect not only our furry friends and feathered compadres, but ourselves as well. Although still in the early stages of research, scientists around the world are working on numerous projects to engineer animals to be resistant to diseases that can impact humans as well, including plague, Lyme disease, dengue fever, and Zika.
The legal regulation of gene drive technologies
16914C. Elves, Univeristy of Oxford, 2021-05-01 13:32:03.
Gene drive technologies purport to provide a panacea and yet in doing so present unprecedented risks that threaten to change, potentially irreversibly, the way in which we live in the world. Gene drive technologies raise questions about what ends societies ought to seek for their citizens, how they are constituted and how those ends might be attained. Despite this, current discussions surrounding gene drive technologies and their regulation focus almost exclusively on the technical implications. Drawing on the work of sociologists and STS scholars, this thesis argues that lawyers ought to think critically about the ways in which they go about developing their understandings of new technologies as regulatory objects. Lawyers need to evaluate and scrutinize the knowledge claims with which they are presented, and work to identify those extending beyond the required technical expertise, if the regulatory frames they build are to bear fidelity to the realities of the technology. This thesis draws out the regulatory disconnection generated by the current regulation of gene drive technologies through the existing European Union GMO regime. It then goes on to describe the ways in which regulatory reconnection might be achieved by constructing broader frames through which we describe gene drive technologies as a regulatory object. In thinking about how lawyers might go about broadening the frames that they build, this thesis takes examples from Public Health Law scholarship and legislation. In response to both the normative and epistemic lacunae highlighted above, this thesis develops an account of why and how ethical enquiry ought to play a significant role in informing our descriptions of gene drive technologies as regulatory objects. Furthermore, this thesis argues that ethical enquiry is capable of articulating questions to which technical experts must provide answers if we are to develop fuller understandings of the technologies we regulate. In this way, ethical enquiry can help lawyers bridge both the normative and epistemic gaps that they are so often faced with in the regulation of emerging technologies.
Renew Europe | The science & ethics of gene drive technology from a conservation & development perspective
16584Renew Europe, Renew Europe, 2021-03-05 15:18:26.
This hearing intends to examine gene-drive technology and its possible impacts, including unintended ones and reveal the complexity of an unknown technology with inherent uncertainties. Scientists from different backgrounds in the field of gene-drive research will present most recent scientific findings and allow us to exchange on a technical, but also ethical debate. Hosted by MEPs Soraya Rodríguez & Charles Goerens with a keynote speech by Commissioner for Envinronment Virginijus Sinkevičius.
How Brussels can help or hinder the fight against malaria
16511F. Okumu, EURACTIV, 2021-03-01 21:46:44.
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 its safety and efficacy. For years, the EU has provided the global gold standard for protecting human health and safety while fostering scientific innovation to improve lives and wellbeing. Heading into a crucial decade for world preservation, the EU has another chance to unleash the power of science in the search for solutions to existential challenges both at home and in neighbouring regions.
Designing gene drives to limit spillover to non-target populations
16516G. Greenbaum, M. W. Feldman, N. A. Rosenberg and J. Kim, PLOS Genetics, 17:e1009278. 2021-02-25 15:02:27.
We develop mathematical models of gene-drive dynamics that incorporate migration between a target and non-target populations to investigate the possibility of effectively applying a gene drive in the target population while limiting its spillovers to the non-target population (‘differential targeting’). We observe that the feasibility of differential targeting depends on the gene-drive design specification, as well as on the migration rates between the populations. Even when differential targeting is possible, as migration increases, the possibility for differential targeting disappears. We find that differential targeting can be effective for low migration rates, and that it is sensitive to the design of the gene drive under high migration rates. We suggest that differential targeting could be used, in combination with other mitigation measures, as an additional safeguard to limit gene drive spillovers.
Plain language summary: How do we have a public conversation about new technologies for conservation? The possibilities and pitfalls of scientific language
16409Annonymous, Relational Thinking, 2021-02-17 18:30:27.
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 tool could eliminate rats from islands, like New Zealand, where rats have a devastating impact on native species. While holding much potential, the New Zealand public has shown hesitation towards genetic tools. In our study, we investigated how four articles, each emphasizing a different aspect of gene drive (i.e., humaneness, pragmatism, decision making, and scientific innovation), impacted opinion towards gene drive alongside people’s emotional responses, biases, and perceived risks towards the tool.
A Code of Ethics for Gene Drive Research
16379G. J. Annas, C. L. Beisel, K. Clement, A. Crisanti, S. Francis, M. Galardini, R. Galizi, J. Grünewald, G. Immobile, A. S. Khalil, R. Müller, V. Pattanayak, K. Petri, L. Paul, L. Pinello, A. Simoni, C. Taxiarchi and J. K. Joung, The CRISPR Journal, 4:19:1-8. 2021-02-10 14:57:13.
A code of ethics can be a useful tool for all parties involved in the development and regulation of gene drives and can be used to help ensure that a balanced analysis of risks, benefits, and values is taken into consideration for the interest of society and humanity. We have developed a code of ethics for gene drive research with the hope that this code will encourage the development of an international framework that includes ethical guidance of gene drive research and is incorporated into scientific practice by gaining broad agreement and adherence.
Assisting Evolution: How Far Should We Go to Help Species Adapt?
16369E. Kolbert, YaleEnvironment360, 2021-02-09 20:28:55.
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 1997. The project sprawls over 47 square miles of red earth and scrub. It’s entirely surrounded by a six-foot-tall fence, which is designed to keep out feral cats and foxes. Inside the main fence is a series of smaller fenced-in paddocks. Several years ago, Moseby decided to start adding cats into some of these. Her reasoning was simple and, in its own way, radical. The outback ecosystem had been so fundamentally changed, that, if the native animals were to survive, they would have to change, too. Perhaps they could be trained to avoid cats, which were introduced to the country by the British colonists and now can be found virtually everywhere in Australia, including most islands.
Should we dim the sun? Will we even have a choice
16384E. Klein, New York Times, 2021-02-09 15:06:18.
“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 journalists of this time, and particularly one of the great climate journalists of this age. But this book, this book’s existence is evidence of how badly that fight is going. This is a book about what we are going to need to contemplate in the coming years that we don’t want to. It’s a book about taking responsibility for how irreversibly we have altered the natural world; how often we have tried to control it, and then watched those attempts at control fail; how often the best most scientific minds of the age have come up with some brilliant solution, implemented it, and then watched calamity result. And at the same time — and this is what makes the book so worthwhile — it is a book about how there is no going back. Not now, not ever. We are in the Anthropocene. The future from here is an endless layering on of new efforts to control the consequences of our past efforts. We don’t get to flinch or pretend we don’t have to contemplate any of this. We’ve gone too far. One of the hardest things to do as a writer — and I tell you this from personal experience — is to write ambivalence. It’s easy to write a polemic or a sharp take. It is hard to write down the middle path, where you are simply describing things as they are, knowing that every possible obvious answer you can come to is probably a bad one, knowing that the hubris embedded in past attempts to solve this problem means any future brilliant idea is likely to end that way, too, but that doesn’t mean we can do nothing. But Kolbert walks that path really beautifully here, which is why I wanted to talk to her for the show. As always, my email is [email protected]. I’m always interested to know who you’d like to see on the show. The weirder, the better. So send me your guest suggestions. Here’s Elizabeth Kolbert.
Playing God and tampering with nature: popular labels for real concerns in synthetic biology
16201L. Carter, A. Mankad, E. V. Hobman and N. B. Porter, Transgenic Research, 2021-01-27 15:26:41.
We present the findings from a large Australian study (N = 4593) which suggests ‘playing God’ objections and their variants can be multilayered and, at times, accompanied by meaningful information about risk perceptions. We use qualitative analysis of ope
Exploring Gene Drive Technologies in Agriculture, Biodiversity and Human Disease
15963The GBIRd Partnership and The GeneConvene Global Collaborative, Gene Drive Research Forum, 2021-01-14 21:37:12.
The GBIRd Partnership and The GeneConvene Global Collaborative recently collaborated through The Gene Drive Research Forum, to create and produce an engaging conversation between Drs. Fred Gould and Charles Godfray about gene drive technologies – the potential benefits and complicating factors for agriculture, biodiversity, and human disease.
CRISPR and the splice to survive: New gene-editing technology could be used to save species from extinction—or to eliminate them.
