Keywords: Gene drive synthetic
CRISPR-Cas9 suppression gene drives for Nile tilapia control: prospects in sub-Saharan African freshwater ecosystems
Tags: Africa, Fish, Gene drive synthetic, Invasive species, Population suppression, Risk assessmentBobo, E. D., All Life, 19. 2026.
CRISPR-based suppression gene drives represent a promising tool for managing invasive Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) populations in sub-Saharan Africa’s freshwater ecosystems. Introduced through aquaculture, Nile tilapia supports livelihoods but also causes severe ...
Editorial Overview – Insect Genomics (2026): enhancing public health, food security, and biodiversity through genetic biocontrol.
Tags: Biodiversity/Conservation, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, WolbachiaYoosook Lee, Omar S. Akbari, Current Opinion in Insect Science, 2026.
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 ...
Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine joins the Target Malaria Consortium
Tags: Anopheles, Gene drive synthetic, Malaria, Mosquitoes, Target malariaDr. Tony Nolan, Target Malaria: News, 2026.
Target Malaria has so far been working on the three widespread vectors of the Anopheles gambiae species complex: An. coluzzii, An. gambiae, and An. arabiensis. As members of a species complex, these three species are morphologically indistinguishable. Together, they are among ...
Potential benefits, opportunities, risks and challenges of population suppression gene drive mosquitoes for malaria control described in the scholarly literature: a rapid scoping review
Tags: Anopheles, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Genetically modified mosquitoes, Population suppression, Target malariaFürer, C. L., Fischer, T. B., Suter, T., Winkler, M. S., and Knoblauch, A. M., Impact Assessment and Project Appraisal, 2026.
Gene drive mosquitoes represent a promising strategy to alter mosquito populations and reduce disease transmission. However, their use has generated considerable debate due to ecological, ethical, and societal concerns. This paper reviews risks, challenges, benefits, and ...
Advances in CRISPR gene drives for mosquito population control
Tags: CRISPR, Gene drive synthetic, Mosquitoes, Toxin-antidoteRobyn Raban, Anthony A James, Omar S Akbari, Current Opinion in Microbiology, 90. 2026.
CRISPR-based gene drive (GD) systems bias allele inheritance during meiosis, enabling transgenes to spread at rates exceeding Mendel’s law of segregation. This capability underlies their potential as powerful tools for controlling mosquito-borne diseases. GDs can be engineered ...
Assessing target genes for homing suppression gene drive
Tags: CRISPR, Fruit fly, Gene drive synthetic, Population suppressionXu, X., Fang, J., Chen, J. et al., The EMBO Journal, 2026.
Gene drives are engineered alleles that bias their own inheritance in offspring, enabling the spread of specific traits throughout a population. Targeting female fertility genes in a gene drive can be an efficient strategy for population suppression. In this study, we ...
Mapping Gene Drive Dynamics onto Mendelian Models
Tags: Gene drive mechanisms, Gene drive synthetic, Modeling, Population genetics/dynamicsZihang Wen, Monica Wan, Gili Greenbaum, Oana Carja, bioRxiv, 2026.
CRISPR-based gene drives bias their own transmission and can spread even when deleterious, giving rise to evolutionary dynamics that can be substantially more complex than those governed by standard Mendelian inheritance. Identifying conditions under which gene-drive dynamics can ...
Gene drives tested against real-world malaria diversity
Tags: Africa, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Malaria, Synthetic biologyMarchal, I, Nature Biotechnology, 44. 2026.
Gene drive technology, which uses genetic engineering to propagate selected genes throughout a population, is a potential strategy for blocking the spread of malaria, either by suppressing mosquito populations or by making them unable to transmit the disease. However, gene drive ...
Increasing the effective gene drive homing rate by targeting the haploinsufficient spermatogenesis gene KLHL10
Tags: CRISPR, Gene drive syntheticCeili L. Peng, W. Sebastian Kamau, Julien Freeman, et al., bioRxiv, 2026.
CRISPR-based gene drives represent a powerful new technology for limiting disease transmission and controlling invasive populations. These systems rely on homology-directed repair (HDR) to ‘drive’ a genetic element through a population. However, mammals tend to favor ...
Genetic trick to make mosquitoes malaria resistant passes key test
Tags: Anopheles, CRISPR, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, MosquitoesMichael Le Page, New Scientist, 2025.
A genetic technology known as a gene drive could help prevent malaria by spreading genes in wild mosquitoes that stop them transmitting the parasite. Tests in a lab in Tanzania have now confirmed that one potential gene drive should achieve this if it were released in the ...
Cattle Q&A with Brinda Dass, GeneConvene Global Collaborative
Tags: Agriculture, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Pest managementTyrell Marchant, Progressive Cattle, 2025.
What factors have led to the northward spread of New World screwworm (NWS) over the past year after so many decades of successful eradication in Mexico and the U.S.? DASS: The northward spread of NWS after decades of eradication reflects a convergence of biological, ...
The role of the transformer gene in sex determination and its employment in CRISPR/Cas9-based homing gene drive in the global fruit pest Drosophila suzukii
Tags: CRISPR, Gene drive synthetic, Insects, Population suppression, Sex distorterDan Deng, Xueying Yi, Wen Wen, Liuqing He, Wei Peng, Insect Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 184. 2025.
Sex determination of Diptera is established by the cascade genes such as transformer (tra), though the primary signals for sex determination differ among different insects. Here, we report the isolation, expression and function of tra gene in an invasive pest, Drosophila ...
Natural Selection of Synthetic Gene Drives for Population Suppression Can Favor an Intermediate Strength of Drive
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Modeling, Population genetics/dynamics, Y-chromosomeP. J. Beaghton and Austin Burt, The American Naturalist, 206. 2025.
Synthetic gene drives are being investigated as tools to suppress pest populations, and it is important to understand how natural selection will act on variant drivers that may either arise by de novo mutation or be intentionally released. In this study, we extend previous ...
Gene Drive Variations – BJC Submission
Tags: Gene drive, Gene drive mechanisms, Gene drive synthetic, VideoMatt Lambie, YouTube, 2025.
Synthetic Homing Endonuclease Gene Drives to Revolutionise Aedes aegypti Biocontrol – Game Changer or Pipe Dream?
Tags: Aedes, Gene drive synthetic, Vector controlJoshua X.D. Ang, Sebald A.N. Verkuijl, Michelle A.E. Anderson, Luke Alphey, Current Opinion in Insect Science, 2025.
The increasing burden of Aedes aegypti-borne diseases, particularly dengue, is a growing global concern, further exacerbated by climate change. Current control strategies have proven insufficient, necessitating novel approaches. Synthetic homing endonuclease gene (sHEG) drives ...
Overcoming drug-resistant tumors with selection gene drives
Tags: Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Modeling, Synthetic biologyHui Wang, Mingqi Xie, Cell Genomics, 4. 2024.
Drug resistance is a major hurdle prohibiting effective treatment of many diseases, including cancer. Using model-guided designs, Leighow et al.1 engineered a dual-switch selection gene drive system custom designed to combat drug-resistant tumors. By demonstrating remarkable ...
The haplolethal gene wupA of Drosophila exhibits potential as a target for an X-poisoning gene drive
Tags: Fruit fly, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Population suppression, Sex distorter, X chromosomeClancy D. Lawler, Ana Karla Parra Nuñez, Natalia Hernandes, Soumitra Bhide, Isabelle Lohrey, Simon Baxter, Charles Robin, bioRxiv, 2024.
A synthetic gene drive that targets haplolethal genes on the X-chromosome can skew the sex ratio towards males. Like an ‘X-shredder’ it does not involve ‘homing’ and that has advantages including the reduction of gene drive resistance allele formation. We examine this ...
Gene drive and genetic sex conversion in the global agricultural pest Ceratitis capitata
Tags: CRISPR, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic engineering, Population suppression, Sex distorter, Synthetic biologyMeccariello, A., Hou, S., Davydova, S. et al., Nature Communications, 15:372. 2024.
Homing-based gene drives are recently proposed interventions promising the area-wide, species-specific genetic control of harmful insect populations. Here we characterise a first set of gene drives in a tephritid agricultural pest species, the Mediterranean fruit fly Ceratitis ...
Transformative Novel Technologies and Global Environmental Governance
Tags: Ethics, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Governance, RegulationF. Rabitz, Cambridge University Press, 2023.
Transformative Novel Technologies are potential gamechangers for confronting climate change, biodiversity loss, and many other elements of the global environmental crisis, allowing us to achieve a more sustainable future. The contemporary and future international governance of ...
What are gene drives?
Tags: Africa, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Malaria, Mosquitoes, Target malariaAnonymous, MalariaGEN, 2023.
Among the new generation of technological tools being developed to combat malaria, there is a lot of buzz around gene drives. This is a method for genetically modifying malaria-spreading mosquitoes and ultimately reducing or replacing their populations. But how exactly do gene ...
Generating and testing reagents for CRISPR/Cas9 based homologous recombination and gene drive in Tribolium
Tags: CRISPR, Gene drive, Gene drive syntheticC. M. Hannah, J. H. Kennedy, M. Megan, E. Z. Gabriel, W. Michael and Z. Andrew, bioRxiv, 2023.11.07.566100. 2023.
CRISPR/Cas9 gene drive systems are possible in a few insects and ever expanding. Nonetheless, success in one species and techniques developed for it are not necessarily applicable to other species. As such, the development and expansion of gene drive systems is dependent upon ...
Research breakthrough in genetic biocontrol striving to transform pest management: Centre for Invasive Species Solutions
Tags: Biodiversity/Conservation, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Oceania, RodentsARR News, Australian Rural and Regional News, 2023.
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 ...
Bill Gates Talks Gene Drives, mRNA, and U.S.$40m in Science Funding
Tags: Africa, Anopheles, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, MalariaN. Mlambo, allAfrica, 2023.
In 2003, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation launched the Grand Challenges initiative in order to find scientific solutions to these health challenges. Initially, the initiative focused on 14 scientific challenges including focusing on creating effective single-dose vaccines ...
Genetic tools for conservation and health: What’s the Role of Gene Drive?
Tags: Biodiversity/Conservation, Gene drive, Gene drive syntheticISAAA, Institute of Agricultural Science for Southern Viet Nam, 2023.
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 ...
Conceptual risk assessment of mosquito population modification gene-drive systems to control malaria transmission: preliminary hazards list workshops
Tags: Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Malaria, Mosquitoes, Population modification/replacement, Regulation, Risk and safety, Risk assessmentA. Kormos, G. Dimopoulos, E. Bier, G. C. Lanzaro, J. M. Marshall and A. A. James, Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology, 11. 2023.
The field-testing and eventual adoption of genetically-engineered mosquitoes (GEMs) to control vector-borne pathogen transmission will require them meeting safety criteria specified by regulatory authorities in regions where the technology is being considered for use and other ...
General science-technology orientation, specific benefit–risk assessment frame, and public acceptance of gene drive biotechnology
Tags: Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Governance, Risk and safety, Risk assessment, Stakeholder engagementX. Liu, C. L. Goldsmith, K. E. Kang, A. Vedlitz, Z. N. Adelman, L. W. Buchman, E. Heitman and R. F. Medina, Risk Analysis, 2023.
Abstract With limited understanding of most new biotechnologies, how do citizens form their opinion and what factors influence their attitudes about these innovations? In this study, we use gene drive biotechnology in agricultural pest management as an example and theoretically ...
Incorporating ecology into gene drive modelling
Tags: Ecology, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, ModelingJ. Kim, K. D. Harris, I. K. Kim, S. Shemesh, P. W. Messer and G. Greenbaum, Ecology Letters, 26:S62-S80. 2023.
Abstract Gene drive technology, in which fast-spreading engineered drive alleles are introduced into wild populations, represents a promising new tool in the fight against vector-borne diseases, agricultural pests and invasive species. Due to the risks involved, gene drives have ...
Benefits and risks of gene drives for invasive plant management – the case for common tansy
Tags: Agriculture, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Regulation, Risk and safety, Risk assessmentL. Croghan, A. G. Smith, M. A. Tancos, N. O. Anderson and R. L. Becker, Frontiers in Agronomy, 5. 2023.
Invasive plants cause significant environmental and economic damage, but land managers have few control options. Common tansy (Tanacetum vulgare) is prevalent in many US states and is one of the most reported invasive plants in Minnesota. Controlling common tansy poses a ...
How to fight insects that transmit diseases to people without harming those who cannot?
Tags: Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Other arthropods, Sterile insect technique (SIT)Nation World News Desk, Nation World, 2023.
One way to avoid this severe environmental impact is to specifically control the population of species that cause problems. This can be done chemically by releasing hormones into the environment that prevent passage to the adult stage, or pheromones that make them believe that a ...
Gene drive in plants emerges from infancy
Tags: Agriculture, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Selfish genetic elementsM. J. A. Awan, R. Z. Naqvi, I. Amin and S. Mansoor, Trends in Plant Science, 2023.
Selfish genetic elements (SGEs) display biased transmission to offspring. However, their breeding potential has remained obscure. Wang et al. recently reported a natural gene-drive system that can be harnessed to prevent hybrid incompatibility and to develop a synthetic ...
Cleave and Rescue gamete killers create conditions for gene drive in plants
Tags: Agriculture, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Toxin-antidoteO. Georg, L. J. Michelle, I. Tobin and A. H. Bruce, bioRxiv, 2023.10.13.562303. 2023.
Gene drive elements promote the spread of linked traits, even when their presence confers a fitness cost to carriers, and can be used to change the composition or fate of wild populations. Cleave and Rescue (ClvR) drive elements sit at a fixed chromosomal position and include a ...
Overriding Mendelian inheritance in Arabidopsis with a CRISPR toxin-antidote gene drive that impairs pollen germination
Tags: Agriculture, CRISPR, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Toxin-antidoteL. Yang, J. Bingke, C. Jackson and Q. Wenfeng, bioRxiv, 2023.10.10.561637. 2023.
Synthetic gene drives, inspired by natural selfish genetic elements, present transformative potential for disseminating traits that benefit humans throughout wild populations, irrespective of potential fitness costs. Here, we constructed a gene drive system called CRISPR-Assisted ...
This Burkinabe researcher wants his groundbreaking work to wipe out malaria, altogether
Tags: Africa, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, MalariaB. Orucho and M. Ndengar, The African Mirror, 2023.
ABDOULAYE Diabaté and his team are betting on gene technology to protect children like his own from malaria. Along with a clutch of brand-new vaccines, the technology could help the world end malaria for good.
Genetically modified mosquitoes will be ready by 2033 – scientists
Tags: Africa, Anopheles, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, MalariaD. Sekayinga, MONITOR, 2023.
The Uganda Virus Research Institute (UVR[) has announced that genetically modified mosquitoes will be ready within a decade. Gene-drive mosquitoes are among the anti-malarial strategies the government under the Africa Target Malaria project has embarked on since 2016, to reduce ...
Expansions to the MGDrivE suite for simulating the efficacy of novel gene-drive constructs in the control of mosquito-borne diseases
Tags: Anopheles, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Malaria, ModelingJ. B. Bennett, S. L. Wu, P. R. Chennuri, K. M. Myles and M. L. Ndeffo-Mbah, BMC Research Notes, 16:258. 2023.
The MGDrivE (MGDrivE 1 and MGDrivE 2) modeling framework provides a flexible and expansive environment for testing the efficacy of novel gene-drive constructs for the control of mosquito-borne diseases. However, the existing model framework did not previously support several ...
Mosquito Embryo Microinjection
Tags: Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Genetically modified mosquitoes, Sterile insect technique (SIT)R. A. Harrell, Cold Spring Harbor Protocols, 2023.
Genetically modified (GM) mosquitoes are an important tool in the fight against mosquito-borne disease, both indirectly through their use in research investigating host–pathogen interaction, mosquito olfaction, and anthropomorphic behavior and in future direct uses for ...
Situating the social sciences in responsible innovation in the global south: the case of gene drive mosquitoes
Tags: Africa, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, GovernanceK. Ledingham, C. Opesen, S. Hartley and S. Neema, Journal of Responsible Innovation, 10:2264100. 2023.
There has been growing attention in recent years on the potential reconfiguration of responsible innovation (RI) to increase its relevance for global challenges in the Global South. This reconfiguration will require a broad and empowered role for social scientists. Yet RI has ...
The Gamble: Can Genetically Modified Mosquitoes End Disease?
Tags: Anopheles, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Genetically modified mosquitoes, Malaria, Population modification/replacementS. Nolen, New York Times, 2023.
The malaria situation in São Tomé and Príncipe, an African island nation with a population of 200,000, epitomizes the current challenge in the global struggle against the disease. The country is among the world’s least developed, and it has depended on foreign aid to fight ...
Engineered and natural gene drives: mechanistically the same, yet not same in kind
Tags: Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Governance, Risk and safetyR. F. Medina and J. Kuzma, Nature Communications, 14:5994. 2023.