16011E. Kolbert, New Yorker, 2021-01-11 14:25:59.
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, but it promptly got out of control itself, producing an ecological disaster. Researchers at the A.C.D.P. were hoping to put the toad back in the bottle, as it were, using crispr.
Conservation pest control with new technologies: public perceptions
15913E. A. MacDonald, M. B. Neff, E. Edwards, F. Medvecky and J. Balanovic, Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand, 2021-01-04 13:45:38.
We conducted eleven focus groups in New Zealand to explore three questions about novel technologies (gene drive and two others for comparison of pest control tools): (1) what are the risks/benefits? (2) how do they compare to current methods? and (3) who should be represented on a panel that evaluates the tools and what factors should they consider?
The New Yorker Magazine: Gene Drives as a Tool for Saving Nature
16277E. Heber, Island Conservation, 2021-01-03 17:07:04.
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 to recovering nearly-extinct trees to eradicating invasive mice through attrition, all to understand the possibilities this tool could hold.
Invasive Species Control and Resolution of Wildlife Damage Conflicts: A Framework for Chemical and Genetically Based Management Methods
15286L. Clark, J. Eisemann, J. Godwin, K. E. Horak, K. Oh, J. O’Hare, A. Piaggio, K. Pepin and E. Ruell, GMOs: Implications for Biodiversity Conservation and Ecological Processes, 2020-12-02 16:52:40.
Vertebrate wildlife damage management relates to developing and employing methods to mitigate against damage caused by wildlife in the areas of food production, property damage, and animal or human health and safety. Of the many management tools available
GMOs: Implications for Biodiversity Conservation and Ecological Processes
15283Chaurasia, Anurag , Hawksworth, David L., Pessoa de Miranda, Manoela., GMOs: Implications for Biodiversity Conservation and Ecological Processes, 2020-12-02 16:45:05.
This book covers a broad spectrum of topics related to GMOs and allied new gene-based technologies, biodiversity, and ecosystem processes, bringing together the contributions of researchers and regulators from around the world. The aim is to offer a clear view of the benefits and effects of genetically modified crops, insects, and other animals on the soil microbiome and ecological processes. Contributors examine issues related to the development of risk assessment procedures and regulations designed to maximize benefits while minimizing risks. Beyond the scientific challenges of GMOs, the book explores the broad and contentious terrain of ethical considerations. The contributors discuss such questions as the unintended, possibly unforeseen, consequences of releasing GMOs into ecosystems, and the likelihood that the full effects of GMOs could take years, even decades, of close monitoring to become evident. The importance of developing a precautionary approach is stressed.
Engineering biological diversity: the international governance of synthetic biology, gene drives, and de-extinction for conservation
15251J. L. Reynolds, Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability, 49:1-6. 2020-11-17 18:23:24.
In the face of insufficient progress in conserving and restoring biodiversity, the in situ use of advanced genetic modification, gene drives, and other biotechnologies for conservation purposes are being considered, researched, and developed. This paper introduces the methods, applications, environmental risks, and social challenges of ‘conservationist synthetic biology’; reviews existing governance, with an emphasis on international instruments, institutions, and processes; and offers observations of the politics of developing further governance. The most important multilateral environmental agreement is the Convention on Biological Diversity. Governance of such conservationist synthetic biology is vital but gaps remain. The further development of governance is a political process, and conservationist synthetic biology has a political landscape that is atypical for emerging technologies.
Gene drives, species, and compassion for individuals in conservation biology
15072Y. Rohwer, Ethics, Policy and Environment, 2020-11-10 18:20:29.
In this paper I argue that these compassionate conservationists have a moral obligation to support the investigation and development of genetic modification technologies because of their potential to minimize suffering and eliminate killing in conservation. Furthermore, I will end the paper by suggesting that these genetic technologies can help avoid actions that could be damaging to one's moral character.
When Extinction is Warranted: Invasive Species, Suppression-Drives, and the Worst-Case Scenario
15050A. C. Thresher, Ethics, Policy and Environment, 2020-11-09 19:31:52.
The focus of this paper is on one such risk ? the danger of a suppression-drive escaping containment and wiping out the target species globally. Here, I argue that in most cases this risk is significant enough to warrant holding off on the technology. In some cases, however, we can bypass the precautionary principle by using a dominance approach that hinges on what I term the ?Worst-Case Clause?. This clause, in turn, provides us with a litmus test that can be fruitfully used to determine what species are viable targets for suppression-drives in the wild. Using this metric in concert with other considerations, I suggest that only three species are currently possible viable targets ? the European rabbit, ship rat, and Caribbean Tree Frog.
GeneConvene Global Collaborative | Research and Innovation for biodiversity: what role for gene drive research?
14968EP Intergroup CCBSD, European Bureau of Conservation and Development, 2020-11-06 19:06:04.
This webinar will provide an overview of how gene drive works and the problems it seeks to solve, introduce the most advanced research projects on gene drive in the sector of public health and conservation and present the work that international and European bodies such as WHO, IUCN and EFSA are carrying out on gene drive. It will also be an opportunity to address any questions participants may have with regards to gene drive and stimulate an open debate on the safe and responsible development of the research in this field.
Modeling CRISPR gene drives for suppression of invasive rodents
15003S. E. Champer, N. Oakes, R. Sharma, P. García-Díaz, J. Champer and P. W. Messer, bioRxiv, 2020.11.05.369942. 2020-11-05 15:27:54.
Here, we develop a high-fidelity model of an island population of invasive rodents that includes three types of suppression gene drive systems. The individual-based model is spatially explicit and allows for overlapping generations and a fluctuating population size. Our model includes variables for drive fitness, efficiency, resistance allele formation rate, as well as a variety of ecological parameters.
Interview with Professor Austin Burt: Role of gene drive technology in the context of the EU’s Biodiversity Strategy 2030
14874S. Dunphy, European Scientist, 2020-10-28 14:10:38.
In view of these conditions, leading scientists are calling on EU institutions to continue to back research into gene drive as a potential tool to protect public health and deliver on Europe’s biodiversity goals. Experts believe gene drive technologies could be a vital and effective solution in developing countries and islands, as well as across Europe.
Why the UK could end up deploying risky gene drives while ignoring natural biological control
14385J. Mathews, GM Watch, 2020-09-14 15:10:57.
First they cloned Dolly the sheep. Now they’re targeting grey squirrels
Teach Me in 10 – Gene Drive Research with Dr. Jennifer Baltzegar
14362J. Baltzegar, Technology Networks, 2020-09-10 15:44:16.
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.
Underlying beliefs linked to public opinion about gene drive and pest-specific toxin for pest control
14331E. A. MacDonald, E. Edwards, J. Balanovic and F. Medvecky, Wildlife Research, 2020-09-08 18:03:31.
Public engagement that acknowledges and responds to these underlying beliefs, rather than a traditional campaign based on biodiversity and environmental gains, may be more effective at creating a constructive dialogue about if and how these tools should be used, and to avoid replicating the polarised debate about 1080.
Generating single-sex litters: development of CRISPR-Cas9 genetic tools to produce all-male offspring
14343C. Douglas, V. Maciulyte, J. Zohren, D. M. Snell, O. A. Ojarikre, P. J. Ellis and J. M. A. Turner, bioRxiv, 2020.09.07.285536. 2020-09-07 18:52:30.
Using the mouse as a model, we developed a synthetic, two-part bicomponent strategy for generating all-male litters.
Governing New Biotechnologies for Biodiversity Conservation: Gene Drives, International Law, and Emerging Politics
14258J. L. Reynolds, Global Environmental Politics, 20:28-48. 2020-08-31 14:28:38.
This article describes and analyzes the international law and politics of gene drives’ research, development, and possible use, with an emphasis on their potential biodiversity applications.
Researchers’ Plan To Release Genetically Engineered American Chestnut Trees in Forests Will Set Dangerous Precedents If Approved
13890Global Justice Ecology Project, Common Dreams, 2020-08-18 13:20:50.
Researchers are working with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to finalize a petition requesting the unprecedented approval of a genetically engineered (GE or genetically modified) tree designed to be planted in our forests and spread freely in the wild. Once the internal petition process is complete, the USDA will release it for public comment. This is expected to occur at any time.
Maintenance management and eradication of established aquatic invaders
13936D. Simberloff, Hydrobiologia, 22. 2020-08-06 13:34:15.