We propose the use of the terms natural gene drive (NGD) and engineered gene drive (EGD) arguing against James et al.1, who think both should be included within the term “gene drive”, based on their mechanistic similarities. Thanks to CRISPR-Cas-based gene editing, engineered ...
Could a new gene-editing technique be a major breakthrough in the battle against malaria?
Tags: Anopheles, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Genetically modified mosquitoes, MalariaB. Cottam, GEOGRAPHICAL, 2023.
The idea is that since female mosquitoes typically only mate once, the mass release of the sterile male mosquitoes should prevent wild females from producing future generations. Insect populations can and have already been successfully suppressed by the release of sterilised ...
MGDrivE 3: A decoupled vector-human framework for epidemiological simulation of mosquito genetic control tools and their surveillance
Tags: CRISPR, Field trials, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Modeling, MosquitoesA. Mondal, C. H. M. Sanchez and J. M. Marshall, bioRxiv, 2023.09.09.556958. 2023.
We present MGDrivE 3 (Mosquito Gene Drive Explorer 3), a new version of a previously-developed framework, MGDrivE 2, that investigates the spatial population dynamics of mosquito genetic control systems and their epidemiological implications. The new framework incorporates three ...
A migration-selection model in genetic engineering
Tags: CRISPR, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, ModelingY. Qi and L. Su, Nonlinear Analysis: Real World Applications, 75:103983. 2023.
We investigate a migration-selection system arising from CRISPR-Cas9 genetic engineering, which describes the evolution of the frequencies of a wild allele O, a drive allele D, and a brake allele B. The purpose is to see whether the drive allele D can persist in the population ...
Gene drives for invasive wasp control: Extinction is unlikely, with suppression dependent on dispersal and growth rates
Tags: CRISPR, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Modeling, Oceania, Other arthropods, Population suppression, Replicator/site directed nucleaseP. J. Lester, D. O'Sullivan and G. L. W. Perry, Ecological Applications, 2023.
Abstract Gene drives offer a potentially revolutionary method for pest control over large spatial extents. These genetic modifications spread deleterious variants through a population and have been proposed as methods for pest suppression or even eradication. We examined the ...
Optimizing the delivery of self-disseminating vaccines in fluctuating wildlife populations
Tags: Biodiversity/Conservation, Ecology, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Modeling, Other mammalsC. Schreiner, A. Basinski, C. Remien and S. Nuismer, PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases, 17:e0011018. 2023.
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 ...
Can Gene-Drives Combat Vector-Borne Diseases?
Tags: Dengue, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Malaria, MosquitoesAnonymous, tomorrow.bio, 2023.
Scientists, technophiles, and the medical community are abuzz with a topic that sounds like science fiction: gene-drives. Given the growing fear of vector-borne diseases, wouldn’t it be marvelous if we could meddle with genetics to drive vectors like mosquitoes to extinction? ...
How genetically modifying mosquitoes could strengthen the world’s war on malaria
Tags: Anopheles, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Genetically modified mosquitoes, MalariaS. Oliver and J. Raman, The Conversation, 2023.
Mosquitoes can be genetically modified through two different technologies. The first method, paratransgenesis, involves infecting mosquitoes with bacteria that prevent them from transmitting malaria. This doesn’t harm the mosquito. It is important not to eliminate or harm ...
Single-cell profiling of Anopheles gambiae spermatogenesis defines the onset of meiotic silencing and premeiotic overexpression of the X chromosome
Tags: Anopheles, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Gene editing, Genetically modified mosquitoesN. Page, C. Taxiarchi, D. Tonge, J. Kuburic, E. Chesters, A. Kriezis, K. Kyrou, L. Game, T. Nolan and R. Galizi, Commun Biol, 6:850. 2023.
Understanding development and genetic regulation in the Anopheles gambiae germline is essential to engineer effective genetic control strategies targeting this malaria mosquito vector. These include targeting the germline to induce sterility or using regulatory sequences to drive ...
Bioinformatic and literature assessment of toxicity and allergenicity of a CRISPR-Cas9 engineered gene drive to control Anopheles gambiae the mosquito vector of human malaria
Tags: Anopheles, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Policy, Risk assessmentA. Qureshi and J. B. Connolly, Malaria Journal, 22:234. 2023.
Population suppression gene drive is currently being evaluated, including via environmental risk assessment (ERA), for malaria vector control. One such gene drive involves the dsxFCRISPRh transgene encoding (i) hCas9 endonuclease, (ii) T1 guide RNA (gRNA) targeting the doublesex ...
Proposed Changes to the NIH Guidelines for Research Involving Recombinant or Synthetic Nucleic Acid Molecules (NIH Guidelines)
Tags: Containment, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Policy, Regulation, Risk and safetyNational Institutes of Health, Federal Register, 2023.
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) seeks input on a proposal to revise the NIH Guidelines for Research Involving Recombinant or Synthetic Nucleic Acid Molecules (NIH Guidelines) to include specific considerations and requirements for conducting research involving gene drive ...
Mosquitoes spread malaria. These researchers want them to fight it instead
Tags: Anopheles, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Malaria, Population modification/replacementG. Brumfiel, NPR, 2023.
Mosquitoes carry malaria, which kills hundreds of thousands of people each year. Now some researchers are trying to use genetic engineering to make the pesky insects into allies in the fight against the disease. The approach is a radical departure from traditional ways of ...
Mosquito-friendly gene drive may lead to a malaria-free future
Tags: Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Malaria, Population modification/replacementAnonymous, LIFE TECHNOLOGY, 2023.
A gene drive is a genetic mechanism that allows a particular gene to spread rapidly through a population. In the case of malaria, scientists are working on developing a gene drive that would make mosquitoes resistant to the parasite that causes the disease. This would reduce the ...
Population suppression by release of insects carrying a dominant sterile homing gene drive targeting doublesex in Drosophila
Tags: CRISPR, Fruit fly, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Modeling, Population suppression, Sex distorter, Sterile insect technique (SIT), Synthetic biologyC. Weizhe, G. Jialiang, L. Yiran and C. Jackson, bioRxiv, 2023.07.17.549342. 2023.
Gene drive alleles, which bias their own inheritance and increase in frequency, show great promise for blocking disease transmission or directly suppressing pest populations. The most common engineered drive system is the CRISPR homing drive, which converts wild-type alleles to ...
New germline Cas9 promoters show improved performance for homing gene drive
Tags: CRISPR, Fruit fly, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Replicator/site directed nucleaseD. Jie, C. Weizhe, J. Xihua, X. Xuejiao, Y. Emily, Z. Ruizhi, Z. Yuqi, M. Matt, W. M. Philipp and C. Jackson, bioRxiv, 2023.07.16.549205. 2023.
Gene drive systems could be a viable strategy to prevent pathogen transmission or suppress vector populations by propagating drive alleles with super-Mendelian inheritance. CRISPR-based homing gene drives, perhaps the most powerful gene drive strategy, convert wild type alleles ...
Dual effector population modification gene-drive strains of the African malaria mosquitoes, Anopheles gambiae and Anopheles coluzzii
Tags: Anopheles, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Malaria, Population modification/replacementR. Carballar-Lejarazú, Y. Dong, T. B. Pham, T. Tushar, R. M. Corder, A. Mondal, H. M. Sánchez C, H.-F. Lee, J. M. Marshall, G. Dimopoulos and A. A. James, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 120:e2221118120. 2023.
Proposed genetic approaches for reducing human malaria include population modification, which introduces genes into vector mosquitoes to reduce or prevent parasite transmission. We demonstrate the potential of Cas9/guide RNA (gRNA)?based gene-drive systems linked to dual ...
Mosquitoes made immune to malaria could help stamp out the disease
Tags: Anopheles, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Malaria, Population modification/replacementC. Wilson, NewScientist, 2023.
Mosquitoes have been gene edited so they are immune to the parasites that cause malaria. If released into the wild, the genetic modification should spread through a population of mosquitoes because it contains a sequence known as a “gene drive”, which means all the modified ...
Routes of Introduction of Anopheles gambiae Into Remote Islands in the Indian Ocean
Tags: Anopheles, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Malaria, Population genetics/dynamics, Risk and safetyR. E. Ditter, M. Campos, M. W. Crepeau, J. Pinto, A. Toilibou, Y. Amina, Y. Lee, A. J. Cornel and G. C. Lanzaro, 2023.
The malaria vector Anopheles gambiae s.s., is a primary malaria vector throughout sub-Saharan Africa including the islands of the Comoros archipelago (Anjouan, Grande Comore, Mayotte and Mohéli). These islands are located at the northern end of the Mozambique Channel in eastern ...
Unleashing the swarm: Battling the global mosquito menace and defending public health
Tags: Dengue, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Genetically modified mosquitoes, Malaria, MosquitoesJ. Entine and S. Moxon, Genetic Literacy Project, 2023.
There is one solution embraced by global health experts that should be pursued aggressively, if with some caution. Scientists in real-world trials have altered the genomes of entire animal populations, including mosquitoes, to thwart the vectoring of diseases and control pests ...
Guerrilla eugenics: gene drives in heritable human genome editing
Tags: Ethics, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Replicator/site directed nucleaseA. D. Cutter, J Med Ethics, 2023.
CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing can and has altered human genomes, bringing bioethical debates about this capability to the forefront of philosophical and policy considerations. Here, I consider the underexplored implications of CRISPR-Cas9 gene drives for heritable human genome ...
Steering and controlling evolution — from bioengineering to fighting pathogens
Tags: Evolution, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Synthetic biologyM. Lässig, V. Mustonen and A. Nourmohammad, Nature Reviews Genetics, 2023.
Control interventions steer the evolution of molecules, viruses, microorganisms or other cells towards a desired outcome. Applications range from engineering biomolecules and synthetic organisms to drug, therapy and vaccine design against pathogens and cancer. In all these ...
Novel Conservation Strategies to Conserve Australian Marsupials
Tags: Biodiversity/Conservation, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, OceaniaS. Legge, M. Hayward and A. Weeks, American and Australasian Marsupials, 2023.
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 ...
Off Target: Gene Drives and the Balance of Life
Tags: Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Risk assessment, Stakeholder engagementSave Our Seeds, 2023.
This is a compilation of conversations with experts about gene drive technologies and the science/social questions it raises.
Scientists are Gene-Editing Flies to Fight Crop Damage
Tags: Agriculture, Fruit fly, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Genetically modified organisms, Sterile insect technique (SIT)E. Mullin, WIRED, 2023.
In greenhouses in Oregon last month, researchers with the US Department of Agriculture began testing one such approach: sterilized male flies. The gene-edited bugs, made by St. Louis–based biotech company Agragene, are meant to suppress wild fly populations. The idea is that if ...
How genetically modified mosquitoes could eradicate malaria
Tags: Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Genetically modified mosquitoes, MalariaS. Jones, Nature, 2023.
Malaria is caused by Plasmodium parasites that are transmitted from person to person by Anopheles mosquitoes — often Anopheles gambiae, the primary vector in sub-Saharan Africa. Many approaches to malaria control focus on mosquitoes. Insecticide-treated mosquito nets and indoor ...
MGSurvE: A framework to optimize trap placement for genetic surveillance of mosquito population
Tags: Dengue, Field trials, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Malaria, Modeling, Population modification/replacement, Population suppressionC. H. Sánchez, D. L. Smith and J. M. Marshall, bioRxiv, 2023.
Genetic surveillance of mosquito populations is becoming increasingly relevant as genetics-based mosquito control strategies advance from laboratory to field testing. Especially applicable are mosquito gene drive projects, the potential scale of which leads monitoring to be a ...
CRISPR-based gene drives generate super-Mendelian inheritance in the disease vector Culex quinquefasciatus
Tags: CRISPR, Culex, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Replicator/site directed nuclease, ResistanceT. Harvey-Samuel, X. Feng, E. M. Okamoto, D.-K. Purusothaman, P. T. Leftwich, L. Alphey and V. M. Gantz, bioRxiv, 2023.06.12.544656. 2023.
Culex mosquitoes pose a significant public health threat as vectors for a variety of diseases including West Nile virus and lymphatic filariasis, and transmit pathogens threatening livestock, companion animals, and endangered birds. Rampant insecticide resistance makes ...
CRISPR/Cas9-based split homing gene drive targeting doublesex for population suppression of the global fruit pest Drosophila suzukii
Tags: CRISPR, Fruit fly, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Replicator/site directed nuclease, Self limitingA. K. Yadav, C. Butler, A. Yamamoto, A. A. Patil, A. L. Lloyd and M. J. Scott, Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A, 120:e2301525120. 2023.
Genetic-based methods offer environmentally friendly species-specific approaches for control of insect pests. One method, CRISPR homing gene drive that target genes essential for development, could provide very efficient and cost-effective control. While significant progress has ...
To fight berry-busting fruit flies, researchers focus on sterilizing the bugs
Tags: Agriculture, Fruit fly, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Self limitingM. Walling, KTAL News.com, 2023.
Paul Nelson is used to doing battle with an invasive fruit fly called the spotted wing drosophila, a pest that one year ruined more than half the berries on the Minnesota farm he and his team run. In recent years, they’ve cut their losses closer to 5%, but it’s been ...
CRISPR/Cas9-based gene drive could suppress agricultural pests
Tags: CRISPR, Fruit fly, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Population suppression, Replicator/site directed nuclease, Self limitingNorth Carolina State University, Phys Org, 2023.
Researchers have developed a "homing gene drive system" based on CRISPR/Cas9 that could be used to suppress populations of Drosophila suzukii vinegar flies—so-called "spotted-wing Drosophila" that devastate soft-skinned fruit in North America, Europe and parts of South ...
The attitudes of young adults towards mammalian predator control and Predator Free 2050 in Aotearoa New Zealand
Tags: Ethics, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Invasive species, Oceania, Stakeholder engagementL. Dickie and F. Medvecky, Australasian Journal of Environmental Management, 2023.
Predator Free 2050 (PF2050) is an ambitious goal that aims to remove three types of invasive mammals from New Zealand by 2050. It will require a significant amount of funding, research, and support. Young adults will have an important role to play for this programme to be ...
Requirements for market entry of gene drive-modified mosquitoes for control of vector-borne diseases: analogies to other biologic and biotechnology products
Tags: Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Genetically modified mosquitoes, Malaria, Policy, RegulationS. L. James, H. Quemada, M. Q. Benedict and B. Dass, Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology, 11:1205865. 2023.
Gene drive-modified mosquitoes (GDMMs) are proposed as new tools for control and elimination of malaria and other mosquito-borne diseases, and promising results have been observed from testing conducted in containment. Although still at an early stage of development, it is ...
Generation game: gene-edited mosquitos to fight malaria
Tags: Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Malaria, Mosquitoes, Population modification/replacement, Population suppressionJ. Opara, Sci Dev Net, 2023.
Population-level changes in the genetic make-up of one of the world’s deadliest animals could provide a key in the fight against malaria, proponents of a radical new technology argue. So-called gene drive technology, where genetic changes are passed down through generations, ...
A framework for identifying fertility gene targets for mammalian pest control
Tags: Biodiversity/Conservation, Ecology, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Other mammals, Pest management, Population suppressionC. 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.
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 ...
CRISPR-based gene editing of non-homologous end joining factors biases DNA repair pathway choice toward single-strand annealing in Aedes aegypti
Tags: Aedes, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Genetically modified organisms, Incompatible insect technique, Replicator/site directed nuclease, Sterile insect technique (SIT)K. Chae, J. M. Overcash, C. Dawson, C. Valentin, H. Tsujimoto, K. M. Myles and Z. N. Adelman, Current Research in Biotechnology, 5:100133. 2023.
To maintain genome stability, eukaryotic cells orchestrate DNA repair pathways to process DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) that result from diverse developmental or environmental stimuli. Bias in the selection of DSB repair pathways, either non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) or ...
Adaptation in the face of internal conflict: the paradox of the organism revisited
Tags: Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Selfish genetic elementsM. M. Patten, M. A. Schenkel and J. A. Ågren, Biological Reviews, 2023.
The paradox of the organism refers to the observation that organisms appear to function as coherent purposeful entities, despite the potential for within-organismal components like selfish genetic elements and cancer cells to erode them from within. While it is commonly accepted ...
Leveraging eco-evolutionary models for gene drive risk assessment
Tags: Ecology, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Modeling, Risk assessmentM. A. Combs, A. J. Golnar, J. M. Overcash, A. L. Lloyd, K. R. Hayes, D. A. O’Brochta and K. M. Pepin, Trends in Genetics, 2023.
As development of gene drive systems accelerates and diversifies, predicting outcomes for target populations and the potential for human and environmental risks requires accounting for numerous eco-evolutionary processes.Gene drive dynamic models quantify the influence of ...