The rapid development of technologies based on genetics has engendered excitement about possibly eradicating or controlling terrestrial invaders, and such technologies may also prove useful for certain aquatic invaders. Methods of particular interest, alone or in various combinations, are gene-silencing, RNA-guided gene drives, and the use of transgenes.
Lettre ouverte a Monsieur le Premier Ministre demandant l’interdiction de la production, de l’utilisation et de la dissémination de tout OGM issu du forçage génétique
13447A. Bossu, N. Laarman, D. Houdebine, H. Le Meur, F. Jacquemart and F. Warlop, Open Letter, 2020-07-22 15:04:01.
A. Bossu, N. Laarman, D. Houdebine, H. Le Meur, F. Jacquemart and F. Warlop (2020). Open Letter. An open letter from French civil society organizations urging the French Parliament to support a resolution at the upcoming Convention on Biodiversity that would call for a moratorium on the release of organisms containing engineered gene drive technologies.
Conservation implications of disease control
12540J. C. Buck, S. B. Weinstein, G. Titcomb and H. S. Young, Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, 6. 2020-06-08 15:44:22.
Infectious diseases have indelibly altered human history and, in doing so, have shaped the ecology and conservation of the natural world. Attempts to control diseases often result in adverse environmental impacts, including habitat degradation and unintended outcomes such as effects on non-target species. However, in instances where the most effective strategy is to physically avoid specific species or habitats, disease can also provide critical de facto conservation benefits to organisms and ecosystems. Increasingly, new genome-editing technologies offer the potential to eradicate long-term health scourges, which disproportionately affect people in developing countries. It will be critical to incorporate an understanding of the ecological consequences of disease control - including those mediated by changes in human behavior - into management strategies, and to do so without propagating environmental injustice. In this way, scientists, resource managers, and health practitioners can help to ensure that gains for human health do not result in losses for the natural world.
Le forçage génétique (gène drive) et ses applications
18210V. Courtier-Orgogozo, Bulletin de l'Académie Vétérinaire de France, 172:94-98. 2020-05-18 15:11:30.
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. This article presents the current developments in this biotechnology, as well as the issues and risks associated with it.
The EU not ready for the release of Gene drive organisms into the environment.
11602Pensoft Publishers, ScienceDaily, 2020-05-07 15:59:25.
In their study, published in the open-access journal BioRisk, an international group of scientists led by Marion Dolezel from the Environment Agency Austria, discuss the potential risks and impacts on the environment.
GENE DRIVE ORGANISMS: Implications for the environment and nature conservation
16092M. Dolezel, S. Simon, M. Otto, M. Engelhard and W. Zughart, Umweltbundesamt, 2020-04-09 15:46:47.
Recent advances in biotechnology aim at the genetic modification of wild living populations. Some potential applications consider self-propagating genetic elements to generate gene drive organisms (GDOs), also for nature conservation. Due to the potential of GDOs to spread spatially and temporally unlimited, impacts on the environment and ecosystems may be irreversible and are difficult to predict. This technical report summarizes the status of gene drive applications currently discussed in the scientific literature. It outlines their potential implications for the environment and nature conservation and highlights challenges with respect to the environmental risk assessment and post-release monitoring of GDOs, in particular in a context of high complexity and uncertainty.
The risks of using gene drives to get rid of ‘pesky species’
8176R. Lewis, Genetic Literacy Project, 2020-03-13 19:45:32.
The mammals of New Zealand have long posed a threat to native species. The Predator Free 2050 program is an effort to rid the island of these invaders – including using the tools of CRISPR-based genome editing to create a gene drive to jumpstart extinctions. It’s a very bad idea.
Stakeholder workshop “Problem formulation for the environmental risk assessment of gene drive modified insects” (15 May 2019, Brussels)
8192European Food Safety, A., Devos, Y., Gallani, B. & Firbank, L. G, A. European Food Safety, Y. Devos, B. Gallani and L. G. Firbank, 17:1819E. 2020-03-09 20:12:26.
Recent advances in molecular and synthetic biology are enabling the engineering of gene drives that spread genes of interest through interbreeding populations at a frequency greater than the rate expected by simple Mendelian inheritance. At present, insects represent the most likely cases of gene drive modified organisms for deliberate release into the environment. Through an open workshop, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) aimed to engage with stakeholders to discuss potential environmental risks associated with the deliberate release into the environment of gene drive modified insects. Workshop participants were invited to contribute to an example problem formulation to: (1) identify relevant broad protection goals and make them operational for use in environmental risk assessment; (2) formally devise examples of plausible pathways to harm that describe how the deployment of gene drive modified insects could be harmful; (3) formulate example risk hypotheses about the likelihood and severity of such events; (4) identify possible information that would be useful to test these risk hypotheses; and (5) identify how to acquire new data for hypothesis testing when existing information is deemed insufficient for regulatory decision-making. The problem formulation exercise was run for two hypothetical case studies (i.e. self-sustaining low threshold gene drives to control disease-spreading mosquitoes (Aedes albopictus, the Asian tiger mosquito) and agricultural pests (Drosophila suzukii, the spotted-wing Drosophila)). Points raised by the workshop participants reveal different often contrasting opinions/perspectives toward gene drive and their risk assessment. Overall, there was agreement that the problem formulation process is fit-for-purpose for the environmental risk assessment of gene drive modified insects, but it was acknowledged that practical challenges may be encountered. Points raised by the workshop participants, on defining protection goals, formulating specific pathways to harm and on structuring risks, have been considered by EFSA's Panel on genetically modified organisms during its deliberations.
NZ’s great pest-free quest: can we get there?
8181J. Morton, NZ Herald, 2020-03-09 19:58:28.
The Government has unveiled how it plans to rid New Zealand of possums, rats and stoats by 2050 – but there's no specific mention of contentious gene-editing technology that many scientists say will be needed. The Predator Free 2050 strategy, being formally launched this morning by Conservation Minister Eugenie Sage, sets out a basic structure for the ambitious mission, while an accompanying action plan focuses on work for the next five years. The 2050 goal, first announced by the previous National-led government in 2016, forms one of New Zealand's principal efforts to turn the tide on pests killing some 25 million native birds each year. The just-released strategy focused on three steps: mobilising groups and setting up collaborations around the country; developing "new and transformational tools and techniques" that'll be required to eradicate the pests; and then applying these at scale across the countryside.
What squirrels can teach us about why, when, and how to use gene drives
8184Rebecca Nesbit, synbiobeta, 2020-03-05 20:03:01.
As the last ice age drew to a close, red squirrels made Britain their home. They adapted to a changing landscape and thrived as the UK’s only squirrel species. That all changed in 1876 when grey squirrels were introduced to England from North America as an ornamental species in the grounds of stately homes.
Risk assessment challenges of synthetic gene drive organisms
12529E. Sirinathsinghji, TWN Biosafety Briefing, 2020-03-01 15:12:11.
Engineering Bugs, Resurrecting Species: The Wild World of Synthetic Biology for Conservation
7242P. Rejcek, Singularity Hub, 2020-02-02 15:56:24.
Imagine a world where a mosquito bite is just an itchy annoyance. No malaria. No dengue fever. Last month, scientists announced they had taken one more step toward that vision. A paper in the journal PLOS Pathogens described how they synthetically engineered mosquitoes to stop the spread of dengue fever, a viral tropical disease that sickens as many as 100 million people each year. Now imagine genetically tweaking an invasive species of mosquito to save native Hawaiian birds from extinction, or transferring genes from one species of endangered chestnut tree to another to help the latter resist blight. Employing the same sort of genetic engineering used to make a plant-based burger bleed, scientists are beginning to explore the ways synthetic biology could help protect biodiversity and conserve species.
Can CRISPR Save Tufty Fluffytail?
6954L. Tracey, JSTOR Daily, 2020-01-24 16:19:51.
The native red squirrel population in the UK has been decimated by the encroachment of its American cousin, an invasive species. Could a “gene drive” hel
Mosquitoes Genetically Engineered To Resist Dengue Fever
6951R. Bailey, reason, 2020-01-24 16:17:17.
Gene drives could spread this beneficial trait through wild mosquito populations.
Regulation of GM Organisms for Invasive Species Control
6701H. J. Mitchell and D. Bartsch, Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology, 7:1-11. 2020-01-21 18:17:37.
Invasive species can cause significant harm to the environment, agriculture, and human health, but there are often very limited tools available to control their populations. Gene drives (GD) have been proposed as a new tool which could be used to control or eliminate such species. Here, GD describes a variety of molecular biology applications which all enable the introduction of genetic elements at a higher than expected frequency. These elements can change the genotypes in target populations rapidly with consequences either for (intrinsic) fitness or host-parasite interaction, or both. Beneficial applications are foreseen for human and animal health, agriculture, or nature conservation. This rapidly developing technology is likely to have major impacts in the fight against various diseases, pests, and invasive species. The majority of GD applications involve genetic engineering and novel traits. Therefore, applicants and GMO regulators need to interact to achieve the benefits in innovation while cautiously avoiding unacceptable risks. The release into the environment may include transboundary movement and replacement of target populations, with potential impact on human/animal health and the environment. This article summarizes knowledge-based discussions to identify information gaps and analyzes scenarios for responsible introduction of GD organisms into the environment. It aims to connect the latest scientific developments with regulatory approaches and decision-making.
DNA ‘edit’ that could wipe out grey invaders
6249Levy, A., Scottish Daily Mail, 2020-01-07 19:25:25.
It is the big, brash invasive species whose advance has left the native red squirrel clinging on for survival in areas where once it thrived. But the march of the grey squirrel could be halted by a 'gene drive', say researchers at the laboratory responsible for Dolly the sheep.
Metaphor, Trust and Support for Non-native Species Control
13833P. A. Kohl, S. J. Collins and M. Eichholz, Environmental Communication, 14:672-685. 2020-01-07 15:29:47.
This experimental study used a representative sample of U.S. residents (N = 1,042) to test whether the use of the term "invasive" increases support for non-native species control efforts. The term invasive had a small influence on support for two out of three non-native species control methods. We also found stronger support for control methods using gene editing technologies than control methods using poison.
Scenario analysis on the use of rodenticides and sex-biasing gene drives for the removal of invasive house mice on islands
6221M. E. Serr, R. X. Valdez, K. S. Barnhill-Dilling, J. Godwin, T. Kuiken and M. Booker, Biological Invasions, 2020-01-06 21:34:59.
Since the 1960s conservation efforts have focused on recovering island biodiversity by eradicating invasive rodents. These eradication campaigns have led to considerable conservation gains, particularly for nesting seabirds. However, eradications are complex and lengthy endeavors and are even more challenging when humans are co-inhabitants of the targeted island. Furthermore, the method of eradication matters and recent proposals to consider genetic technologies for rodent eradication require specific scrutiny. One such technology is the potential use of a gene drive for biasing offspring sex ratios in invasive house mice, Mus musculus, that would spread and prevent the production of one sex, allowing die-off from lack of reproduction and natural attrition. Practitioners can gain insight into the potential for adoption of this technology from examining stakeholder engagement. This paper uses scenario analysis to address the eradication of rodents on inhabited and uninhabited islands, by specifically comparing the traditional approach of using rodenticides with sex-biasing gene drives. Concurrently the International Union for Conservation of Nature is assessing the risks and value of gene drives in general for conservation. Hence, we make the case that the ethical challenges with the use of gene drive sex-biasing techniques and the effectiveness of this tool will rely as much on its public acceptance and its democratic use as the actual science used to construct the technology.
Red squirrels to thrive again in Britain as new plan considered to eradicate grey breed
6246Hudson, W., Express, 2020-01-06 19:17:19.
RED SQUIRRELS could soon be thriving in Britain again as a new plan to put an end to destructive grey squirrels is being developed. The 150 year reign of the grey squirrel could come to a halt from DNA editing to ensure all future females are born infertile. Researchers at the Roslin Institute want to create gene-edited squirrels for eventual release into the wild. The genetics laboratory is renowned for its 1996 creation of Dolly the Sheep, the world’s first mammal cloned from an adult cell.
Scientists want to hack grey squirrels to death
6243Cutlack, C., Gizmodo, 2020-01-06 19:11:01.
Scottish scientists are planning to hack the DNA of the often-hated grey squirrel, in hope that selectively breeding a broken female strain could lead to their eventual eradication from the wild. It's the only way a map of Scotland is likely to turn red in the foreseeable future.
Scientists behind Dolly the sheep want to edit squirrel DNA to get rid of greys and protect reds UK
6240Bedoya, D., Inforsurhoy, 2020-01-06 19:05:21.
The scientists who cloned Dolly the sheep are now targeting grey squirrels in a bid to rid Britain of them altogether.
First they cloned Dolly the sheep. Now they’re targeting grey squirrels
6218Leake, J., The Times, 2020-01-05 21:25:05.
For 150 years they have wreaked havoc on Britain’s woods and wildlife, but the destructive reign of the grey squirrel could soon be over — ended by DNA editing to ensure that all future females are born infertile. Researchers at the Roslin Institute, the genetics laboratory renowned for its 1996 creation of Dolly the Sheep, the world’s first mammal cloned from an adult cell, want to create gene-edited squirrels for eventual release into the wild.
Dolly the sheep scientists hope DNA editing can wipe out grey squirrels
6215McLaughlin, M., The Scotsman, 2020-01-05 21:20:21.
They have been poisoned, shot at, and stumbled into traps laid by those who regard them as a ruinous blight on the country’s woodland and wildlife. But now, the grey squirrel is facing arguably its biggest threat yet, with plans to harness the cutting edge of genetic science to bring their destructive reign to an end.
Gene drives : equity demands civility
6184N. Kofler, Nature, 565:25. 2020-01-03 19:10:06.
At the 14th Conference of the Parties of the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity late last year, I witnessed the rapid deterioration of a crucial discussion. It was on the potential of synthetic biology in environmental conservation. What started as heckling turned into a yelling match of misinformation. Such disruptive behaviour robbed the global community of a rare opportunity to debate gene drives in a meaningful way. Sidelined young scientists, country delegates and others watched in disbelief.
Genetic frontiers for conservation: An assessment of synthetic biology and biodiversity conservation
16089K. H. Redford, T. Brooks, M., B. W. Nicholas and J. S. A. Macfarlane, International Union for Conservation of Nature, 2019-12-01 15:41:26.
This assessment is the beginning of a process that will lead to the development of an IUCN policy to guide the Union’s Director General, Commissions, and Members. The draft policy will be discussed in many fora before it is brought to vote at the World Conservation Congress in 2020. Far greater public attention to the topic of synthetic biology and biodiversity conservation is essential, given the potential impact of scientific discoveries and policy decisions that may be just over the horizon, and also given the need for broad partnerships to address the challenges that the conservation and synthetic biology communities will inevitably face
Rodent gene drives for conservation: opportunities and data needs
6386J. Godwin, M. Serr, K. Barnhill-Dilling, D. V. Blondel, P. R. Brown, K. Campbell, J. Delborne, A. L. Lloyd, K. P. Oh, T. A. A. Prowse, R. Saah and P. Thomas, Proceedings of the Royal Society B-Biological Sciences, 286:20191606. 2019-11-10 16:22:06.
Invasive rodents impact biodiversity, human health and food security worldwide. The biodiversity impacts are particularly significant on islands, which are the primary sites of vertebrate extinctions and where we are reaching the limits of current control technologies. Gene drives may represent an effective approach to this challenge, but knowledge gaps remain in a number of areas. This paper is focused on what is currently known about natural and developing synthetic gene drive systems in mice, some key areas where key knowledge gaps exist, findings in a variety of disciplines relevant to those gaps and a brief consideration of how engagement at the regulatory, stakeholder and community levels can accompany and contribute to this effort. Our primary species focus is the house mouse, Mus musculus, as a genetic model system that is also an important invasive pest. Our primary application focus is the development of gene drive systems intended to reduce reproduction and potentially eliminate invasive rodents from islands. Gene drive technologies in rodents have the potential to produce significant benefits for biodiversity conservation, human health and food security. A broad-based, multidisciplinary approach is necessary to assess this potential in a transparent, effective and responsible manner.
Gene Drive and Thinking Animals
5541Island Conservation, 2019-11-04 20:54:55.
Royden Saah, Island Conservation's GBIRd program manager, recently spoke at the Thinking Animals Summit alongside Leilani Münter, a former professional race car driver and environmental activist. The Genetic Biocontrol of Invasive Rodents partnership (GBIRd) is designed for exactly that purpose. The partnership is made up of governments, NGOs, and research universities that are dedicated to understanding if the use of gene drives in mice can effectively eradicate invasive rodents on islands as well as the social implications of this science.