Rapid, scalable, combinatorial genome engineering by marker-less enrichment and recombination of genetically engineered loci in yeast
Tags: CRISPR, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Replicator/site directed nuclease, Yeast and FungiM. Abdullah, B. M. Greco, J. M. Laurent, R. K. Garge, D. R. Boutz, M. Vandeloo, E. M. Marcotte and A. H. Kachroo, Cell Rep Methods, 3:100464. 2023.
A major challenge to rationally building multi-gene processes in yeast arises due to the combinatorics of combining all of the individual edits into the same strain. Here, we present a precise and multi-site genome editing approach that combines all edits without selection ...
Mathematical modeling of the performance of wild and transgenic mosquitoes in malaria transmission
Tags: Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Modeling, Population modification/replacementA. P. Wyse, A. J. B. dos Santos, J. D. Azevedo, A. C. de Meneses and V. M. D. Santos, Plos One, 18:23. 2023.
A mathematical model that simulates malaria transmission under the influence of transgenic mosquitoes refractory to malaria is presented in this paper. The zygosity of transgenic mosquitoes is taken into account and, consequently, the total population of mosquitoes is comprised ...
Anti-CRISPR Anopheles mosquitoes inhibit gene drive spread under challenging behavioural conditions in large cages
Tags: Anopheles, CRISPR, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Mosquitoes, Population genetics/dynamics, Synthetic biologyA. Simoni, R. D'Amato, C. Taxiarchi, M. Galardini, A. Trusso, R. Minuz, S. Gilli, A. Somerville, D. Shittu, A. Khalil, R. Galizi and R. Muller, Research Square, 2023.
CRISPR-based gene drives have the potential to spread within a population and are considered as promising vector control tools. A doublesex-targeting gene drive was shown effective to suppress laboratory populations in both small and large cages, and it is considered for field ...
Gene Drives as Interventions into Nature: the Coproduction of Ontology and Morality in the Gene Drive Debate
Tags: Ethics, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Policy, Stakeholder engagementK. Boersma, B. Bovenkerk and D. Ludwig, NanoEthics, 17:4. 2023.
Gene drives are potentially ontologically and morally disruptive technologies. The potential to shape evolutionary processes and to eradicate (e.g. malaria-transmitting or invasive) populations raises ontological questions about evolution, nature, and wilderness. The ...
Defining transformation events for gene drive in species complexes
Tags: Anopheles, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Mosquitoes, Policy, Risk and safety, Risk assessmentJ. B. Connolly, IOBC-WPRS Bulletin, 163:8-20. 2023.
Engineered gene drives (EGDs) that allow the super-Mendelian inheritance of genetic traits could one day be used to reduce the vectorial capacity of Anopheles species that transmit human malaria in Africa. Many Anopheles species belong to complexes of closely related sibling ...
In The Face Of Nigerian Mosquito Nets, Westerners’ Gene Editing Offers Hope
Tags: Anopheles, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Gene editing, Genetically modified mosquitoes, Malaria, MosquitoesO. Onwumere, The Nigerian Voice, 2023.
In Nigeria, the utilization of mosquito nets is prevalent, while in the Western world, optimism is associated with the implementation of gene editing technology. In this article, ODIMEGWU ONWUMERE reports that malaria could soon be eradicated in Nigeria. According to US ...
Modelling the effect of migration on the localisation and spread of a gene drive
Tags: Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Modeling, Population modification/replacement, Population suppression, Self limiting, Self sustainingC. Benjamin James and F.-L. Alexandre Jules Hen, bioRxiv, 2023.04.02.535303. 2023.
Gene drives have the potential to address pressing ecological issues. Through the super-Mendelian inheritance of a gene drive, a trait can be spread through a population even in spite of a fitness cost. This ability to spread is both its greatest quality and detractor. We may not ...
First transgenic mosquito made in Africa by Transmission Zero
Tags: Anopheles, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Malaria, Population modification/replacementH. Dunning, Imperial College London, 2023.
Transmission Zero, a global scientific programme led by scientists at Imperial College London and the Ifakara Health Institute (IHI) of Tanzania, in partnership with the Tanzanian National Institute of Medical Research (NIMR), announces the generation of the first transgenic ...
A gene drive is a gene drive: the debate over lumping or splitting definitions
Tags: Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Policy, Risk and safety, Risk assessment, Selfish genetic elementsS. L. James, D. A. O'Brochta, F. Randazzo and O. Akbari, Nature Communications, 2023.
Gene drive technologies are being considered as a new approach to address a variety of currently intractable global problems, including to prevent disease transmission, reduce crop loss, and preserve biodiversity1. There are some outside the genetics research community who argue ...
Evolution driven by genetic engineering should be known as ‘genetic welding’ to draw scientific and ethical scrutiny
Tags: Ethics, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Policy, Regulation, Replicator/site directed nucleaseS. Moore, AZO Life Sciences, 2023.
The advent of CRISPR-Cas9 technology has been revolutionary, but it has also been highly controversial. In an opinion paper published in the journal Trends in Genetics, evolutionary geneticist Asher Cutter highlights the importance of coining the term ‘genetic welding’ for ...
The Promise and Challenge of Genetic Biocontrol Approaches for Malaria Elimination
Tags: Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Malaria, Population modification/replacement, Population suppressionS. James and M. Santos, Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease, 2023.
Malaria remains an ongoing public health challenge, with over 600,000 deaths in 2021, of which approximately 96% occurred in Africa. Despite concerted efforts, the goal of global malaria elimination has stalled in recent years. This has resulted in widespread calls for new ...
What should we call evolution driven by genetic engineering? Genetic welding, says researcher
Tags: Ethics, Evolution, Gene drive, Gene drive syntheticCell Press, Phys Org, 2023.
With CRISPR-Cas9 technology, humans can now rapidly change the evolutionary course of animals or plants by inserting genes that can easily spread through entire populations. Evolutionary geneticist Asher Cutter proposes that we call this evolutionary meddling “genetic ...
Synthetic gene drives as an anthropogenic evolutionary force
Tags: CRISPR, Evolution, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic engineering, Population genetics/dynamics, Transmission distortionA. D. Cutter, Trends in Genetics, 2023.
Genetic drive represents a fundamental evolutionary force that can exact profound change to the genetic composition of populations by biasing allele transmission. Herein I propose that the use of synthetic homing gene drives, the human-mediated analog of endogenous genetic ...
Gene Drives Are Coming
Tags: Anopheles, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Malaria, Selfish genetic elementsD. Lowe, Science, 2023.
Consider the “gene drive” idea - there are a lot of variations, but the general idea is that you introduce a genetic sequence into an organism that can bias (drive) its own inheritance into the next generation. This is a thumb-on-the-scale unnatural selection if ever there ...
Identification and functional analysis of Cochliomyia hominivorax U6 gene promoters
Tags: CRISPR, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Sterile insect technique (SIT)R. Novas, T. Basika, M. E. Williamson, P. Fresia, A. Menchaca and M. J. Scott, Insect Molecular Biology, 2023.
The New World screwworm, Cochliomyia hominivorax, is an obligate parasite, which is a major pest of livestock. While the sterile insect technique was used very successfully to eradicate C. hominivorax from North and Central America, more cost-effective genetic methods will likely ...
Gene Drives: Target Malaria is underestimating the risks
Tags: Anopheles, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Population suppression, Risk and safety, Risk assessment, Target malariaC. Then, Testbiotech, 2023.
The Target Malaria consortium has for several years been planning to conduct field trials using genetically engineered mosquitoes in Burkina Faso. The aim is to transfer artificial gene constructs, i. e. the so-called ‘X-shredder’, into wild populations of the mosquitoes. ...
Regulatory and policy considerations for the implementation of gene drive-modified mosquitoes to prevent malaria transmission
Tags: Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Governance, Mosquitoes, Policy, Regulation, Risk assessmentS. L. James, B. Dass and H. Quemada, Transgenic Research, 32:17. 2023.
Gene drive-modified mosquitoes (GDMMs) are being developed as possible new tools to prevent transmission of malaria and other mosquito-borne diseases. To date no GDMMs have yet undergone field testing. This early stage is an opportune time for developers, supporters, and possible ...
Assessing the hybridization potential between a hypothetical gene drive-modified Drosophila suzukii strain and non-target Drosophila species
Tags: Fruit fly, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Risk and safety, Risk assessmentJ. Romeis, S. Wolf, J. Collatz, J. Enkerli and F. Widmer, IOBC-WPRS Bulletin, 163:108. 2023.
Genetically engineered gene drives (GD) are a potentially powerful tool to control pest insects by population suppression or even elimination. Before living GD modified insects can be released into the environment, they must pass an environmental risk assessment (ERA). A key ...
CRISPR-based genetic control strategies for insect pests
Tags: CRISPR, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Sterile insect technique (SIT)Y. Yan, R. A. Aumann, I. Hacker and M. F. Schetelig, Journal of Integrative Agriculture, 22:651-668. 2023.
Genetic control strategies such as the sterile insect technique have successfully fought insect pests worldwide. The CRISPR (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats) technology, together with high-quality genomic resources obtained in more and more species, ...
Gene Drives and Vector-Borne Diseases: A Comparative Perspective Using Malaria as a Case Study
Tags: Anopheles, Asia, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, MalariaS. Todi, The Takshashila Institution, 2023.
Gene drives are an emerging technological application to reduce the prevalence of vector-borne diseases, crop pests, and non-native invasive species. This method for vector control is currently at the research stage, with parallel community engagement programmes being carried out ...
Hybrid incompatibilities in the anopheles gambiae species complex
Tags: Anopheles, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic incompatibilities, Malaria, Modeling, Population modification/replacement, Population suppressionA. Kriezis, Imperial College London, 2023.
Malaria is an infectious disease caused by parasites of the genus Plasmodium which is responsible for approximately 400,000 deaths annually, primarily in sub-Saharan Africa. Malaria is transmitted by mosquitoes belonging to the Anopheles gambiae species complex. While progress ...
Alleviating the burden of malaria with gene drive technologies? A biocentric analysis of the moral permissibility of modifying malaria mosquitoes
Tags: Ethics, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Malaria, Mosquitoes, Population suppressionN. de Graeff, K. R. Jongsma and A. L. Bredenoord, Journal of Medical Ethics, 2023.
Gene drive technologies (GDTs) have been proposed as a potential new way to alleviate the burden of malaria, yet have also raised ethical questions. A central ethical question regarding GDTs relates to whether it is morally permissible to intentionally modify or eradicate ...
Engagement on risk assessment for gene drive mosquitoes by EFSA and Target Malaria
Tags: Europe, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Policy, Risk and safety, Risk assessment, Stakeholder engagement, Target malariaS. Hartley, A. Kokotovich, Y. Devos and J. Mumford, Environmental Science and Policy, 142:183-193. 2023.
As engineered gene drive technologies continue to advance, many actors are actively considering how environmental risk assessments (RAs) for gene drive organisms should be conducted, and how stakeholder engagement opportunities should be provided. There is, however, a lack of ...
A toxin-antidote CRISPR gene drive system for regional population modification
Tags: CRISPR, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Toxin-antidoteJ. Champer, E. Lee, E. Yang, C. Liu, A. G. Clark and P. W. Messer, Nature Communications, 11:1082. 2023.
Engineered gene drives based on a homing mechanism could rapidly spread genetic alterations through a population. However, such drives face a major obstacle in the form of resistance against the drive. In addition, they are expected to be highly invasive. Here, we introduce the ...
Simulations Reveal High Efficiency and Confinement of a Population Suppression CRISPR Toxin-Antidote Gene Drive
Tags: CRISPR, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Modeling, Population suppression, Toxin-antidoteY. Zhu and J. Champer, ACS Synthetic Biolog, 2023.
Though engineered gene drives hold great promise for spreading through and suppressing populations of disease vectors or invasive species, complications such as resistance alleles and spatial population structure can prevent their success. Additionally, most forms of suppression ...
GeneConvene Global Collaborative Webinar Series | Emerging Gene Drive Systems 2023
Tags: Agriculture, Arbovirus, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Invasive species, WebinarDavid O'Brochta, 2023.
Gene drive systems are being engineered in the laboratory and in some cases shown to be effective at rapidly altering target-gene frequencies in experimental populations. Much of this foundational work has been conducted in insects in the laboratory. This webinar series will ...
Gene Drive Technology With Agricultural Application Potential
Tags: Agriculture, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Population modification/replacement, Population suppressionR. Carmeli-Peslak, SeedWorld, 2023.
Gene drive technology, a genetic phenomenon that occurs in nature, causes a trait to spread in species through sexual reproduction over many generations. The inheritance rate is higher than the Mendelian rate which is 50%. Gene drives have been used for public health and ...
Will new genetic engineering tech finally eliminate malaria?
Tags: Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Malaria, Sterile insect technique (SIT)Anonymous, Business Daily, 2023.
Richard Mukabana, a senior research and policy analyst at African Institute for Development Policy, says the technology which employs the principle of sending a thief to catch a thief may yet prove the most effective. “It is only a mosquito that knows where another mosquito is ...
Next-generation CRISPR gene-drive systems using Cas12a nuclease
Tags: Fruit fly, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Replicator/site directed nucleaseS. Sanz Juste, E. M. Okamoto, X. Feng and V. L. Del Amo, bioRxiv, 2023.02.20.529271. 2023.
One method for reducing the impact of vector-borne diseases is through the use of CRISPR-based gene drives, which manipulate insect populations due to their ability to rapidly propagate desired genetic traits into a target population. However, all current gene drives employ a ...
How genomics can help biodiversity conservation
Tags: Biodiversity/Conservation, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, GenomicsK. 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.
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, ...
Gene Drive: Past, Present and Future Roads to Vertebrate Biocontrol
Tags: CRISPR, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Genetic engineeringG. R. McFarlane, C. B. A. Whitelaw and S. G. Lillico, Applied Biosciences, 2:52-70. 2023.
Scientists have long sought a technology to humanely control populations of damaging invasive pests in a species-specific manner. Gene drive technology could see this become a reality. This review charts the twists and turns on the road to developing gene drives in vertebrates. ...
Review of gene drive modelling and implications for risk assessment of gene drive organisms
Tags: Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Modeling, Policy, Risk assessmentJ. L. Frieß, C. R. Lalyer, B. Giese, S. Simon and M. Otto, Ecological Modelling, 478:110285. 2023.
Synthetic gene drive (GD) systems constitute a form of novel invasive environmental biotechnology with far-reaching consequences beyond those of other known genetically modified organisms (GMOs). During the last 10 years, the development of GD systems has been closely linked to ...
The Anthropocene as the End of Nature? Why Recognizing Interventionism Is Key in Coming to Terms with the Anthropocene
Tags: Biodiversity/Conservation, Ethics, Gene drive, Gene drive syntheticK. Boersma, ENVIRONMENTAL ETHICS, 44:195-219. 2023.
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 ...
Introducing Emerging Health Technologies in Africa
Tags: Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Gene editingHealth Tech Africa, Health Tech Africa Podcast, 2023.
In this episode, the Project Director of the Platform for Dialogue and Action on Health Technologies in Africa, Professor Richard Mukabana, discusses new technologies that if well developed and proven safe and effective, have enormous potential to eradicate disease on the ...
Social justice environmental activists move to block gene editing to control invasive species and promote biodiversity. Here’s why they’re misguided
Tags: Biodiversity/Conservation, Ethics, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Gene editing, Invasive species, Other mammals, Policy, RegulationS. Smyth, Genetic Literacy Project, 2023.
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 ...
Biopolitik: The Promise of Gene Drive
Tags: Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Population modification/replacement, Population suppressionS. Todi, Technopolitik, 2023.
Gene drives are genetic elements of an organism that are transmitted to progeny at higher than mendelian frequencies (>50%). Gene editing techniques such as CRISPR–Cas9 have made gene drives extremely efficient in laboratory settings and have shown the potential to reduce the ...
Assessing potential hybridization between a hypothetical gene drive-modified Drosophila suzukii and nontarget Drosophila species
Tags: Fruit fly, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Governance, Invasive species, Policy, Risk assessmentS. Wolf, J. Collatz, J. Enkerli, F. Widmer and J. Romeis, Risk Analysis, 2023.
Genetically engineered gene drives (geGD) are potentially powerful tools for suppressing or even eradicating populations of pest insects. Before living geGD insects can be released into the environment, they must pass an environmental risk assessment to ensure that their release ...
Closing the gap to effective gene drive in Aedes aegypti by exploiting germline regulatory elements
Tags: Aedes, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrolM. A. E. Anderson, E. Gonzalez, J. X. D. Ang, L. Shackleford, K. Nevard, S. A. N. Verkuijl, M. P. Edgington, T. Harvey-Samuel and L. Alphey, Nature Communications, 14:338. 2023.
CRISPR/Cas9-based homing gene drives have emerged as a potential new approach to mosquito control. While attempts have been made to develop such systems in Aedes aegypti, none have been able to match the high drive efficiency observed in Anopheles species. Here we generate Ae. ...