Herbicide resistant weeds: A call to integrate conventional agricultural practices, molecular biology knowledge and new technologies
6040V. E. Perotti, A. S. Larran, V. E. Palmieri, A. K. Martinatto and H. R. Permingeat, Plant Science, 290:110255. 2019-09-06 21:01:14.
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 anthropological, biological, and environmental factors have defined a higher rate of herbicide resistance evolution in numerous weed species around the world. This review focuses on two central points: 1) how these factors have affected the resistance evolution process; and 2) which cultural practices and new approaches would help to achieve an effective integrated weed management. We claim that global climate change is an unnoticed factor that may be acting on the selection of HR weeds, especially those evolving into non-target-site resistance mechanisms. And we present several new tools –such as Gene Drive and RNAi technologies- that may be adopted to cope with herbicide resistance spread, as well as discuss their potential application at field level. This is the first review that integrates agronomic and molecular knowledge of herbicide resistance. It covers not only the genetic basis of the most relevant resistance mechanisms but also the strengths and weaknesses of traditional and forthcoming agricultural practices.
How gene drives could transform pest control
5530TEDx Youth, 2019-08-13 19:49:22.
In New Zealand, 25 million native birds are killed each year by introduced predators. New Zealand has an ambitious goal to be predator free by the year 2050; however, current pest control methods will not achieve this goal. In this thought-provoking and compelling talk, researcher Anna Clark makes the case to add gene drives to the pest control tool box in order to protect New Zealand’s unique native species.
The potential of genomics for restoring ecosystems and biodiversity
13616M. F. Breed, P. A. Harrison, C. Blyth, M. Byrne, V. Gaget, N. J. C. Gellie, S. V. C. Groom, R. Hodgson, J. G. Mills, T. A. A. Prowse, D. A. Steane and J. J. Mohr, Nature Reviews Genetics, 20:615-628. 2019-07-12 13:13:41.
Existing and emerging genomics tools offer the potential to improve the odds of achieving these targets. These tools include population genomics that can improve seed sourcing, meta-omics that can improve assessment and monitoring of restoration outcomes, and genome editing that can generate novel genotypes for restoring challenging environments.
Self-destructing mosquitoes and sterilized rodents: the promise of gene drives
6645M. Scudellari, Nature, 571:160-162. 2019-07-09 20:27:18.
Altering the genomes of entire animal populations could help to defeat disease and control pests, but researchers worry about the consequences of unleashing this new technology.
Synthetic Biology and the United Nations
7967H.-E. Lai, C. Canavan, L. Cameron, S. Moore, M. Danchenko, T. Kuiken, Z. Sekeyová and P. S. Freemont, Trends in Biotechnology, 37:1146-1151. 2019-06-27 14:42:54.
Synthetic biology is a rapidly emerging interdisciplinary field of science and engineering that aims to redesign living systems through reprogramming genetic information. The field has catalysed global debate among policymakers and publics. Here we describe how synthetic biology relates to these international deliberations, particularly the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).
Exploring Stakeholder Perspectives on the Development of a Gene Drive Mouse for Biodiversity Protection on Islands: Workshop Report
11581M. Farooque, S. K. Barnhill-Dilling, J. Shapiro and J. Delborne, North Carolina State University, 2019-06-01 15:28:38.
The “Exploring Stakeholder Perspectives on the Development of a Gene Drive Mouse for Biodiversity Protection” workshop was held on the North Carolina State University campus in Raleigh, NC on March 7-8, 2019, aiming to convene a diverse group of stakeholders, scientists, funders, and leaders for an exploration of perspectives on the development of a gene drive mouse for restoring biodiversity on islands. Information collected at the workshop is presented in this report to inform upcoming decisions by the NCSU-Safe Genes research team about research, testing, and potential deployment of technologies (the Safe Genes program does not fund any environmental releases of gene drive modified organisms), as well as future engagement activities.
Gene drives and the international biodiversity regime
18784F. Rabitz, Review of European, Comparative & International Environmental Law, 2019-05-17 17:30:54.
Gene drives are genetic modifications designed for rapidly diffusing traits throughout a target population. They are currently being proposed as biological control agents to combat, for instance, invasive alien species and disease vectors. They also raise concerns regarding their potential adverse effects on biological diversity. This text assesses gene drive governance under the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and its Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety. While gene drives are directly relevant for the objectives of both agreements, their regulatory frameworks have not kept up with the pace of technological change. The focus of this article is on the analysis of gaps and inconsistencies within both agreements. It highlights numerous elements of the CBD and the Cartagena Protocol that raise challenges for gene drive governance, such as matters related to regulatory scope, transboundary movements, precaution and invasive alien species.
When Policy Meets Practice: The Dilemma for Guidance on Risk Assessment Under the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety
34344Karen E Hokanson, Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology, 7. 2019-04-30 14:52:07.
Genetic pest management technologies to control invasive rodents
11576D. Kanavy and D. Threadgill, Island invasives: scaling up to meet the challenge, 2019-03-05 15:20:05.
Many strategies exist to manage invasive pests on islands, ranging from poison to trapping, with varying degrees of success. Genetic technologies are increasingly being applied to insect pests, but so far, not to vertebrates. We are implementing a genetic strategy to eradicate invasive mouse populations as another tool for pest control. Mus musculus, the common house mouse, is one of the most widespread invasive species. Mice threaten human health, agriculture, and biodiversity on many islands, particularly seabirds. Seabirds are endangered indirectly through competition for resources or predators being attracted by the mice or directly with mice attacking chicks and eggs. Rodenticides are the most common method of eradicating mice, but their use leads to poisoning of non-target species and has limited efficacy against mice. An approach that could eliminate non-target species impact would be to engineer daughterless mice linked to a gene drive system for self-sustained propagation. For this project, we have investigated exploiting a naturally occurring gene drive, the t-complex. Using the t w2 haplotype of the t-complex, we observed the t w2 haplotype being transmitted to offspring with a transmission distortion ratio of 95.3%. The daughterless phenotype is being accomplished by inserting the Sry gene (male sex-determining gene) into an autosome containing the tw2 haplotype via CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing. The presence of Sry will induce testis formation, regardless of the sex chromosomes naturally inherited. When Sry is inserted into the t-complex, the desired gene will spread through the population, eliminating female offspring. This model system will support studies to evaluate the effectiveness of crashing an invasive population without adversely affecting other
Trialling gene drives to control invasive species: what, where and how?
11573T. Harvey-Samuel, K. J. Campbell, M. Edgington and L. Alphey, Island invasives: scaling up to meet the challenge, 2019-03-05 15:16:48.
The control of invasive species would be enhanced through the addition of novel, more effective and sustainable pest management methods. One control option yet to be trialled in the field is to deploy transgene-based ‘Gene Drives’: technologies which force the inheritance of a genetic construct through the gene pool of a wild population, suppressing it or replacing it with a less harmful form. There is considerable interest in applying gene drives to currently intractable invasives across a broad taxonomic range. However, not all species will make efficient or safe targets for these technologies. Additionally, the safety and efficacy of these systems will vary according to where they are deployed, the specific molecular design chosen, and how these factors interact with the ecology of the target pest. Given the transformative but also controversial nature of gene drives, it is imperative that their first field trials are able to successfully demonstrate that they can be used safely and efficiently. Here, we discuss how to maximise the probability of this outcome through considering three important questions: What types of invasive species should we use to trial gene drives? Where should we be trialling them? and How should these trials be conducted? In particular, we focus on the ecological, genetic and geographic features of small, isolated islands which make them ideal locations for these initial trials. A case study of an island invasive that is deemed highly appropriate for gene drive intervention, and for which gene drive development is currently underway (Mus musculus), is used to further explore these concepts
Towards a genetic approach to invasive rodent eradications: assessing reproductive competitiveness between wild and laboratory mice
11570M. Serr, N. Heard and J. Godwin, Island invasives: scaling up to meet the challenge, 2019-03-05 15:10:12.
House mice are significant invasive pests, particularly on islands without native mammalian predators. As part of a multi-institutional project aimed at suppressing invasive mouse populations on islands, we aim to create heavily male-biased sex ratios with the goal of causing the populations to crash. Effective implementation of this approach will depend on engineered F1 wild-lab males being effective secondary invaders that can mate successfully. As a first step in assessing this possibility, we are characterising genetic and behavioural differences between Mus musculus strains in terms of mating and fecundity using wild house mice derived from an invasive population on the Farallon Islands (MmF), a laboratory strain C57BL/6/129 (tw2), and F1 wild-lab off spring. Mice with the ‘t allele’ (tw2) have a naturally occurring gene drive system. To assess fertility in F1 wild-lab crosses, tw2 males were paired with wild-derived females from the Farallon Islands (MmF). Results of these matings indicate litter sizes are comparable but that weaned pup and adult wild-lab mice are heavier in mass. Next, we initiated tests of male competitiveness using larger (3 m2 ) enclosures with enrichment. We introduced both an MmF and a tw2-bearing male to two MmF females to assess mating outcomes. Preliminary results of these experiments show none of the offspring carried the t-allele. However, performing the same experiment with F1 wildlab males instead of a full lab background resulted in 70% of off spring carrying the t w2 allele. This indicates that F1 wildlab males may be able to successfully compete and secondarily invade. It will be important in subsequent experiments to determine what characteristics contribute to secondary invasion success. More generally, a better understanding of characteristics contributing to overall success in increasingly complex and naturalistic environments will be critical in determining the potential of a gene drive-based eradication approach for invasive mice on islands
A potential new tool for the toolbox: assessing gene drives for eradicating invasive rodent populations
11550K. J. Campbell, J. R. Saah, P. R. Brown, J. Godwin, F. Gould, G. R. Howald, A. Piaggio, P. Thomas, D. M. Tompkins, D. Threadgill, J. Delborne, D. Kanavy, T. Kuiken, H. Packard, M. Serr and A. Shiels, Island invasives: scaling up to meet the challenge, 2019-03-05 14:59:34.
Invasive rodents have significant negative impacts on island biodiversity. All but the smallest of rodent eradications currently rely on island-wide rodenticide applications. Although signifi cant advances have been made in mitigating unintended impacts, rodent eradication on inhabited islands remains extremely challenging. Current tools restrict eradication eff orts to fewer than 15% of islands with critically endangered or endangered species threatened by invasive rodents. The Genetic Biocontrol of Invasive Rodents partnership is an interdisciplinary collaboration to develop and evaluate gene drive technology for eradicating invasive rodent populations on islands. Technological approaches currently being investigated include the production of multiple strains of Mus musculus with a modifi ed form of the native t-complex, or a CRISPR gene drive, carrying genes or mechanisms that determine sex. These systems have the potential to skew the sex ratio of off spring to approach 100% single-sex, which could result in population collapse. One goal proposed is to test the ability of constructs to spread and increase in frequency in M. musculus populations in biosecure, captive settings and undertake modelling to inform development and potential deployment of these systems. Structured ecologically-based risk assessments are proposed, along with social and cultural engagement to assess the acceptability of releasing a gene drive system. Work will be guided by an external ethics advisory board. Partners are from three countries with significant regulatory capacity (USA, Australia, New Zealand). Thus, we will seek data sharing agreements so that results from experiments may be used within all three countries and treat regulatory requirements as a minimum. Species-specific, scalable, and socially acceptable new eradication tools could produce substantial biodiversity benefits not possible with current technologies. Gene drive innovation may provide such a tool for invasive species management and be potentially transformative and worthy of exploring in an inclusive, responsible, and ethical manner.
Super-Mendelian inheritance mediated by CRISPR-Cas9 in the female mouse germline
3914Grunwald, HAG, V. M.; Poplawski, G.; Xu, X. R. S.; Bier, E.; Cooper, K. L., Nature, 566:105-109. 2019-01-12 00:00:00.
A gene drive biases the transmission of one of the two copies of a gene such that it is inherited more frequently than by random segregation. Highly efficient gene drive systems have recently been developed in insects, which leverage the sequence-targeted DNA cleavage activity of CRISPR-Cas9 and endogenous homology-directed repair mechanisms to convert heterozygous genotypes to homozygosity(1-4). If implemented in laboratory rodents, similar systems would enable the rapid assembly of currently impractical genotypes that involve multiple homozygous genes (for example, to model multigenic human diseases). To our knowledge, however, such a system has not yet been demonstrated in mammals. Here we use an active genetic element that encodes a guide RNA, which is embedded in the mouse tyrosinase (Tyr) gene, to evaluate whether targeted gene conversion can occur when CRISPR-Cas9 is active in the early embryo or in the developing germline. Although Cas9 efficiently induces double-stranded DNA breaks in the early embryo and male germline, these breaks are not corrected by homology-directed repair. By contrast, Cas9 expression limited to the female germline induces double-stranded breaks that are corrected by homology-directed repair, which copies the active genetic element from the donor to the receiver chromosome and increases its rate of inheritance in the next generation. These results demonstrate the feasibility of CRISPR-Cas9-mediated systems that bias inheritance of desired alleles in mice and that have the potential to transform the use of rodent models in basic and biomedical research.
Stakeholder attitudes towards the use of recombinant technology to manage the impact of an invasive species: Sea Lamprey in the North American Great Lakes
3951Thresher, REJ, M.; Drake, D. A. R., Biological Invasions, 21:575-586. 2019-01-09 00:00:00.
Several factors, including: (1) on-going difficulties of cost-effectively managing invasive species; (2) recent successes in using recombinant genetics to suppress mosquito populations; and, (3) developments in gene-drive technology, have re-invigorated interest in using genetic biotechnology to manage the impacts of invasive species. However, the extent to which there is social license' to develop and use these technologies has not been widely canvassed. We surveyed stakeholders involved directly and indirectly in managing Sea Lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) in the upper North American Great Lakes and a key community group of resource usersrecreational fishersto assess their support and concerns about researching, developing, and potentially implementing recombinant methods that an expert group assessed as likely to be effective in managing Sea Lamprey in the Great Lakes. Both groups overwhelmingly supported initiating R&D and, if risks were deemed very low, undertaking steps towards implementation. The key concern expressed by both groups was the risk of impacts to non-target taxa, including valued native populations of Sea Lamprey outside of the Great Lakes. Few respondents expressed opposition based on ethical or moral grounds, which contrasts with previous surveys on the use of recombinant technology in general. The broad support for R&D into recombinant approaches is likely to reflect trust in the nominated implementing agency (the Great Lakes Fishery Commission), its history of extensive consultation prior to undertaking management actions, and the hope that genetic biocontrol could solve the Sea Lamprey problem rather than simply managing it.
Conserving New Zealand’s native fauna: a review of tools being developed for the Predator Free 2050 programme
3929Murphy, ECR, J. C.; Broome, K. G.; Ryan, G. J.; Dowding, J. E., Journal of Ornithology, 160:883-892. 2019-01-07 00:00:00.
The endemic fauna of New Zealand evolved in the absence of mammalian predators and the introduction of the latter has been devastating. There have been numerous avian extinctions and 80% of the extant native avian taxa are currently threatened or at risk of extinction. Declines continue, and a fundamental change in predator management is required. In 2016 came the announcement of the ambitious Predator Free 2050 (PF 2050) programme, which aims to eradicate rats, mustelids, and Brushtail Possums from New Zealand by 2050. This paper reviews some of the many techniques being discussed or developed to implement the programme. Existing techniques are being refined and new tools are being developed. Research on new toxins, including those with potentially higher species specificity, is under way, and novel baits and toxin-delivery devices are being developed. Existing trap designs are being refined, and new self-resetting traps capable of multiple kills have been developed. Research is also under way on new lures and repellents. Eradications may be achieved in stages, and barriers (both natural and artificial) will be needed to protect areas already cleared. Current techniques will probably be inadequate to effect nationwide eradications, and new tools (possibly based on genetic technologies) will probably be required. Regulatory hurdles will need to be overcome, and community consultation and support (social licence) will be required throughout the programme. The use of some new technologies may be contentious, and not every new idea will necessarily be adopted. Technical, social, and organisational challenges exist, and national and international collaboration will be required for PF 2050 to succeed.
Sustainability as a framework for considering gene drive mice for invasive rodent eradication
3886Barnhill-Dilling, SKS, M.; Blondel, D. V.; Godwin, J., Sustainability, 11:1334. 2019-01-04 00:00:00.