Gene Drives Could Fight Malaria and Other Global Killers but Might Have Unintended Consequences
Tags: Anopheles, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Malaria, Population modification/replacement, Population suppressionM. Cobb, Scientific American, 2023.
Every year more than 600,000 people die from mosquito-transmitted malaria, most of them children under age five. Some insects that are disease vectors, such as mosquitoes, are currently expanding their range around the world, bringing new threats. Genetic engineering can fix this ...
Researchers Create New System for Safer Gene-Drive Testing and Development
Tags: CRISPR, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Self limitingM. Aguilera, UC San Diego Today, 2023.
In the journal Nature Communications, University of California San Diego researchers led by former Postdoctoral Scholar Gerard Terradas together with Postdoctoral Scholar Zhiqian Li and Professor Ethan Bier, in close collaboration with UC Berkeley graduate student Jared Bennett ...
Environmental, Socio-economic, and Health Impact Assessment (ESHIA) for Gene Drive Organisms
Tags: Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Policy, Regulation, Risk and safetyisaaa Inc. and Outreach Network for Gene Drive Research, ISAAA, 2023.
Understanding the possible positive and negative impacts that gene drive organisms could have on the environment and people is essential before these technologies are considered for release, whether for research purposes or for use. Different impacts are assessed through ...
Assessment of distant-site rescue elements for CRISPR toxin-antidote gene drives
Tags: CRISPR, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Toxin-antidoteJ. Chen, X. Xu and J. Champer, bioRxiv, 2023.01.06.522951. 2023.
New types of gene drives promise to provide increased flexibility, offering many options for confined modification or suppression of target populations. Among the most promising are CRISPR toxin-antidote gene drives, which disrupt essential wild-type genes by targeting them with ...
The Possibilities of Gene Drives for Managing Populations and Controlling Diseases
Tags: CRISPR, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Replicator/site directed nucleaseJ. Vijay Upadhye, U. N. Shah and B. Mudhol, Salud, Ciencia y Tecnologia, 3. 2023.
The technical limitations and the use of gene drives to address ecological problems by modifying all populations of wild species remain primarily speculative. Here, we examine the possibility that RNA-guided gene drives based on the CRISPR nuclease Cas9 could be used as an ...
CRISPR Gene Drives: A Weapon of Mass Destruction?
Tags: CRISPR, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Population suppressionJ. Ng, Medium, 2022.
Gene drives allow scientists to “drive” new genes — and their associated traits — into wildlife populations at unprecedented rates. Here’s a simplified explanation of how gene drives work. In normal sexual reproduction between species with two copies of chromosomes, ...
Gene drive designs for efficient and localisable population suppression using Y-linked editors
Tags: Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Modeling, Population suppression, Sex distorter, Sterile insect technique (SIT)R. Geci, K. Willis and A. Burt, PLOS Genetics, 18:e1010550. 2022.
Author summary Some pest populations can be successfully controlled by the inundative release of sterile males, but this approach is not practicable when the target population is large or the species difficult to rear. Computer modelling has previously demonstrated that releasing ...
Use of Insect Promoters in Genetic Engineering to Control Mosquito-Borne Diseases
Tags: Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrolV. Bottino-Rojas and A. A. James, Biomolecules, 13. 2022.
Mosquito transgenesis and gene-drive technologies provide the basis for developing promising new tools for vector-borne disease prevention by either suppressing wild mosquito populations or reducing their capacity from transmitting pathogens. Many studies of the regulatory DNA ...
Genetically modified mosquitoes … could CRISPR gene editing end malaria?
Tags: Africa, Anopheles, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Malaria, Population suppression, Target malariaD. Wells, SelectScience, 2022.
Despite being a preventable and treatable disease, malaria is currently affecting the lives of more than 200 million people.1 This results in over half a million deaths per year, with 80% of this mortality occurring in children under the age of 5.2 In addition to the tragic ...
Gene drive-mediated population elimination for biodiversity conservation. When you come to a fork in the road, take it
Tags: Biodiversity/Conservation, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Population suppression, Rodents, Transmission distortionB. A. Hay and M. Guo, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 119:e2218020119. 2022.
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 editing and agrifood systems
Tags: Agriculture, CRISPR, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Gene editing, Governance, Policy, RegulationFAO, FAO, 2022.
Gene-editing technologies represent a promising new tool for plant and animal breeding in low- and middle-income countries. They enhance precision and efficiency over current breeding methods and could lead to rapid development of improved plant varieties and animal breeds. ...
Exploring the value of a global gene drive project registry
Tags: Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Governance, Policy, Risk and safety, Stakeholder engagementR. I. Taitingfong, C. Triplett, V. N. Vásquez, R. M. Rajagopalan, R. Raban, A. Roberts, G. Terradas, B. Baumgartner, C. Emerson, F. Gould, F. Okumu, C. E. Schairer, H. C. Bossin, L. Buchman, K. J. Campbell, A. Clark, J. Delborne, K. Esvelt, J. Fisher, R., Nature Biotechnology, 2022.
Recent calls to establish a global project registry before releasing any gene-drive-modified organisms (GDOs) have suggested a registry could be valuable to coordinate research, collect data to monitor and evaluate potential ecological impacts, and facilitate transparent ...
Performance characteristics allow for confinement of a CRISPR toxin-antidote gene drive designed for population suppression
Tags: CRISPR, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Modeling, Toxin-antidoteS. Zhang and J. Champer, bioRxiv, 2022.12.13.520356. 2022.
Gene drives alleles that can bias their own inheritance are a promising way to engineer populations for control of disease vectors, invasive species, and agricultural pests. Recent advancements in the field have yielded successful examples of powerful suppression type drives and ...
New CRISPR tech makes it possible to wipe out invasive mice
Tags: Biodiversity/Conservation, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Invasive species, Population suppression, Rodents2022.
Experts urge caution over biotech that can wipe out insect pests
Tags: Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Genetically modified organisms, Governance, Policy, Risk and safetyL. Fauvel, Phys Org, 2022.
Dozens of scientists, experts and campaigners called for a ban on the release of genetically-edited organisms into the wild, in a statement Friday warning of potentially severe risks to the world's pollinators. The appeal was launched at crunch biodiversity talks in Montreal, ...
Bioinformatic and literature assessment of toxicity and allergenicity of a CRISPR-Cas9 engineered gene drive to control the human malaria mosquito vector Anopheles gambiae
Tags: CRISPR, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Malaria, Population suppression, Risk and safetyA. Qureshi and J. B. Connolly, Malaria Journal, 2022.
Population suppression gene drive is currently being evaluated, including via environmental risk assessment (ERA), for malaria vector control. One such gene drive involves the dsxFCRISPRh transgene encoding (i) hCas9 endonuclease, (i) T1 guide RNA (gRNA) targeting the doublesex ...
A natural gene drive could steer invasive rodents on islands to extinction
Tags: Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Invasive species, Population suppression, Rodents, Sex distorter, Transmission distortionB. Brookshire, ScienceNews, 2022.
In the battle against the invasive house mouse on islands, scientists are using the rodent’s own genes against it. With the right tweaks, introducing a few hundred genetically altered mice could drive an island’s invasive mouse population to extinction in about 25 years, ...
East African policy dialogue on research of genetically modified mosquitoes for malaria control and elimination
Tags: Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Governance, Policy, Regulation, Risk and safety, Target malariaC. Mugoya, Target Malaria, 2022.
The East African Community Secretariat, in collaboration with the East African Health Research Commission; NEPAD, AFIDEP and IFAKARA Health Institute recently convened an East African regional dialogue in Dar es salaam, Tanzania from 17-19 November 2022 to deliberate the way ...
Determining the landscape of resistance to gene drives in the malaria mosquito
Tags: Anopheles, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Malaria, ResistanceI. Morianou, Imperial College London, 2022.
Gene drives are engineered selfish genetic elements with the potential to spread throughout entire insect populations for sustainable vector control. Recently, a gene drive was shown to eliminate caged populations of the malaria mosquito by targeting the highly conserved ...
Scientist Recommends Gene Drive Strategies Of Pest Control To Increase Food Security
Tags: Africa, Agriculture, Gene drive, Gene drive syntheticL. Agbo, allnews, 2022.
A Nigerian scientist, Dr. Rose Gidado has recommended that Nigerian policymakers and farmers adopt the technology of a gene drive-based pest management technique in order to increase bumper harvest and food security.In an interview with NAN on Monday in Abuja, Gidado, the Deputy ...
That new chestnut? USDA plans to allow the release of GE trees into wild forests
Tags: Gene drive, Gene drive syntheticD. E. Davis, The Hill, 2022.
In the 21st century, there are those who believe the trees can be resuscitated via genetic engineering (GE). In fact, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has just released a draft environmental impact statement and draft plant pest risk assessment that will allow the ...
Discovery of 119-Million-Year-Old “Selfish” Genes Casts Doubt on Established Evolution Beliefs
Tags: Evolution, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Selfish genetic elements, Transmission distortion, Yeast and FungiStowers Institute for Medical Research, SciTechDaily, 2022.
Meiotic drivers, a kind of selfish gene, are indeed selfish. They are found in virtually all species’ genomes, including humans, and unjustly transfer their genetic material to more than half of their offspring, resulting in infertility and impaired organism health. Their ...
Discovery of 119-Million year old Selfish Genes Casts Doubt on Established Evolution Beliefs
Tags: Evolution, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Selfish genetic elements, Transmission distortion, Yeast and FungiStowers Institute for Medical Research, 2022.
Meiotic drivers, a kind of selfish gene, are indeed selfish. They are found in virtually all species’ genomes, including humans, and unjustly transfer their genetic material to more than half of their offspring, resulting in infertility and impaired organism health. Their ...
Modeling-informed Engineered Genetic Incompatibility strategies to overcome resistance in the invasive Drosophila suzukii
Tags: Fruit fly, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic incompatibilities, Modeling, UnderdominanceA. Sychla, N. R. Feltman, W. D. Hutchison and M. J. Smanski, Frontiers in Insect Science, 2. 2022.
Engineered Genetic Incompatibility (EGI) is an engineered extreme underdominance genetic system wherein hybrid animals are not viable, functioning as a synthetic speciation event. There are several strategies in which EGI could be leveraged for genetic biocontrol of pest ...
A CRISPR endonuclease gene drive reveals distinct mechanisms of inheritance bias
Tags: Aedes, CRISPR, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Replicator/site directed nucleaseS. A. N. Verkuijl, E. Gonzalez, M. Li, J. X. D. Ang, N. P. Kandul, M. A. E. Anderson, O. S. Akbari, M. B. Bonsall and L. Alphey, Nature Communications, 13:7145. 2022.
CRISPR/Cas gene drives can bias transgene inheritance through different mechanisms. Homing drives are designed to replace a wild-type allele with a copy of a drive element on the homologous chromosome. In Aedes aegypti, the sex-determining locus is closely linked to the white ...
Should we use a genetic weapon against mosquitoes carrying malaria?
Tags: Africa, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Malaria, Target malariaT. H. Saey, ScienceNewsExplores, 2022.
In a large laboratory cage, a male mosquito carries a genetic weapon that could launch the destruction of his species. That loss could also mean the end of the parasite that causes malaria. The weapon? A self-replicating bit of DNA known as a gene drive. It’s one of the most ...
The effect of mating complexity on gene drive dynamics
Tags: Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Modeling, Population genetics/dynamics, Population suppressionP. Verma, R. G. Reeves, S. Simon, M. Otto and C. S. Gokhale, The American Naturalist, 2022.
Gene drive technology promises to deliver on some of the global challenges humanity faces today in health care, agriculture, and conservation. However, there is a limited understanding of the consequences of releasing self-perpetuating transgenic organisms into wild populations ...
CRISPR-Mediated Cassette Exchange (CriMCE): A Method to Introduce and Isolate Precise Marker-Less Edits
Tags: CRISPR, Gene drive, Gene drive syntheticI. Morianou, A. Crisanti, T. Nolan and A. M. Hammond, The CRISPR Journal, 2022.
The introduction of small unmarked edits to the genome of insects is essential to study the molecular underpinnings of important biological traits, such as resistance to insecticides and genetic control strategies. Advances in CRISPR genome engineering have made this possible, ...
Gene drive could be used to wipe out invasive mice on islands
Tags: Biodiversity/Conservation, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Population suppression, Rodents, Transmission distortionM. Le Page, NewScientist, 2022.
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 ...
World first trial to eradicate mice through gene modification
Tags: Biodiversity/Conservation, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Population suppression, Rodents, Transmission distortionI. Mannix, COSMOS, 2022.
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 ...
SHOULD WE CREATE GENE DRIVE GREY SQUIRRELS
Tags: Biodiversity/Conservation, Gene drive, Gene drive syntheticS. Hartley and T. Law, GeneDriveGovernance.org, 2022.
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 ...
Leveraging a natural murine meiotic drive to suppress invasive populations
Tags: Biodiversity/Conservation, CRISPR, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Modeling, Population suppression, Rodents, Transmission distortionL. 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.
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 ...
WORLDWIDE: EXPERTS ON GENE DRIVES
Tags: Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Policy, Risk and safety, Risk assessmentStop Gene Drive, STOP GENE DRIVES, 2022.
We are travelling the world speaking to some of the world’s leading thinkers, activists and academics on the impact of gene drives. We interviewed more than 20 experts from around the world
Making waves: Comparative analysis of gene drive spread characteristics in a continuous space model
Tags: Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, ModelingM. Pan and J. Champer, bioRxiv, 2022.11.01.514650. 2022.
With their ability to rapidly increase in frequency, gene drives can be used to modify or suppress target populations after an initial release of drive-containing individuals. Recent advances in this field have revealed many possibilities for different types of drives, and ...
Modeling the efficacy of CRISPR gene drive for snail immunity on schistosomiasis control
Tags: Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Modeling, Other invertebrates, Replicator/site directed nucleaseR. E. Grewelle, J. Perez-Saez, J. Tycko, E. K. O. Namigai, C. G. Rickards and G. A. De Leo, PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases, 16:e0010894. 2022.
CRISPR gene drives could revolutionize the control of infectious diseases by accelerating the spread of engineered traits that limit parasite transmission in wild populations. Gene drive technology in mollusks has received little attention despite the role of freshwater snails as ...
Pulled, pushed or failed: the demographic impact of a gene drive can change the nature of its spatial spread
Tags: Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, ModelingL. Kläy, L. Girardin, V. Calvez and F. Débarre, arXiv, 2022.
Understanding the temporal spread of gene drive alleles -- alleles that bias their own transmission -- through modeling is essential before any field experiments. In this paper, we present a deterministic reaction-diffusion model describing the interplay between demographic and ...
What are gene drivers and why do 300,000 people want them banned?
Tags: Ecology, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Risk and safety, Risk assessmentAnika, Social Bites, 2022.
Ecologists in Action and Madrid Agroecologico submitted 300,000 citizen signatures to the Ministry of Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge, asking Minister Teresa Ribera to give Spain a boost. International moratorium on technology for the release of organisms modified ...
Target Malaria’s scientists are working to rid Africa of an ancient plague
Tags: Africa, Anopheles, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, MalariaD. Matthews, Vox, 2022.
This could very well be the last century in human history when people die from malaria. If and when we do eradicate the disease, the team at Target Malaria will probably deserve a big share of the credit. Their plan to use gene drive technology to wipe out species of mosquitoes ...
Hurdles in responsive community engagement for the development of environmental biotechnologies
Tags: Ethics, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Policy, Stakeholder engagement, Synthetic biologyA. M. Normandin, L. M. Fitzgerald, J. Yip and S. W. Evans, Synthetic Biology, 7:ysac022. 2022.
Recent calls for engaging communities in biotechnology development do not draw enough attention to the hurdles that must be overcome for engagement strategies to effectively feed back into research design and conduct. These hurdles call into question many standard ways of ...
Driving down malaria transmission with engineered gene drives
Tags: Anopheles, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, MalariaW. T. Garrood, P. Cuber, K. Willis, F. Bernardini, N. M. Page and R. E. Haghighat-Khah, Frontiers in Genetics, 13. 2022.
The last century has witnessed the introduction, establishment and expansion of mosquito-borne diseases into diverse new geographic ranges. Malaria is transmitted by female Anopheles mosquitoes. Despite making great strides over the past few decades in reducing the burden of ...
Why we need to talk about ‘gene-drive’ grey squirrels
Tags: Biodiversity/Conservation, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Invasive species, Population suppression, Stakeholder engagementAnonymous, University of Exeter, 2022.
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 ...
Mosquito Gene Drives and the Malaria Eradication Agenda
Tags: Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, MalariaEditor: R. Carballar-Lejarazu,, Jenny Stanford Publishing, 2022.
Malaria is one of most serious infectious diseases today and has afflicted humankind for thousands of years. A significant number of people still die from this mosquito-borne disease, despite the use of various malaria prevention and control methods over hundreds of years and ...