Gene drives represent a dynamic and controversial set of technologies with applications that range from mosquito control to the conservation of biological diversity on islands. Currently, gene drives are being developed in mice that may one day serve as an important tool for reducing invasive rodent pests, a key threat to island biodiversity and economies. Gene drives in mice are still in development in laboratories, and wild release of modified mice is likely a distant reality. However, technological changes outpace the existing capacity of regulatory frameworks, and thus require integrated governance frameworks. We suggest sustainability-which gives equal consideration to the environment, economy, and society-as one framework for addressing complexity and uncertainty in the governance of emerging gene drive technologies for invasive species management. We explore the impacts of rodent gene drives on island environments, including potential conservation and restoration of island biodiversity. We outline considerations for rodent gene drives on island economies, including impacts on agricultural and tourism losses, and reductions in biosecurity costs. Finally, we address the social dimension as an essential space for deliberation that will be integral to evaluating the potential deployment of gene drive rodents on islands.
Biocontrol in Australia: Can a carp herpesvirus (CyHV-3) deliver safe and effective ecological restoration?
3924Kopf, RKB, M.; Finlayson, C. M.; Hodges, K.; Humphries, P.; King, A.; Kingsford, R. T.; Marshall, J.; McGinness, H. M.; Thresher, R.; Vanderplasschen, A., Biological Invasions, 21:1857-1870. 2019-01-02 00:00:00.
The Australian Government is considering Cyprinid herpesvirus 3 (CyHV-3) for biocontrol of invasive common carp (Cyprinus carpio L.). We review the evidence-base for its potential ecological risks, benefits and effectiveness. Lower carp abundance may boost native fish biomass and improve water clarity, but there is little evidence available to suggest that the virus, alone or used in combination with other methods, can deliver effective or safe biocontrol. Further, the virus may already be present in Australia. Overseas, the virus has caused sporadic and localized mortalities of carp in lakes and rivers, but has generally had no long-term measurable effect on wild carp or native fish populations. The temperature range of disease (18-28 degrees C), unknown co-factors causing outbreaks, and predictable re-colonization and recruitment boom of immune and virus-resistant carp, following a biocontrol release, remain formidable and unmitigated barriers to success. CyHV-3 infection trials on Australian biota have unexplained high mortality rates of recreationally-important and threatened fishes, and the role of asymptomatic carriers remains uncertain. Finally, Australia has national and international obligations to ensure that there are no perverse outcomes from biocontrol actions. Despite political pressure, there is no environmental justification to rush the release of this virus. To achieve the Government goals of restoring native biodiversity we advocate that key uncertainties, risks and efficacy barriers first need to be addressed. It is only then that viral biocontrol could be considered a viable tool to complement broader ecological restoration strategies for Australia's waterways.
CRISPR Gene Drive (Complete guide 2019)
5507Every Cell A Universe, 2018-11-18 18:59:09.
Crispr gene drive - malaria cure and a new way to look at conservation.
EU Adopts Negotiating Position for 2018 Biodiversity Conference
4591Tsioumani, E, International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2018-10-25 00:00:00.
The Council of the EU calls for increased efforts to fully achieve the Aichi Biodiversity Targets, and for the adoption of an ambitious follow-up to the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020, to strengthen implementation of the CBD and its Protocols, as well as of other biodiversity-related multilateral environmental agreements and relevant SDGs.; ; It calls for the adoption of a long-term strategic approach on biodiversity mainstreaming, and highlights that ecosystem restoration, conservation and ecosystem-based approaches can significantly contribute to combating climate change.
Yes we can! Exciting progress and prospects for controlling invasives on islands and beyond
7964D. Simberloff, B. Keitt, D. Will, N. Holmes, E. Pickett and P. Genovesi, Western North American Naturalist, 78:942-958. 2018-10-22 14:34:34.
Eradication and maintenance management of island invasive species have long histories, and incremental improvements of existing technologies plus occasional novel approaches have led to more challenging targets and increased success rates in certain categories. Many nonnative mammals have been eradicated from islands, as have several nonnative birds, insects, and plants. Hundreds of rat populations have been eliminated, with a success rate over 80%, and islands over 10,000 ha are now feasible targets. Mouse eradication has proven more challenging, but aerial broadcast of anticoagulant toxins has led to increased success. Carnivore eradication-especially of feral housecats and foxes-has been frequently attempted with a recent success rate over 90%. Eradication of herbivores-primarily goats, rabbits, wild boar, and boar/pig hybrids-has been attempted almost 200 times, with a success rate over 90%. Trends in mammal eradication include more frequent attempts and higher success rates on larger islands and inhabited islands, as well as attempts targeting multiple invasive species. Documented conservation gains from island mammal eradications are numerous. For insects, about two-thirds of some 50 island attempts have succeeded, and most targeted agricultural pests. No summary statistics exist on island plant eradications, but several small infestations have been eradicated. Several insect and plant island invaders have been maintained at low densities by biological control, and plants have been controlled short of eradication by herbicides, often combined with physical or mechanical means. Failures in both eradication and maintenance management on islands often result from insufficient long-term commitment of resources. Excitement and controversy abound over the prospect that new techniques relying on molecular genetic tools-especially RNA-guided gene drives-may permit eradication or maintenance management of nonnative invaders in situations that have previously appeared extremely difficult or infeasible. Island populations of invertebrates, small mammals, and some plants are particularly propitious targets.
A sustainable synthetic biology approach for the control of the invasive golden mussel (Limnoperna fortunei)
19204M. F. Rebelo, L. F. Afonso, J. A. Americo, L. da Silva, J. L. B. Neto, F. Dondero and Q. Zhang, PeerJ Preprints, 6:e27164v3. 2018-09-12 14:52:07.
The recent development of the CRISPR-Cas9-based gene drive has created the conditions to seriously consider this technology to solve one of the major environmental challenges in biodiversity conservation i.e. the control of invasive species. There is no efficient control method for golden mussel infestation available so far. Here we discuss the technical and economic feasibility of using a synthetic biology based approach to fight and control the invasive mussel Limnoperna fortunei in South American rivers and reservoirs.
Gene drive technology considered in the fight to save native animals from feral cats
4585Smail, S, ABC News Online, 2018-05-30 00:00:00.
Feral cats kill thousands of native animals every minute — now a controversial plan to use gene drive technology as a weapon against them is being considered by the Federal Government
The Convention on Biological Diversity as a legal framework for safeguarding ecosystem services
34337Christian Prip, Ecosystem Services, 29:199-204. 2018-02-01 14:46:40.
Summary
13808Committee on Gene Drive Research in Non-Human Organisms: Recommendations for Responsible, Journal of Responsible Innovation, 5:S243-S254. 2018-01-24 15:58:19.
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 potential applications and implications of gene drive technologies.
Developing gene drive technologies to eradicate invasive rodents from islands
13798C. M. Leitschuh, D. Kanavy, G. A. Backus, R. X. Valdez, M. Serr, E. A. Pitts, D. Threadgill and J. Godwin, Journal of Responsible Innovation, 5:S121-S138. 2018-01-24 15:45:57.
Gene drive methods of rodent eradication offer an alternative to killing that has the potential to be more species-specific, more humane, and more biologically safe for use around humans. Implementing this technology would involve releasing laboratory-developed engineered mice into wild populations. Some areas for further research include assessing the ecological effects of releasing engineered mice, the potential risks for the accidental or deliberate release of genetically modified organisms into mainland mouse populations, and the social, ethical, and regulatory acceptability of the technology.
Evaluating active genetic options for the control of Sea Lampreys (Petromyzon marinus) in the Laurentian Great Lakes
4020Thresher, REJ, Michael; Drake, D. Andrew, Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, 76:1186-1202. 2018-01-18 00:00:00.
For more than two decades the Great Lakes Fishery Commission has sought tactics to complement, and potentially replace, the use of barriers and lampricides to control Sea Lamprey in the Great Lakes, but thus far without success. This paper examines the potential of modern genetic technology to suppress these invasive populations. We identified six recombinant options that appeared to be moderately to highly feasible, most of which were judged by an expert panel as extremely low or low risk, and for which R&D was broadly supported by stakeholders. The two options judged to overall best combine high efficacy and low risks were a Mendelian “sex ratio drive” and genetically modifying a prey species as to kill or sterilize Sea Lamprey that fed on it. Core issues regarding use of genetic biocontrol in the Great Lakes include technical problems associated with maintaining a Sea Lamprey brood line, information gaps for most options, the extent of broader public support, and the extent and nature of national and international consultation required in making decisions about control options.