Assessing single-locus CRISPR/Cas9-based gene drive variants in the mosquito Aedes aegypti via single generation crosses and modeling
Tags: Aedes, CRISPR, Dengue, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Replicator/site directed nucleaseW. Reid, A. E. Williams, I. Sanchez-Vargas, J. Lin, R. Juncu, K. E. Olson and A. W. E. Franz, G3 Genes|Genomes|Genetics, 2022.
Critical to the design of a single-locus autonomous GD is that the selected genomic locus is amenable to both GD and appropriate expression of the antiviral effector. In our study, we used reverse engineering to target two intergenic genomic loci, which had previously shown to be ...
Introgression of a synthetic sex ratio distortion transgene into different genetic backgrounds of Anopheles coluzzii
Tags: Anopheles, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Sex distorter, X chromosomeP. Pollegioni, T. Persampieri, R. L. Minuz, A. Bucci, A. Trusso, S. Di Martino, C. Leo, M. Bruttini, M. Ciolfi, A. M. Waldvogel, F. Tripet, A. Simoni, A. Crisanti and R. Müller, Insect Molecular Biology, 2022.
The development of genetically modified mosquitoes (GMM) and their subsequent field release offers innovative approaches for vector control of malaria. A non-gene drive self-limiting male-bias Ag(PMB)1 strain has been developed in a 47-year-old laboratory G3 strain of Anopheles ...
Anopheles homing suppression drive candidates exhibit unexpected performance differences in simulations with spatial structure
Tags: Anopheles, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Modeling, Population suppression, Replicator/site directed nuclease, X chromosomeS. E. Champer, I. K. Kim, A. G. Clark, P. W. Messer and J. Champer, eLife, 11:e79121. 2022.
Recent experiments have produced several Anopheles gambiae homing gene drives that disrupt female fertility genes, thereby eventually inducing population collapse. Such drives may be highly effective tools to combat malaria. One such homing drive, based on the zpg promoter ...
GeneConvene Global Collaborative | Laboratory Containment of Arthropods Capable of Gene Drive: Best Practices and Recommendations
Tags: Containment, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Risk and safety, WebinarHector Quemada, GeneConvene Global Collaborative, 2022.
This webinar is presented by members of the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene's American Committee of Medical Entomologists who were involved in drafting a recent Addendum to the ASTMH's Arthropod Containment Guidelines that specifically consider arthropods with ...
Combating Mosquito-Borne Diseases with CRISPR
Tags: CRISPR, Dengue, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Malaria, Sterile insect technique (SIT)N. Spahich, The Scientist, 2022.
Female mosquitoes are some of the deadliest organisms in the world due to their ability to spread infectious diseases through a simple bite. Mosquito-borne diseases such as yellow fever, Zika, Dengue fever, and malaria kill millions of humans every year, and there are limited ...
Improvement of Resistance in Plants Against Insect-Pests Using Genome Editing Tools
Tags: Agriculture, Gene drive, Gene drive syntheticS. Bhat and S. Kumar, Genome Editing: Current Technology Advances and Applications for Crop Improvement, 2022.
During growth period plants are subjected to both biotic and abiotic stresses. Like other biotic stresses, insect-pests are the most serious challenge for the plants particularly in yield losses. Genome editing techniques are becoming an emerging technology bringing real ...
Research: Scientists Modify Mosquitoes That Can’t Spread Malaria
Tags: Anopheles, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Malaria, Population modification/replacementN. Kharbanda, Onlymyhealth, 2022.
According to a research, scientists have found a way to genetically engineer mosquitoes with the capability to slow down the multiplication of malaria-causing parasites in their gut. This is an advance study, that can help in preventing the infecting of the disease in humans. The ...
Explained: How Scientists Are Genetically modifying Mosquitoes To Reduce Malaria
Tags: Anopheles, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Malaria, Population modification/replacementAnonymous, Outlook, 2022.
he Delhi High Court on Friday asked the state government to inform it within two weeks of the proposal of increasing the fine amount in mosquito breeding cases. The court last year took suo moto cognizance of the issue of large-scale mosquito breeding in the city, resulting in ...
Explained: How scientists engineered mosquitoes that cannot spread malaria
Tags: Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Genetically modified mosquitoes, Malaria, Population modification/replacementFP Explainers, Firstpost, 2022.
The world of science is reaching new heights. Scientists have now developed mosquitoes that will bite you but not cause malaria. The study was conducted by a team of researchers called Transmission: Zero at the Imperial College of London. The results of the research were ...
Points to consider in seeking biosafety approval for research, testing, and environmental release of experimental genetically modified biocontrol products during research and development
Tags: Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Genetically modified mosquitoes, Policy, Regulation, Risk assessmentW. K. Tonui, V. Ahuja, C. J. Beech, J. B. Connolly, B. Dass, D. C. M. Glandorf, et al., Transgenic Research, 31:607. 2022.
Novel genetically modified biological control products (referred to as “GM biocontrol products”) are being considered to address a range of complex problems in public health, conservation, and agriculture, including preventing the transmission of vector-borne parasitic and ...
Malaria Gene Drives: A Battle Of Wit Between The Government And Stakeholders
Tags: Africa, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Genetically modified mosquitoes, MalariaO. Onwumere, The Nigerian Voice, 2022.
Through the National Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA), guidelines for gene editing, primarily in agriculture, were approved by the Nigerian Federal Government in December 2020. As the first country in Africa, the government was praised for taking the momentous step of ...
Malaria-free mosquito engineered by scientists
Tags: Africa, Anopheles, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Malaria, Population modification/replacementGNA, MODERN GHANA, 2022.
Scientists have genetically modified the main malaria-carrying species of mosquito in sub-SaharanAfrica to slow the growth of malaria-causing parasites in their gut, preventing transmission of thedisease to humans. When the Anopheles gambiae takes a blood meal, it produces two ...
Gene drive used to make all female mosquitoes sterile
Tags: Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Genetically modified mosquitoes, MalariaAkfire1, TechiLink, 2022.
We have long known that we can limit malaria infections by controlling the mosquitoes that transmit them. But that knowledge has not translated into auditing efforts that have always been completely successful. Many of the approaches we have used to control mosquitoes have caused ...
Justifying an Intentional Species Extinction: The Case of Anopheles gambiae
Tags: Anopheles, Ethics, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Malaria, Mosquitoes, PolicyD. E. Callies and Y. Rohwer, Environmental Values, 31:193-210. 2022.
Each year, over 200 million people are infected with the malaria parasite, nearly half a million of whom succumb to the disease. Emerging genetic technologies could, in theory, eliminate the burden of malaria throughout the world by intentionally eradicating the mosquitoes that ...
How We’re Reducing Disease With Genetically Modified Mosquitoes
Tags: Aedes, Anopheles, Dengue, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Genetically modified mosquitoes, Malaria, Mosquitoes, North America, OxitecV. Wise, HealthMatch, 2022.
We all know mosquitoes as those annoying insects we swat away from our faces. They carry diseases, so we don’t want them anywhere near us. There are over 200 types of wild mosquitoes bugging us across America and the U.S. territories. Approximately 12 types can spread disease, ...
Scientists stunt parasite growth to tackle malaria
Tags: Anopheles, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Malaria, Population modification/replacementRSS24.news, RSS24.NEWS, 2022.
Loss of life, loss of livlihoods and homelessness have already afflicted these flood marooned refugees in Pakistan. Now these living conditions means they also face sickness and and without protection malaria is a major threat. Health agencies try to protect people against ...
Scientists are manipulating the DNA of mosquitoes to fight the spread of malaria
Tags: Anopheles, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Malaria, Population modification/replacementR. Min, EURONEWS.NEXT, 2022.
Scientists say they have managed to genetically modify mosquitoes so that they are unable to spread malaria, a disease that kills well over half a million people each year. The changes cause mosquitoes to live shorter lives, while the parasites inside them, which cause the fatal ...
Scientists engineer mosquitoes that cannot spread malaria
Tags: Anopheles, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Malaria, Population modification/replacementJ. Dalton, Independen, 2022.
Scientists have engineered mosquitoes that cannot give humans malaria, saying their work could potentially eliminate the disease. Researchers at Imperial College London genetically modified the insects so that the growth of malaria-causing parasites in their guts was slowed.
Scientists Engineer Mosquitoes That Can’t Transmit Malaria
Tags: Anopheles, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Malaria, Population modification/replacementC. Murez, US News, 2022.
The fight against malaria could hinge on genetically engineered mosquitoes that have something called "gene drive."Researchers from the Transmission: Zero team at Imperial College London report that they have engineered mosquitoes that slow the growth in their gut of the ...
Mosquitoes that can’t spread malaria engineered by scientists
Tags: Anopheles, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Malaria, Population modification/replacement2022.
Scientists have engineered mosquitoes that slow the growth of malaria-causing parasites in their gut, preventing transmission of the disease to humans The genetic modification causes mosquitoes to produce compounds in their guts that stunt the growth of parasites, meaning they ...
Scientists engineer mosquitoes that can’t spread malaria
Tags: Anopheles, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Malaria, Population modification/replacementS. Varshney, Gamacher Central, 2022.
Scientists have engineered mosquitoes that slow the growth of malaria-causing parasites in their gut, preventing transmission of the disease to humans. The genetic modification causes mosquitoes to produce compounds in their guts that stunt the growth of parasites, meaning they ...
Mosquitoes with honeybee DNA could tame malaria
Tags: Anopheles, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Malaria, Population modification/replacementR. Blakely, The Times, 2022.
A new form of genetically engineered mosquito could reduce the spread of malaria in Africa, a study suggests. The addition of DNA from a honeybee and genetic material from the African clawed frog prompt the new mosquitoes to produce compounds to stunt the growth of the parasite ...
Genetically Engineered Mosquitoes Prevented the Growth of Malaria-causing Parasites in Their Gut
Tags: Anopheles, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Malaria, Population modification/replacementP. Mozter, Nature World News 2022, 2022.
Abstract: Scientists have created mosquitoes that inhibit the development of malaria-causing parasites in their stomachs, therefore decreasing disease transmission to people. The genetic change allows mosquitoes to create substances in their intestines that inhibit parasite ...
Fitness effects of CRISPR endonucleases in Drosophila melanogaster populations
Tags: CRISPR, Fruit fly, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Mosquito husbandryA. M. Langmüller, J. Champer, S. Lapinska, L. Xie, M. Metzloff, S. E. Champer, J. Liu, Y. Xu, J. Du, A. G. Clark and P. W. Messer, eLife, 11:e71809. 2022.
Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR)/Cas9 provides a highly efficient and flexible genome editing technology with numerous potential applications ranging from gene therapy to population control. Some proposed applications involve the integration of ...
Mosquitoes are being genetically modified so they can’t spread malaria
Tags: Anopheles, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Malaria, Population modification/replacementM. Le Page, New Scientist, 2022.
Gene editing mosquitoes so they die before malaria parasites can develop inside them could stop the spread of the deadly parasite entirely,
Scientists engineer mosquitoes that can’t spread malaria
Tags: Anopheles, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Malaria, Population modification/replacementImperial College London, Phys Org, 2022.
Scientists have engineered mosquitoes that slow the growth of malaria-causing parasites in their gut, preventing transmission of the disease to humans. The genetic modification causes mosquitoes to produce compounds in their guts that stunt the growth of parasites, meaning they ...
Extreme GM “extinction technology” of gene drives presented as “natural”
Tags: Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Population modification/replacementGM Watch, GM Watch, 2022.
Now similar Orwellian moves are happening in the area of gene drives. A gene drive is a genetic engineering technology that forces a particular genetic modification through a population by changing the natural rules of inheritance, usually to ensure that it is increasingly – ...
Daisy-chain gene drives: The role of low cut-rate, resistance mutations, and maternal deposition
Tags: Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Modeling, Self limitingS. A. N. Verkuijl, M. A. E. Anderson, L. Alphey and M. B. Bonsall, PLOS Genetics, 18:e1010370. 2022.
Author summary Reducing the harm of pest species by the introgression of traits into a wild population is often limited by the difficulties of mass rearing and release of modified individuals. Gene drives present an opportunity to substantially reduce the release frequencies ...
Humans Have a Long History of Making ‘Very Bad Decisions’ to Save Animals
Tags: Biodiversity/Conservation, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Genetically modified mosquitoes, MalariaT. McDonnell, The New York Times, 2022.
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 ...
A detailed landscape of CRISPR-Cas-mediated plant disease and pest management
Tags: CRISPR, Gene drive, Gene drive syntheticS. Karmakar, P. Das, D. Panda, K. Xie, M. J. Baig and K. A. Molla, Plant Science, 323:111376. 2022.
Genome editing technology has rapidly evolved to knock-out genes, create targeted genetic variation, install precise insertion/deletion and single nucleotide changes, and perform large-scale alteration. The flexible and multipurpose editing technologies have started playing a ...
Applications of gene drive systems for population suppression of insect pests
Tags: Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Population suppressionM. Asad, D. Liu, J. Chen and G. Yang, Bulletin of Entomological Research, 2022.
Population suppression is an effective way for controlling insect pests and disease vectors, which cause significant damage to crop and spread contagious diseases to plants, animals and humans. Gene drive systems provide innovative opportunities for the insect pests population ...
ISAAA Policy Brief: Risk Assessment for Gene Drive Organisms
Tags: Biodiversity/Conservation, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Policy, Regulation, Risk and safetyAnonymous, ISAAA, 2022.
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 ...
A confinable female-lethal population suppression system in the malaria vector, Anopheles gambiae
Tags: Anopheles, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Malaria, Modeling, Population suppression, Self limiting, Sterile insect technique (SIT)A. L. Smidler, J. J. Pai, R. A. Apte, H. M. Sánchez C, R. M. Corder, E. J. Gutiérrez, N. Thakre, I. Antoshechkin, J. M. Marshall and O. S. Akbari, bioRxiv, 2022.08.30.505861. 2022.
Malaria is among the world’s deadliest diseases, predominantly affecting sub-Saharan Africa, and killing over half a million people annually. Controlling the principal vector, the mosquito Anopheles gambiae, as well as other anophelines, is among the most effective methods to ...
Genetic Tools for Integrated Management of Pests on Honeybees in the Tropics
Tags: CRISPR, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Other arthropods, Sterile insect technique (SIT)M. Pattabhiramaiah, S. Mallikarjunaiah and D. Brueckner, Genetic Methods and Tools for Managing Crop Pests, 2022.
The Asian honeybee is endemic to Asia where it has been used for honey production and pollination services from time immemorial. They are integral to modern agricultural productivity and to survival and vitality of natural ecosystems. However, recent declines in populations and ...
Environmentally appropriate vector control is facilitated by standard metrics for simulation-based evaluation
Tags: Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Modeling, Policy, RegulationV. N. Vásquez, M. R. Reddy and J. M. Marshall, Frontiers in Tropical Diseases, 3. 2022.
As anthropogenic factors contribute to the introduction and expansion of new and established vector species, the geographic incidence of mosquito-borne disease is shifting. Computer simulations, informed by field data where possible, facilitate the cost-effective evaluation of ...
A multiplexed, confinable CRISPR/Cas9 gene drive propagates in caged Aedes aegypti populations
Tags: Aedes, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Resistance, Self limitingM. A. E. Anderson, E. Gonzalez, M. P. Edgington, J. X. D. Ang, D.-K. Purusothaman, L. Shackleford, K. Nevard, S. A. N. Verkuijl, T. Harvey-Samuel, P. T. Leftwich, K. Esvelt and L. Alphey, bioRxiv, 2022.08.12.503466. 2022.
Here, we test the regulatory sequences from the Ae. aegypti benign gonial cell neoplasm (bgcn) homolog to express Cas9 in the germline to find an expression timing more conducive to homing. We also created a separate multiplexing (targeting multiple different sites within the ...
Harnessing Wolbachia cytoplasmic incompatibility alleles for confined gene drive: a modeling study
Tags: Cytoplasmic incompatibility, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Modeling, WolbachiaJ. Li and J. Champer, bioRxiv, 2022.08.09.503337. 2022.
By using both mathematical and simulation models, we found that a drive containing CifA and CifB together create a confined drive with a moderate to high introduction threshold. When introduced separately, they act as a self-limiting drive. We observed that the performance of ...
Reflection on the Challenges, Accomplishments, and New Frontiers of Gene Drives
Tags: Agriculture, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Other arthropods, Selfish genetic elementsM. Melesse Vergara, J. Labbé and J. Tannous, BioDesign Research, 2022:9853416. 2022.
Ongoing pest and disease outbreaks pose a serious threat to human, crop, and animal lives, emphasizing the need for constantgenetic discoveries that could serve as mitigation strategies. Gene drives are genetic engineering approaches discovered decadesago that may allow quick, ...
A theory of resistance to multiplexed gene drive demonstrates the significant role of weakly deleterious natural genetic variation
Tags: CRISPR, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Modeling, Population suppression, Replicator/site directed nuclease, ResistanceB. S. Khatri and A. Burt, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 119:e2200567119. 2022.