Economic issues to consider for gene drives
3997Mitchell, PDB, Z.; McRoberts, N., Journal of Responsible Innovation, 5:S180-S202. 2018-01-15 00:00:00.
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 greatly influence their governance and regulation. Social factors will also play key roles, particularly public perceptions, with these perceptions co-determined with regulation and governance. Second, gene drive applications will generate unintended negative social impacts that will partially offset benefits. Third, economic surplus, the traditional measure of economic benefits, incompletely captures the welfare impacts of gene drive applications. Fourth, gene drives imply dynamic nonlinearities that make identifying economic equilibria and general policy recommendations challenging. The potentially substantial benefits, coupled with the technical, social, and economic uncertainties surrounding gene drives, suggest that a responsible course of action is to move forward while maintaining regulatory flexibility and conducting research to resolve key uncertainties.
Advancing a new toolkit for conservation: From science to policy
4004Novak, BJM, T.; Phelan, R., CRISPR Journal, 1:11-15. 2018-01-02 00:00:00.
Climate change and non-native wildlife diseases are exacerbating persistent challenges to biodiversity such as habitat destruction, invasive species and over-harvesting. With these increasing threats there is a pressing need to expand the conservationists' toolbox. CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing (GE) offers a precise and potentially transformative tool to confront these challenges. Researchers, regulators, conservationists and the public are all needed to engage proactively in the thoughtful and responsible development and application of these new tools.
Gene Drives Can Wipe Out Entire Species… Or Save Them
5516Gizmodo, 2017-12-17 19:16:41.
Bill Gates and other investors have poured millions into gene drives. So what is the technology and why are scientists worried about it?
Conservation demands safe gene drive
13629K. M. Esvelt and N. J. Gemmell, PLOS Biology, 15:e2003850. 2017-11-16 14:03:39.
Here, we explore the risk of accidental spread posed by self-propagating gene drive technologies, highlight new gene drive designs that might achieve better outcomes, and explain why we need open and international discussions concerning a technology that could have global ramifications.
Could genetic engineering save the Galapagos?
14868S. S. Hall, Scientific American, 2017-11-01 19:26:09.
Campbell has been working on eradications in the Galápagos since 1997, including a 2006 campaign to remove all the feral goats and donkeys from Floreana. A decade later he’s a project manager with Island Conservation, and the most ambitious project on its agenda is once again on Floreana: to eradicate every single rat and mouse on the island.
CRISPR’s Gene Drive Could Revive Extinct Species–or Create New Ones | Jennifer Doudna
5522Jennifer Doudna, Big Think, 2017-06-26 19:28:41.
A leading gene editing scientist, Jennifer Doudna, discusses gene drive and their applications as well as de-extinction technologies.
How Genetically Modified Mice Could One Day Save Island Birds
4593Borel, B, Audubon, 2017-06-07 00:00:00.
The silent black-and-white footage opens on a seemingly tranquil setting: a burrow where an Atlantic Petrel tends to its chick. Then mice begin scurrying in and out of frame. The dark blurs jostle the adult, darting up to the exposed chick and tearing off bloody bites. They’re eating it alive.; ; The horrific scene is captured by nest cams on Gough (rhymes with “off”), a rugged volcanic island about 1,700 miles west of South Africa. It has one of the world’s largest seabird nesting colonies, with millions of birds representing 22 species. It’s also home to hundreds of thousands of mice, descendants of stowaways on 19th-century seal-hunting ships. The tiny predators devour some 900,000 chicks a year and threaten to decimate the island’s Atlantic Petrels and Tristan Albatrosses, which breed here almost exclusively. In a rodent-free landscape, more than two-thirds of the albatross chicks should make it to adulthood; on Gough, mice cut survival to as low as 10 percent.
Agricultural pest control with CRISPR-based gene drive: time for public debate
13636V. Courtier-Orgogozo, B. Morizot and C. Boëte, EMBO Reports, 18:878-880. 2017-06-01 14:19:16.
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?
4062Piaggio, 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. 2017-01-20 00:00:00.
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 to resolve some intractable conservation problems (e.g., invasive species or pathogens). However, it is our opinion that there has been insufficient engagement by the conservation community with practitioners of synthetic biology. We contend that rapid, large-scale engagement of these two communities is urgently needed to avoid unintended and deleterious ecological consequences. To this point we describe case studies where synthetic biology is currently being applied to conservation, and we highlight the benefits to conservation biologists from engaging with this emerging technology.
A bigger toolbox: Biotechnology in biodiversity conservation
6012R. T. Corlett, Trends in Biotechnology, 35:55-65. 2017-01-13 20:08:47.
Conservation biology needs a bigger toolbox to meet unprecedented challenges. Genomics, fueled by declining sequencing costs, offers novel tools with increased precision for genetic questions previously answered with a few molecular markers, as well as completely new possibilities. Metabarcoding promises quicker, cheaper, and more accurate assessments of biodiversity in groups that are difficult to assess by traditional methods, while sequencing low-quality DNA extends the range of useable materials to include museum specimens, archeological remains, and environmental samples. Genomic and transcriptomic data can be used to assess the potential of populations to adapt to new challenges. In the near future, gene-editing tools may help endangered species cope with change, while gene drives control unwanted species and help wanted ones. De-extinction has become a serious prospect.
Guidance on risk assessment of living modified organisms and monitoring in the context of risk assessment
16062Ad Hoc Technical Expert Group (AHTEG) on Risk Assessment and Risk Management,, Convention on Biological Diversity, 2016-09-14 21:27:35.
This document was developed by the Ad Hoc Technical Expert Group (AHTEG) on Risk Assessment and Risk Management, with input from the Open-ended Online Expert Forum, in accordance with terms of reference set out by the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety (COP-MOP) in its decisions BS-IV/11 and BSV/12 in response to an identified need for further guidance on risk assessment of LMOs. 4 It is intended to be a “living document” that may be updated and improved as appropriate and when mandated by the Parties to the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety.
Re-Coding for Conservation
4603Hawkes, A, Bay Nature Magazine, 2016-06-27 00:00:00.
very year, as summer turns to fall, the mouse population on the South Farallon Islands explodes to plague-like densities, numbering 490 mice per acre, among the highest found on any island in the world. The scientists who live and work there describe the assault of the invasive house mouse as a kind of purgatory in the otherwise stunning, windswept smattering of rocky islets and sea stacks 30 miles outside the Golden Gate. “At night they would be everywhere,” says Peter Pyle, a wildlife biologist who spent more than 20 fall seasons living at the research station on Southeast Farallon Island. “I had them crawling on top of me at night and in my hair. I tried to mouse-proof the house but we’d catch 50 mice in the night.”
Opinion: Is CRISPR-based gene drive a biocontrol silver bullet or global conservation threat?
4131Webber, BLR, S.; Edwards, O. R., Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 112:10565-10567. 2015-01-09 00:00:00.
Scientists have recognized the potential for applying gene drive technologies to the control of invasive species for several years, yet debate about the application of gene drive has been primarily restricted to mosquitoes. Recent developments in clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-Cas9 technology have restarted discussions of using gene drive for invasive species control.
Genetic control of invasive fish: technological options and its role in integrated pest management
4158Thresher, REH, K.; Bax, N. J.; Teem, J.; Benfey, T. J.; Gould, F., Biological Invasions, 16:1201-1216. 2014-01-16 00:00:00.
Genetic options for the control of invasive fishes were recently reviewed and synthesized at a 2010 international symposium, held in Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN, USA. The only option currently available "off-the-shelf'' is triploidy, which can be used to produce sterile males for a release program analogous to those widely and successfully used for biological control of insect pests. However, the Trojan Y and several recombinant options that heritably distort pest population sex ratios are technologically feasible, are at or are close to proof-of-concept stage and are potentially much more effective than sterile male release programs. All genetic options at this stage require prolonged stocking programs to be effective, though gene drive systems are a potential for recombinant approaches. They are also likely to differ in their current degree of social acceptability, with chromosomal approaches (triploidy and Trojan Y) likely to be the most readily acceptable to the public and least likely to require changes in legislative or policy settings to be implemented. Modelling also suggests that the efficacy of any of these genetic techniques is enhanced by, and in turn non-additively enhance, conventional methods of pest fish control.
A Guide to the Convention on Biological Diversity
34339Glowka, L, et al., IUCN, 1994-06-15 14:49:18.