CRISPR-based gene drives have the potential for controlling natural populations of disease vectors, such as malaria-carrying mosquitoes in sub-Saharan Africa. If successful, they hold promise of significantly reducing the burden of disease and death from malaria and many other ...
What do we mean by “Target Organism” in Target Malaria’s gene drive research?
Tags: Africa, Anopheles, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Malaria, Policy, Population suppression, Regulation, Risk and safety, Target malariaJ. B. Connolly, Target Malaria, 2022.
In the wild and in laboratory settings, sibling mosquito species can successfully mate to produce viable offspring, regardless of whether they are vectors or not. Importantly, females, but not males, of these offspring can be fertile. Nonetheless, the likelihood of finding such ...
Population replacement gene drive characteristics for malaria elimination in a range of seasonal transmission settings: a modelling study
Tags: Africa, Anopheles, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Malaria, Modeling, Population modification/replacementS. Leung, N. Windbichler, E. A. Wenger, C. A. Bever and P. Selvaraj, Malaria Journal, 21:226. 2022.
BACKGROUND: Gene drives are a genetic engineering method where a suite of genes is inherited at higher than Mendelian rates and has been proposed as a promising new vector control strategy to reinvigorate the fight against malaria in sub-Saharan Africa. METHODS: Using an ...
Operationalizing stakeholder engagement for gene drive research in malaria elimination in Africa-translating guidance into practice
Tags: Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Malaria, Stakeholder engagement, Vector controlL. Pare Toe, B. Dicko, R. Linga, N. Barry, M. Drabo, N. Sykes and D. Thizy, Malaria Journal, 21:225. 2022.
Gene drive mosquitoes are increasingly considered a potential transformational tool for vector control of malaria mosquitoes. As part of efforts to promote responsible research in this field, a number of guidance documents have been published by the World Health Organization, ...
Comprehensive characterization of a transgene insertion in a highly repetitive, centromeric region of Anopheles mosquitoes
Tags: Anopheles, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Genetically modified mosquitoesM. Vitale, C. Leo, T. Courty, N. Kranjc, J. B. Connolly, G. Morselli, C. Bamikole, R. E. Haghighat-Khah, F. Bernardini and S. Fuchs, Pathogens and Global Health, 2022.
The availability of the genomic sequence of the malaria mosquito Anopheles gambiae has in recent years sparked the development of transgenic technologies with the potential to be used as novel vector control tools. These technologies rely on genome editing that confer traits able ...
Development of CRISPR/Cas9-Mediated Gene-Drive Construct Targeting the Phenotypic Gene in Plutella xylostella
Tags: CRISPR, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Moths, Replicator/site directed nucleaseM. Asad, D. Liu, J. Li, J. Chen and G. Yang, Frontiers in Physiology, 13:938621. 2022.
The gene-drive system can ensure that desirable traits are transmitted to the progeny more than the normal Mendelian segregation. The clustered regularly interspersed palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated protein 9 (Cas9) mediated gene-drive system has been demonstrated ...
Novel gene drive based on eliciting piRNA biogenesis in insect pests
Tags: Anopheles, Gene drive, Gene drive syntheticC. Henderson and B. Christina, Rutgers Research, 2022.
Rutgers researchers have developed a potential permanent solution to persistent pest control issues by developing a system for genetic modification which could reduce the transmission of vector borne diseases (like malaria) from their insect vectors, or to establish expression ...
Gene Drive in Species Complexes: Defining Target Organisms
Tags: Biodiversity/Conservation, Gene drive synthetic, Policy, Risk assessmentJ. B. Connolly, J. Romeis, Y. Devos, D. C. M. Glandorf, G. Turner and M. B. Coulibaly, Trends in Biotechnology, 2022.
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 ...
Genetically-enhanced biocontrols can help fight large invasive mammals
Tags: Biodiversity/Conservation, Gene drive synthetic, Invasive species, Other mammalsPensoft Publishers, Science Daily, 2022.
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 ...
Gene drives and Africa’s battle against malaria
Tags: Africa, Gene drive synthetic, Genetically modified mosquitoes, Malaria, Population suppression, Target malariaAnnonymous, Africa Verified, 2022.
As malaria cases rise, and the effectiveness of current methods begins to fall, the WHO’s target of reducing the global malaria burden by 90% by 2030 will not be met. It is critical for new and resilient treatment, prevention, and control methods to be developed and integrated ...
A population modification gene drive targeting both Saglin and Lipophorin disables Plasmodium transmission in Anopheles mosquitoes
Tags: Anopheles, Gene drive synthetic, Malaria, Population modification/replacement, Replicator/site directed nucleaseE. I. Green, E. Jaouen, D. Klug, R. P. Olmo, A. Gautier, S. A. Blandin and E. Marois, bioRxiv, 2022.07.08.499187. 2022.
Lipophorin is an essential, highly expressed lipid transporter protein that is secreted and circulates in insect hemolymph. We hijacked the Anopheles gambiae Lipophorin gene to make it co-express a single-chain version of antibody 2A10, which binds sporozoites of the malaria ...
Scalability of genetic biocontrols for eradicating invasive alien mammals
Tags: Biodiversity/Conservation, Gene drive synthetic, Invasive species, Modeling, Other mammalsA. Birand, P. Cassey, J. V. Ross, P. Q. Thomas and T. A. A. Prowse, NeoBiota, 74:93-103. 2022.
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 ...
Larval mosquito management and risk to aquatic ecosystems: A comparative approach including current tactics and gene-drive Anopheles techniques
Tags: Anopheles, Gene drive synthetic, Malaria, Mosquitoes, Policy, Regulation, Risk assessmentR. K. D. Peterson and M. G. Rolston, Transgenic Research, 2022.
Genetic engineering of mosquitoes represents a promising tactic for reducing human suffering from malaria. Gene-drive techniques being developed that suppress or modify populations of Anopheles gambiae have the potential to be used with, or even possibly obviate, microbial and ...
Do Australians support genetic technology to control feral animals?
Tags: Biodiversity/Conservation, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Other mammalsE. Phiddian, COSMOS, 2022.
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 ...
Public perspectives towards using gene drive for invasive species management in Australia
Tags: Biodiversity/Conservation, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Oceania, Other mammals, Policy, Population suppression, Stakeholder engagementA. Mankad, E. V. Hobman and L. Carter, CSIRO, 2022.
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 ...
Breeding out the feral cat problem
Tags: Biodiversity/Conservation, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Other mammalsS. Schmidt, ECOS, 2022.
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. ...
The suppressive potential of a gene drive in populations of invasive social wasps is currently limited
Tags: Aedes, Biodiversity/Conservation, Biological control, Gene drive synthetic, Gene editing, Genetic biocontrol, Invasive species, ModelingA. B. Meiborg, N. R. Faber, B. A. Taylor, B. A. Harpur and G. Gorjanc, bioRxiv, 2022.06.27.497711. 2022.
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. ...
Australians open to using genetic technology to manage feral cats
Tags: Biodiversity/Conservation, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Oceania, Other mammalsCSIRO, MIRAGE, 2022.
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. ...
Public deliberation and the regulation of gene drive in the USA
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Policy, Regulation, Risk and safety, Stakeholder engagementW. F. West, L. W. Buchman and R. F. Medina, Science and Public Policy, scac032. 2022.
Gene drive is a new form of biotechnology designed to bias the inheritance of selected traits in animal or plant species that reproduce sexually and have relatively short reproductive cycles. Unlike traditional breeding techniques and other forms of biotechnology, gene drive is ...
DriverSEAT: A spatially-explicit stochastic modelling framework for the evaluation of gene drives in novel target species
Tags: Agriculture, Gene drive synthetic, ModelingM. Legros and L. G. Barrett, bioRxiv, 2022.06.13.496025. 2022.
Gene drives represent a potentially ground breaking technology for the control of undesirable species or the introduction of desirable traits in wild population, and there is strong interest in applying these technologies to a wide range of species across many domains including ...
Natural and Engineered Sex Ratio Distortion in Insects
Tags: Agriculture, Biodiversity/Conservation, Gene drive synthetic, Population modification/replacement, Population suppression, Sex distorter, Transmission distortion, WolbachiaA. Compton and Z. Tu, Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution, 10. 2022.
Insects have evolved highly diverse genetic sex-determination mechanisms and a relatively balanced male to female sex ratio is generally expected. However, selection may shift the optimal sex ratio while meiotic drive and endosymbiont manipulation can result in sex ratio ...
Generation of Gene Drive Mice for Invasive Pest Population Suppression
Tags: Biodiversity/Conservation, Gene drive synthetic, Invasive species, Rodents, Sex distorter, Transmission distortionM. D. Bunting, C. Pfitzner, L. Gierus, M. White, S. Piltz and P. Q. Thomas, Applications of Genome Modulation and Editing, 2022.
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 ...
Selective targeting of biting females to control mosquito-borne infectious diseases
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Population suppression, Sterile insect technique (SIT), Transmission distortion, X chromosomeB. B. Kojin, A. Compton, Z. N. Adelman and Z. Tu, Trends in Parasitology, 2022.
Mosquitoes are vectors for a number of infectious diseases. Only females feed on blood to provision for their embryos and, in doing so, transmit pathogens to the associated vertebrate hosts. Therefore, sex is an important phenotype in the context of genetic control programs, both ...
Gene Drives: A Potentially New Weapon Against Mosquitoes
Tags: CRISPR, Gene drive synthetic, Malaria, MosquitoesM. Sherman, Times Union Online, 2022.
Scientists have studied gene drives for more than 50 years, and to most of us this has been a well-kept secret. 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 ...
Unbalanced selection: the challenge of maintaining a social polymorphism when a supergene is selfish
Tags: Evolution, Gene drive synthetic, Genomics, Modeling, Selfish genetic elements, Transmission distortionA. G. Tafreshi, S. P. Otto and M. Chapuisat, Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci, 377:20210197. 2022.
Supergenes often have multiple phenotypic effects, including unexpected detrimental ones, because recombination suppression maintains associations among co-adapted alleles but also allows the accumulation of recessive deleterious mutations and selfish genetic elements. Yet, ...
Active genetics comes alive
Tags: CRISPR, Gene drive synthetic, Malaria, Selfish genetic elementsV. M. Gantz and E. Bier, BioEssays, 2022.
Abstract Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR)-based ?active genetic? elements developed in 2015 bypassed the fundamental rules of traditional genetics. Inherited in a super-Mendelian fashion, such selfish genetic entities offered a variety of ...
Genetically Modified Mosquitoes to Fight Malaria in Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Mali and Uganda: What Legal Response?
Tags: Africa, Gene drive synthetic, Genetically modified mosquitoes, Genetically modified organisms, Governance, Policy, RegulationO. J. L. Tung, Potchefstroom Electronic Law Journal, 25:1-42. 2022.
Advanced applied research on genetically modified (hereafter GM) insects is being undertaken to control insect vectors of human diseases such as mosquitoes. GM insect technologies are being developed in countries where there is a legal ...
Investigating CRISPR/Cas9 gene drive for production of disease-preventing prion gene alleles
Tags: Biodiversity/Conservation, CRISPR, Ecology, Gene drive synthetic, Other mammalsA. R. Castle, S. Wohlgemuth, L. Arce and D. Westaway, PLoS One, 17:e0269342. 2022.
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 ...
Retraction Note: Selective inheritance of target genes from only one parent of sexually reproduced F1 progeny in Arabidopsis
Tags: Agriculture, Gene drive syntheticT. Zhang, M. Mudgett, R. Rambabu, B. Abramson, X. Dai, T. P. Michael and Y. Zhao, Nature Communications, 13:3270. 2022.
Retraction to: Nature Communications https://doi-org.proxy-um.researchport.umd.edu/10.1038/s41467-021-24195-5, published online 22 June 2021.We retract the article cited above because genotyping results from recent experiments are not consistent with the conclusions presented in ...
Who decides whether to use gene drives against malaria-carrying mosquitoes?
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Malaria, Policy, Risk and safety, Stakeholder engagement, Target malariaT. H. Saey, ScienceNews, 2022.
The gene drive interferes with the insects’ ability to reproduce. It wiped out captive populations of mosquitoes in eight to 12 generations (SN: 10/27/18, p. 6) in a small lab study. In 2021, the technology worked in the large cages in Terni, Italy, too. Within as little as ...
Testing non-autonomous antimalarial gene drive effectors using self-eliminating drivers in the African mosquito vector Anopheles gambiae
Tags: Anopheles, Gene drive synthetic, Malaria, Population modification/replacementD. A. Ellis, G. Avraam, A. Hoermann, C. A. S. Wyer, Y. X. Ong, G. K. Christophides and N. Windbichler, PLOS Genetics, 18:e1010244. 2022.
Author summary Gene drive is a method that allows the genetic modification of entire populations of harmful organisms. Their application to tackle invasive species, agricultural pests or insect disease vectors has been suggested. For example, they could reduce the capacity of ...
Exploring value change
Tags: Ethics, Gene drive synthetic, Policy, Stakeholder engagementT. E. de Wildt and V. J. Schweizer, Prometheus, 38. 2022.
This article aims to explore the use of cross-impact balances (CIB) to identify scenarios of value change. The possibility of value change has received little attention in the literature on value-sensitive design (VSD). Examples of value change include the emergence of new values ...
Unfolding the Next Frontier of Innovation in Malaria: The Way Forward
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Genetically modified mosquitoes, MalariaETHealthWorld, ET Healthworld, 2022.
Malaria innovation is on the verge of a challenging yet exciting frontier. Therefore, to ramp up current innovatins and expand effective therapeutic and prevenitive methods, the governments, international organizations, and the private sector must work together. Additionally, ...
Recommendations for environmental risk assessment of gene drive applications for malaria vector control
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Malaria, Modeling, Population suppression, Risk and safety, Stakeholder engagement, Vector controlJ. B. Connolly, J. D. Mumford, D. C. M. Glandorf, S. Hartley, O. T. Lewis, S. W. Evans, G. Turner, C. Beech, N. Sykes, M. B. Coulibaly, J. Romeis, J. L. Teem, W. Tonui, B. Lovett, A. Mankad, A. Mnzava, S. Fuchs, T. D. Hackett, W. G. Landis, J. M. Marshall, Malar J, 21:152. 2022.
Building on an exercise that identified potential harms from simulated investigational releases of a population suppression gene drive for malaria vector control, a series of online workshops identified nine recommendations to advance future environmental risk assessment of gene ...
A nickase Cas9 gene-drive system promotes super-Mendelian inheritance in Drosophila
Tags: CRISPR, Fruit fly, Gene drive syntheticV. L. Del Amo, S. S. Juste and V. M. Gantz, Cell Rep, 39:110843. 2022.
CRISPR-based gene-drives have been proposed for managing insect populations, including disease-transmitting mosquitoes, due to their ability to bias their inheritance toward super-Mendelian rates (>50%). Current technologies use a Cas9 that introduces DNA double-strand breaks ...
Gene Drives: The advanced science fiction technology used to fight malaria mosquitoes explained
Tags: Africa, Gene drive synthetic, MalariaAnonymous, NewsBeezer, 2022.
Scientists are using the most advanced form of genetic engineering to eradicate a population of malaria-carrying mosquitoes by rendering the females infertile. Scientists introduced a lab-tweaked gene (a gene created using Gene Drive) into an organism that automatically ...
The sci-fi technology tackling malarial mosquitos
Tags: Africa, Gene drive synthetic, Malaria, Target malariaAnonymous, The Star, 2022.
Environmental campaigner Liz O'Neill doesn't mince her words about gene drives - the next generation of genetic modification (GM) technology. "It is extremely worrying," says the director of UK anti-GM pressure group, GM Freeze. "To release something that has been specifically ...
What role can gene editing play in predator control? And are we ready to accept it?
Tags: Biodiversity/Conservation, Gene drive synthetic, Gene editing, Invasive species, OceaniaK. Green, Stuff, 2022.
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 ...
Bayesian network-based risk assessment of synthetic biology: Simulating CRISPR-Cas9 gene drive dynamics in invasive rodent management
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Invasive species, Pest management, Risk assessment, Rodents, Synthetic biologyE. A. Brown, S. R. Eikenbary and W. G. Landis, Risk Analysis, 2022.
Gene drive technology has been proposed to control invasive rodent populations as an alternative to rodenticides. However, this approach has not undergone risk assessment that meets criteria established by Gene Drives on the Horizon, a 2016 report by the National Academies of ...
Aquatic invasive species specialists’ perceptions on the importance of genetic tools and concepts to inform management
Tags: Fish, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Invasive species, Pest management, Sex distorterT. A. Bernos, K. M. Jeffries and N. E. Mandrak, Biological Invasions, 24:1863-1879. 2022.
Perceptions related to the importance of genetic research influence the mobilization of genetic tools and concepts to inform conservation actions. Research characteristics, stakeholders’ perspectives, knowledge, and social linkages with geneticists influence the outcome of ...
Intronic gRNAs for the Construction of Minimal Gene Drive Systems
Tags: CRISPR, Fruit fly, Gene drive syntheticA. Nash, P. Capriotti, A. Hoermann, P. A. Papathanos and N. Windbichler, Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology, 10. 2022.
Gene drives are promising tools for the genetic control of insect vector or pest populations. CRISPR-based gene drives are generally highly complex synthetic constructs consisting of multiple transgenes and their respective regulatory elements. This complicates the generation of ...
Importation of the non gene drive genetically modified male bias mosquito strain into Burkina Faso
Tags: Africa, Gene drive synthetic, Genetically modified mosquitoes, Regulation, Target malariaA. Diabate, Target Malaria, 2022.
On March 16 and 21, the team at the Institut de Recherche en Sciences de la Santé (IRSS), Target Malaria’s partner institution in Burkina Faso, received packages containing live genetically modified mosquito eggs from Italy. The National Biosafety Agency (ANB) officers were at ...
Self-Deleting Genes Could Control Mosquitoes And Prevent Vector-Borne Diseases
Tags: Aedes, Gene drive synthetic, Genetically modified mosquitoes, Mosquitoes, Risk and safetyA. Russell, Texas AM TODAY, 2022.
Texas A&M AgriLife Research scientists are testing a technology to make temporary genetic modifications in mosquitoes that self-delete over time. The mechanism to make temporary genetic changes could be important for scientists hoping to modify mosquitoes in ways that help manage ...
Lessons learned from the introduction of genetically engineered crops: relevance to gene drive deployment in Africa
Tags: Africa, Gene drive syntheticH. Quemada, Transgenic Res, 2022.
The application of gene drives to achieve public health goals, such as the suppression of Anopheles gambiae populations, or altering their ability to sustain Plasmodium spp. infections, has received much attention from researchers. If successful, this genetic tool can contribute ...
Self-eliminating Genes Tested on Disease-carrying Mosquitoes
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Genetically modified mosquitoes, Risk and safetyM. Taylor, Laboratory Equipment, 2022.
There’s good reason why CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing is not allowed at the germline. While international commissions are working hard to make this a possibility, potential unknown effects further down the ancestry line raise concerns about the process. The insect equivalent of ...
Double-tap gene drive uses iterative genome targeting to help overcome resistance alleles
Tags: CRISPR, Gene drive synthetic, Replicator/site directed nuclease, ResistanceA. L. Bishop, V. López Del Amo, E. M. Okamoto, Z. Bodai, A. C. Komor and V. M. Gantz, Nat Commun, 13:2595. 2022.
Homing CRISPR gene drives could aid in curbing the spread of vector-borne diseases and controlling crop pest and invasive species populations due to an inheritance rate that surpasses Mendelian laws. However, this technology suffers from resistance alleles formed when the ...
Adversarial interspecies relationships facilitate population suppression by gene drive in spatially explicit models
Tags: Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Modeling, Mosquitoes, Population suppression, Replicator/site directed nucleaseY. Liu, W. Teo, H. Yang and J. Champer, bioRxiv, 2022.05.08.491087. 2022.
Suppression gene drives are designed to bias their inheritance and increase in frequency in a population, disrupting an essential gene in the process. When the frequency is high enough, the population will be unable to reproduce above the replacement level and could be ...
The principles driving gene drives for conservation
Tags: Biodiversity/Conservation, Gene drive synthetic, Governance, Invasive species, PolicyS. Hartley, R. Taitingfong and P. Fidelman, Environmental Science and Policy, 135:36-45. 2022.
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 ...
New weapons to fight malaria transmission: A historical view
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, History, Malaria, Other SymbiontsW. Huang, S.-J. Cha and M. Jacobs-Lorena, Entomological Research, 2022.
The stagnation of our fight against malaria in recent years, mainly due to the development of mosquito insecticide resistance, argues for the urgent development of new weapons. The dramatic evolution of molecular tools in the last few decades led to a better understanding of ...
GeneConvene Global Collaborative Webinar Series | Demystifying the Convention on Biological Diversity – Seven Videos
Tags: Biodiversity/Conservation, Gene drive synthetic, Governance, Synthetic biology, WebinarHector Quemada and David O'Brochta, GeneConvene Global Collaborative, 2022.
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 ...
Engineering a self-eliminating transgene in the yellow fever mosquito, Aedes aegypti
Tags: Aedes, Gene drive synthetic, Genetically modified mosquitoesK. Chae, C. Dawson, C. Valentin, B. Contreras, J. Zapletal, K. M. Myles and Z. N. Adelman, PNAS Nexus, 2022.
Promising genetics-based approaches are being developed to reduce or prevent the transmission of mosquito-vectored diseases. Less clear is how such transgenes can be removed from the environment, a concern that is particularly relevant for highly invasive gene drive transgenes. ...
The Financialisation of Malaria in Africa: Burkina Faso, rogue capital & GM/gene drive mosquitoes
Tags: Africa, Gene drive synthetic, Genetically modified mosquitoes, Malaria, Policy, Target malariaS. Mentz-Lagrange and S. Swanepoel, African Centre for Biodiversity, 2022.
This paper seeks to understand the financialisation of malaria as a vehicle for rogue capital in a context of a weakened state (through capture, corruption and coups) and the power that limits effective interventions. It shows how malaria, along with other diseases, is ...
Self-eliminating genes tested on mosquitoes
Tags: Aedes, Gene drive synthetic, Genetically modified mosquitoes, Mosquitoes, Risk and safetyA. Russell, AGRILIFE Today, 2022.
Texas A&M AgriLife Research scientists have tested a technology to make temporary genetic modifications in mosquitoes. The modifications self-delete over time. Texas A&M AgriLife Research scientists published an article detailing a mechanism to make temporary genetic alterations ...
A New Approach to Develop Resistant Cultivars Against the Plant Pathogens: CRISPR Drives
Tags: CRISPR, Gene drive syntheticM. I. Tek and K. Budak, Frontiers in Plant Science, 13. 2022.
CRISPR drive is a recent and robust tool that allows durable genetic manipulation of the pest population like human disease vectors such as malaria vector mosquitos. In recent years, it has been suggested that CRISPR drives can also be used to control plant diseases, pests, and ...
Recent advancements in CRISPR/Cas technology for accelerated crop improvement
Tags: Agriculture, Gene drive synthetic, Gene editingD. Das, D. L. Singha, R. R. Paswan, N. Chowdhury, M. Sharma, P. S. Reddy and C. Chikkaputtaiah, Planta, 255:109. 2022.
The likelihood of reduced agricultural production due to highly turbulent climatic conditions increases as the global population expands. The second paradigm of stress-resilient crops with enhanced tolerance and increased productivity against various stresses is paramount to ...
Biotechnological Road Map for Innovative Weed Management
Tags: Agriculture, CRISPR, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrolA. C. S. Wong, K. Massel, Y. Lam, J. Hintzsche and B. S. Chauhan, Frontiers in Plant Science, 13. 2022.
In most agriculture farmlands, weed management is predominantly reliant on integrated weed management (IWM) strategies, such as herbicide application. However, the overuse and misuse of herbicides, coupled with the lack of novel active ingredients, has resulted in the uptrend of ...
Genetically altered mosquitoes to close gaps in malaria fight
Tags: Africa, Anopheles, Gene drive synthetic, MalariaM. Murigi, People Daily, 2022.
In 2020, nearly 6.9 million cases of malaria and about 742 deaths were confirmed in Kenya according to the Kenya Malaria Indicator Survey (KMIS) 2020. Although the number of reported infections declined from 10.9 million in 2018, the disease is still one of the main health ...
Role of CRISPR Technology in Gene Editing of Emerging and Re-emerging Vector Borne Disease
Tags: Dengue, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Malaria, Vector controlK. K. Mahto, P. Prasad, M. Kumar, H. Dubey and A. Ranjan, Recent Advances in Pathogen Interactions, Immunity, and Vector Control Strategies, 2022.
Vector borne diseases are rampant across the world. Due to spread and estab-lishment of vector species in different geographical areas, vector adaptation and resistance towards many insecticides the only option left is vector control for vari-ous vector borne diseases. Recent ...
Propagation of seminal toxins through binary expression gene drives could suppress populations
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Modeling, Population suppression, Self limiting, Sex distorter, Toxin-antidoteJ. Hurtado, S. Revale and L. M. Matzkin, Scientific Reports, 12:6332. 2022.
Gene drives can be highly effective in controlling a target population by disrupting a female fertility gene. To spread across a population, these drives require that disrupted alleles be largely recessive so as not to impose too high of a fitness penalty. We argue that this ...
New frontiers in vector control
Tags: Anopheles, Gene drive synthetic, Malaria, Vector controlWHO, World Health Organization, 2022.
Ever since Sir Ronald Ross discovered malaria parasites in an Anopheles mosquito in 1897, controlling insect vectors has played an increasingly important role in reducing the burden of the disease. For decades after World War II, indoor residual spraying (IRS) with insecticides ...
Explainer: The Gene Drive Technology
Tags: CRISPR, Gene drive synthetic, Transmission distortionP. Shah, CRISPR Medicine News, 2022.
Gene drives are genetic elements that can quickly spread through populations and have nearly a 100% chance of passing the genes they carry to the next generation. Synthetic gene drive is a technology of genetic engineering through which certain desired traits can be introduced to ...
A homing suppression gene drive with multiplexed gRNAs maintains high drive conversion efficiency and avoids functional resistance alleles
Tags: CRISPR, Fruit fly, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Population suppression, ResistanceE. Yang, M. Metzloff, A. M. Langmuller, X. J. Xu, A. G. Clark, P. W. Messer and J. Champer, G3-Genes Genomes Genetics, 13. 2022.
Gene drives are engineered alleles that can bias inheritance in their favor, allowing them to spread throughout a population. They could potentially be used to modify or suppress pest populations, such as mosquitoes that spread diseases. CRISPR/Cas9 homing drives, which copy ...
Cas9-mediated maternal-effect and derived resistance alleles in a gene-drive strain of the African malaria vector mosquito, Anopheles gambiae
Tags: Anopheles, CRISPR, Gene drive synthetic, Population suppression, Replicator/site directed nuclease, ResistanceR. Carballar-Lejarazú, T. Tushar, T. B. Pham and A. A. James, Genetics, 2022.
CRISPR/Cas9 technologies are important tools for the development of gene-drive systems to modify mosquito vector populations to control the transmission of pathogens that cause diseases such as malaria. However, one of the challenges for current Cas9-based drive systems is their ...
A multi-disciplinary approach for a building common understanding of genetic engineering for malaria control in Burkina Faso
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Stakeholder engagement, Target malariaL. Pare Toe, N. Barry, A. D. Ky, S. Kekele, W. I. Meda, K. Bayala, et al., Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, 9. 2022.
Genetic engineering is a complex topic, even for scientists working in other areas, and even more so for those who lack a formal scientific training. To help gene specialists and affected communities talk with one another, international guidance documents have been published that ...
Governing Gene Drive Technologies: A Qualitative Interview Study
Tags: Ethics, Gene drive synthetic, Governance, Policy, Stakeholder engagementN. de Graeff, K. R. Jongsma, J. E. Lunshof and A. L. Bredenoord, AJOB Empirical Bioethics, 13:107-124. 2022.
Gene drive technologies (GDTs) bias the inheritance of a genetic element within a population of non-human organisms, promoting its progressive spread across this population. If successful, GDTs may be used to counter intractable problems such as vector-borne diseases. A key issue ...
Expanding the flexibility of genome editing approaches for population control of the malaria mosquito
Tags: Anopheles, CRISPR, Gene drive synthetic, MalariaN. Kranjc, Imperial College London-PhD, 2022.
Discovery and adaptation of CRISPR-Cas systems for genome editing have allowed us to gain an efficient and yet simple tool for genetic manipulation in various fields of molecular biology and biotechnology. One of the most promising applications is the use of CRISPR-Cas9 ...
Toward a CRISPR-Cas9-Based Gene Drive in the Diamondback Moth Plutella xylostella
Tags: CRISPR, Gene drive synthetic, Moths, Replicator/site directed nucleaseX. Xu, T. Harvey-Samuel, H. A. Siddiqui, J. X. D. Ang, M. E. Anderson, C. M. Reitmayer, E. Lovett, P. T. Leftwich, M. You and L. Alphey, The CRISPR Journal, 5:224-236. 2022.
Promising to provide powerful genetic control tools, gene drives have been constructed in multiple dipteran insects, yeast, and mice for the purposes of population elimination or modification. However, it remains unclear whether these techniques can be applied to lepidopterans. ...
UC Davis — Malaria Gene Drive Feasibility Analysis
Tags: Africa, Gene drive synthetic, Policy, Population modification/replacement, Risk and safety, Stakeholder engagementGood Ventures, Good Ventures, 2022.
Open Philanthropy recommended a grant of $10,248,967 over three years to UC Davis to support subsequent stages of a feasibility analysis of a potential test of gene drives for malaria control on the adjoining West African islands of São Tomé and Príncipe. The work, led by Dr. ...
UC San Diego Biology Lab Receives $1.4M Grant to Fight Malaria Spread
Tags: Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Risk and safetyE. Dameron, UC San Diego News Center, 2022.
Scientists at the University of California San Diego are hard at work on new genetic technologies intended for use in curbing mosquito populations, fighting the spread of malaria and mitigating the hazards associated with the deployment of gene-editing systems in the wild. That ...
Prescribing engagement in environmental risk assessment for gene drive technology
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Governance, Risk assessment, Stakeholder engagementS. Hartley, A. Kokotovich and C. McCalman, Regulation and Governance, 2022.
Abstract Gene drive technology is a nascent biotechnology with the potential to purposefully alter or eliminate a species. There have been broad calls for engagement to inform gene drive governance. Over the past seven years, the gene drive community has been developing risk ...
Finding the strongest gene drive: Simulations reveal unexpected performance differences between Anopheles homing suppression drive candidates
Tags: Anopheles, Gene drive synthetic, Modeling, Population suppression, Replicator/site directed nuclease, X chromosomeS. E. Champer, I. K. Kim, A. G. Clark, P. W. Messer and J. Champer, bioRxiv, 2022.03.28.486009. 2022.
Recent experiments have produced several Anopheles gambiae homing gene drives that disrupt female fertility genes, thereby eventually inducing population collapse. Such drives may be highly effective tools to combat malaria. One such homing drive, based on the zpg promoter ...
Opening up, closing down, or leaving ajar? How applications are used in engaging with publics about gene drive
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Policy, Stakeholder engagementA. W. Russell, A. Stelmach, S. Hartley, L. Carter and S. Raman, Journal of Responsible Innovation, 2022.
Public engagement and responsible innovation are strongly emphasised in gene drive research, together with the goal of addressing societal challenges, notably, malaria and environmental conservation. We aim to explore whether public engagement is used to ‘open up' or ‘close ...
CRISPR-mediated knockout of cardinal and cinnabar eye pigmentation genes in the western tarnished plant bug
Tags: Agriculture, CRISPR, Gene drive syntheticC. C. Heu, R. J. Gross, K. P. Le, D. M. LeRoy, B. Fan, J. J. Hull, C. S. Brent and J. A. Fabrick, Scientific Reports, 12. 2022.
The western tarnished plant bug, Lygus hesperus, is a key hemipteran pest of numerous agricultural, horticultural, and industrial crops in the western United States and Mexico. A lack of genetic tools in L. hesperus hinders progress in functional genomics and in developing ...
Symbionts and gene drive: two strategies to combat vector-borne disease
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Other Symbionts, Population modification/replacement, Population suppression, WolbachiaG.-H. Wang, J. Du, C. Y. Chu, M. Madhav, G. L. Hughes and J. Champer, Trends in Genetics, 2022.
Mosquitoes bring global health problems by transmitting parasites and viruses such as malaria and dengue. Unfortunately, current insecticide-based control strategies are only moderately effective because of high cost and resistance. Thus, scalable, sustainable, and cost-effective ...
The power of gene editing
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Gene editing, Policy, Regulation, Risk and safety, Stakeholder engagementThe Economist, The Economist, 2022.
Technologies such as genetic modification and ‘CRISPR’ will cure hereditary diseases, produce disease-resistant crops and enable the breeding of malaria-free mosquitos. But advances bring ethical and practical dilemmas. Genetically modified food is banned in the EU, and ...
Modelling homing suppression gene drive in haplodiploid organisms
Tags: CRISPR, Gene drive synthetic, Modeling, Replicator/site directed nucleaseY. Liu and J. Champer, bioRxiv, 2021.10.12.464047. 2022.
Gene drives have shown great promise for suppression of pest populations. These engineered alleles can function by a variety of mechanisms, but the most common is the CRISPR homing drive, which converts wild-type alleles to drive alleles in the germline of heterozygotes. Some ...
California Residents’ Perceptions of Gene Drive Systems to Control Mosquito-Borne Disease
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, North America, Stakeholder engagementC. E. Schairer, C. Triplett, O. S. Akbari and C. S. Bloss, Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology, 10. 2022.
Scientists developing gene drive mosquitoes for vector control must understand how residents of affected areas regard both the problem of mosquito-borne disease and the potential solutions offered by gene drive. This study represents an experiment in public engagement at an early ...
Rescue by gene swamping as a gene drive deployment strategy
Tags: Biological control, Containment, Evolution, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Modeling, Population genetics/dynamics, Population suppression, Resistance, Risk and safetyK. D. Harris and G. Greenbaum, bioRxiv, 2022.03.08.483503. 2022.
Gene drives are genetic constructs that can spread deleterious alleles with potential application to population suppression of harmful species. Given that a gene drive can potentially spill over to other populations or even other species, control measures and fail-safes ...
Gene drives and population persistence vs elimination: The impact of spatial structure and inbreeding at low density
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Modeling, Mosquitoes, Population suppression, Replicator/site directed nuclease, Y-chromosomeP. J. Beaghton and A. Burt, Theoretical Population Biology, 2022.
Synthetic gene drive constructs are being developed to control disease vectors, invasive species, and other pest species. In a well-mixed random mating population a sufficiently strong gene drive is expected to eliminate a target population, but it is not clear whether the same ...
EVITA Dengue: a cluster-randomized controlled trial to EValuate the efficacy of Wolbachia-InfecTed Aedes aegypti mosquitoes in reducing the incidence of Arboviral infection in Brazil
Tags: Aedes, Dengue, Field trials, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, WolbachiaM. H. Collins, G. E. Potter, M. D. T. Hitchings, E. Butler, M. Wiles, J. K. Kennedy, S. B. Pinto, A. B. M. Teixeira, A. Casanovas-Massana, N. G. Rouphael, G. A. Deye, C. P. Simmons, L. A. Moreira, M. L. Nogueira, D. A. T. Cummings, A. I. Ko, M. M. Teixeir, Trials, 23:185. 2022.
BACKGROUND: Arboviruses transmitted by Aedes aegypti including dengue, Zika, and chikungunya are a major global health problem, with over 2.5 billion at risk for dengue alone. There are no licensed antivirals for these infections, and safe and effective vaccines are not yet ...
Should we kill every mosquito on Earth?
Tags: Ethics, Gene drive synthetic, Malaria, Mosquitoes, RegulationJ. Phelan, LiveScience, 2022.
Before you grab that can of bug spray, know this: While some mosquitoes are dangerous to us, not all are. Even those that are sometimes harmful tend not to feed on humans, preferring honeydew, plant sap and nectar, according to Mosquito Joe, a mosquito control company. There are ...
A UC malaria initiative program receives grant for work researching genetically engineered mosquitoes
Tags: Anopheles, Gene drive synthetic, Malaria, Mosquitoes, Population modification/replacementS. Slater, The California Aggie, 2022.
Malaria, a mosquito-borne infectious disease, was discovered in 1880, and has remained widespread in tropical regions around the equator including parts of Africa, Asia and Latin America, resulting in thousands of deaths and a significant blow to economic development in these ...
Regulation of genetically engineered (GE) mosquitoes as a public health tool: a public health ethics analysis
Tags: Dengue, Ethics, Gene drive synthetic, Genetically modified mosquitoes, Governance, Malaria, Policy, RegulationZ. Meghani, Globalization and Health, 18:21. 2022.
In recent years, genetically engineered (GE) mosquitoes have been proposed as a public health measure against the high incidence of mosquito-borne diseases among the poor in regions of the global South. While uncertainties as well as risks for humans and ecosystems are entailed ...
Considerations for homology-based DNA repair in mosquitoes: Impact of sequence heterology and donor template source
Tags: Aedes, CRISPR, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Replicator/site directed nucleaseJ. X. D. Ang, K. Nevard, R. Ireland, D.-K. Purusothaman, S. A. N. Verkuijl, L. Shackleford, E. Gonzalez, M. A. E. Anderson and L. Alphey, PLOS Genetics, 18:e1010060. 2022.
Author summary The field of genetic control of mosquito vectors has progressed rapidly in recent years, especially in Cas9-based control systems, due to its robustness to elicit a species-specific and dispersive control of mosquito population. To generate a Cas9-based ...
Gene drive mosquitoes can aid malaria elimination by retarding Plasmodium sporogonic development
Tags: Anopheles, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Malaria, Mosquitoes, Population modification/replacementA. Hoermann, T. Habtewold, P. Selvaraj, G. Del Corsano, P. Capriotti, M. G. Inghilterra, K. M. Temesgen, G. K. Christophides and N. Windbichler, bioRxiv, 2022.02.15.480588. 2022.
Gene drives hold promise for the genetic control of malaria vectors. The development of vector population modification strategies hinges on the availability of effector mechanisms impeding parasite development in transgenic mosquitoes. We augmented a midgut gene of the malaria ...
An Ethical Overview of the CRISPR-Based Elimination of Anopheles gambiae to Combat Malaria
Tags: Anopheles, Ethics, Gene drive synthetic, Population suppression, RegulationI. J. Wise and P. Borry, Journal of Bioethical Inquiry, 2022.
Approximately a quarter of a billion people around the world suffer from malaria each year. Most cases are located in sub-Saharan Africa where Anopheles gambiae mosquitoes are the principal vectors of this public health problem. With the use of CRISPR-based gene drives, the ...
A preliminary framework for understanding the governance of novel environmental technologies: Ambiguity, indeterminateness and drift
Tags: Ethics, Gene drive synthetic, Governance, Policy, Risk assessmentF. Rabitz, M. Feist, M. Honegger, J. Horton, S. Jinnah and J. Reynolds, Earth System Governance, 12:100134. 2022.
We propose a conceptual framework to explain why some technologies are more difficult to govern than others in global environmental governance. We start from the observation that some technologies pose transboundary environmental risks, some provide capacities for managing such ...
A Closing Window of Opportunity for Gene Drive Governance in the United States
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Governance, Oxitec, Population suppression, RegulationK. L. Warmbrod, M. Montague and G. K. Gronvall, Health Security, 20:3-5. 2022.
The COVID-19 pandemic has brought forth a number of biotechnological advances to enhance the public's health: new diagnostic tests, mRNA vaccines, and new antiviral medications. Biotechnology is also being used to address global challenges like climate change, food insecurity, ...
Mark-release-recapture experiment in Burkina Faso demonstrates reduced fitness and dispersal of genetically-modified sterile malaria mosquitoes
Tags: Africa, Gene drive synthetic, Genetically modified mosquitoes, Mosquito husbandry, Target malariaF. A. Yao, A.-A. Millogo, P. S. Epopa, A. North, F. Noulin, K. Dao, M. Drabo, C. Guissou, S. Kekele, M. Namountougou, R. K. Ouedraogo, L. Pare, N. Barry, R. Sanou, H. Wandaogo, R. K. Dabire, A. McKemey, F. Tripet and A. Diabaté, Nature Communications, 13:796. 2022.
Every year, malaria kills approximately 405,000 people in Sub-Saharan Africa, most of them children under the age of five years. In many countries, progress in malaria control has been threatened by the rapid spread of resistance to antimalarial drugs and insecticides. Novel ...
The spore killers, fungal meiotic driver elements
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Transmission distortion, Yeast and FungiA. A. Vogan, I. Martinossi-Allibert, S. L. Ament-Velásquez, J. Svedberg and H. Johannesson, Mycologia, 2022.
During meiosis, both alleles of any given gene should have equal chances of being inherited by the progeny. There are a number of reasons why, however, this is not the case, with one of the most intriguing instances presenting itself as the phenomenon of meiotic drive. Genes that ...
Gene-drive mosquitoes, a prospect for future malaria control
Tags: Africa, Anopheles, Gene drive synthetic, Malaria, Replicator/site directed nucleaseS. A. Monawwer, A. O. I. Alzubaidi, F. Yasmin, S. M. Q. Haimour, S. M. I. Shay and I. Ullah, Pan African Medical Journal, 41:2-6. 2022.
Despite major developments in malaria control over the past two decades, the disease continues to scourge the human population across the globe. Rising concerns such as insecticide resistance amongst vector mosquitoes are a cause of huge fear amongst healthcare providers and ...
Articulating ethical principles guiding Target Malaria’s engagement strategy
Tags: Ethics, Gene drive synthetic, Stakeholder engagement, Target malariaA. J. Roberts and D. Thizy, Malaria Journal, 21:35. 2022.
Progress in gene drive research has engendered a lively discussion about community engagement and the ethical standards the work hinges on. While there is broad agreement regarding ethical principles and established best practices for conducting clinical public health research, ...
Could Crispr Flip the Switch on Insects’ Resistance to Pesticides?
Tags: Fruit fly, Gene drive synthetic, Malaria, Mosquitoes, ResistanceE. Mullin, WIRED, 2022.
WHILE THE COVID-19 pandemic raged across the world in 2020, another disease was quietly infecting more than 220 million people on the continent of Africa: malaria. That year, the disease led to more than 600,000 deaths, most of them children. Caused by the parasite Plasmodium, ...
Gene Editing Is Popular, But Controversial, Research Are
Tags: Ethics, Gene drive synthetic, PolicyRelias, RELIAS MEDIA, 2022.
Gene drive research carries great potential for controlling insect vectors of devastating diseases, but there are multiple unresolved ethical concerns. Unanticipated “downstream” effects on ecosystems, or in organisms that carry the gene drive machinery, are possible. To help ...
Crisp Genes
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Malaria, MosquitoesJ. Mckenna, The Simple Science, 2022.
Imagine we had the power to use genetic technologies to stop one of humanity’s most dangerous predators. What is that predator? Sharks? Crocodiles? Snakes? Think far, far smaller. It is in fact, the mosquito.Mosquitos cause all sorts of nasty diseases like the Zika Virus, ...
Scientists find transmission chain-breaker, give new hope for fight against malaria
Tags: Anopheles, Gene drive synthetic, Malaria, Population modification/replacementANI, ANI, 2022.
A recent study, published online in 'PLoS Biology', has revealed that blocking a key protein found in Anopheles gambiae mosquitoes -- the principal vector for malaria transmission to humans in Africa could thwart infection with malaria parasites and thus prevent them from ...
Gene Drives in the U.K., U.S., and Australian Press (2015–2019): How a New Focus on Responsibility Is Shaping Science Communication
Tags: Ethics, Gene drive synthetic, Policy, Stakeholder engagementA. Stelmach, B. Nerlich and S. Hartley, Science Communication, 10755470211072245. 2022.
Gene drive is a controversial biotechnology for pest control. Despite a commitment from gene drive researchers to responsibility and the key role of the media in debates about science and technology, little research has been conducted on media reporting of gene drive. We employ ...
Monitoring Needs for Gene Drive Mosquito Projects: Lessons From Vector Control Field Trials and Invasive Species
Tags: Field trials, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Invasive species, Oxitec, Population modification/replacement, Population suppression, WolbachiaG. Rašić, N. F. Lobo, E. H. Jeffrey Gutiérrez, C. H. Sánchez and J. M. Marshall, Frontiers in Genetics, 12:780327. 2022.
As gene drive mosquito projects advance from contained laboratory testing to semi-field testing and small-scale field trials, there is a need to assess monitoring requirements to: i) assist with the effective introduction of the gene drive system at field sites, and ii) detect ...
A gene drive does not spread easily in populations of the honey bee parasite Varroa destructor
Tags: Agriculture, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Modeling, Other arthropods, Population suppressionN. R. Faber, A. B. Meiborg, G. R. McFarlane, G. Gorjanc and B. A. Harpur, Apidologie, 52:1112-1127. 2022.
Varroa mites (Varroa destructor) are the most significant threat to beekeeping worldwide. They are directly or indirectly responsible for millions of colony losses each year. Beekeepers are somewhat able to control varroa populations through the use of physical and chemical ...
Gene drives for vertebrate pest control: realistic spatial modelling of eradication probabilities and times for island mouse populations
Tags: Biodiversity/Conservation, CRISPR, Gene drive synthetic, Modeling, Other mammals, Replicator/site directed nucleaseA. Birand, P. Cassey, J. V. Ross, J. C. Russell, P. Thomas and T. A. A. Prowse, Molecular Ecology, 2022.
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, ...
Could we delete diseases passed down through our DNA?
Tags: CRISPR, Gene drive synthetic, Invasive species, RodentsE. Rayne, SYFY, 2022.
What has now been proven possible was once the stuff of science fiction dreams. CRISPR has shown it can successfully edit out detrimental genetic conditions before they are inherited — which could mean the beginning of the end for hereditary diseases. It could also help ...
Ethical Considerations for Gene Drive: Challenges of Balancing Inclusion, Power and Perspectives
Tags: Ethics, Gene drive synthetic, Policy, Stakeholder engagementA. Kormos, G. C. Lanzaro, E. Bier, V. Santos, L. Nazare, J. Pinto, A. A. dos Santos and A. James, Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology, 2022.
Progress in gene-drive research has stimulated discussion and debate on ethical issues including community engagement and consent, policy and governance, and decision-making involved in development and deployment. Many organizations, academic institutions, foundations, and ...
Gene drives and metaphors
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Stakeholder engagementB. Nerlich, Making Science Public, 2022.
I have been writing about developments in the biosciences for twenty years. In that time, I have covered a wide variety of topics, such as cloning, genomics, the human genome project, the microbiome project, faecal microbial transplants, synthetic biology, epigenetics, genome ...
CRISPR Technology Can Eliminate Disease-Spreading Mosquitoes
Tags: Arbovirus, Dengue, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Malaria, MosquitoesS. Krishana, Now, 2022.
Scientists have uncovered a new technique they call the “precision-guided sterile insect technique,” or pgSIT. While most CRISPR procedures affect organisms that spread diseases by passing a gene change down generations, this system is more limited. It targets male mosquito ...
Genetic Strategy Reverses Insecticide Resistance
Tags: Fruit fly, Gene drive synthetic, Malaria, Mosquitoes, ResistanceH. Tasoff, The Current, 2022.
University of California biologists have now developed a method that reverses insecticide resistance using CRISPR/Cas9 technology. A team including UC Santa Barbara researchers Craig Montell(link is external) and Menglin Li(link is external), UC San Diego researchers Bhagyashree ...
Analysis of a Cas12a-based gene-drive system in budding yeast
Tags: CRISPR, Gene drive synthetic, Yeast and FungiI. C. Lewis, Y. Yan and G. C. Finnigan, Access Microbiol, 3:000301. 2022.
The discovery and adaptation of CRISPR/Cas systems within molecular biology has provided advances across biological research, agriculture and human health. Genomic manipulation through use of a CRISPR nuclease and programmed guide RNAs has become a common and widely accessible ...
Gene drive communication: exploring experts’ lived experience of metaphor use
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Stakeholder engagementB. Nerlich and A. Stelmach, New Genetics and Society, 2022.
Metaphors have been crucial in making genetics and genomics public, fromthe code and the book of life to genetic scissors and gene surgery. A newfield is emerging called“gene drive”–a range of controversial technologiesthat can potentially be used for the eradication or ...
Scientists expand CRISPR-Cas9 genetic inheritance control in mammals
Tags: Biodiversity/Conservation, CRISPR, Gene drive synthetic, Invasive species, RodentsM. Aguilera, Phys Org, 2022.
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 ...
Insect Allies – Assessment of a Viral Approach to Plant Genome Editing
Tags: Agriculture, CRISPR, Gene drive synthetic, Gene editing, Policy, Regulation, Risk and safetyK. Pfeifer, J. L. Frieß and B. Giese, Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management, 2022.
The DARPA program Insect Allies has already sparked scientific debate concerning technology assessment-related issues, among which the most prevalent is that of dual use potential. As apart from the issues concerning peaceful applications, the technology also provides the ...
Reversing insecticide resistance with allelic-drive in Drosophila melanogaster
Tags: CRISPR, Gene drive synthetic, Malaria, Mosquitoes, ResistanceB. Kaduskar, R. B. S. Kushwah, A. Auradkar, A. Guichard, M. Li, J. B. Bennett, A. H. F. Julio, J. M. Marshall, C. Montell and E. Bier, Nature Communications, 13:291. 2022.
A recurring target-site mutation identified in various pests and disease vectors alters the voltage gated sodium channel (vgsc) gene (often referred to as knockdown resistance or kdr) to confer resistance to commonly used insecticides, pyrethroids and DDT. The ubiquity of kdr ...
The prince, the mayor, and the U.S. fish that ate Japan
Tags: Aedes, Fish, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Invasive species, Modeling, Mosquitoes, Sterile insect technique (SIT)C. Elliot, National Geographic, 2022.
When Crown Prince Akihito visited Chicago on October 3, 1960, his sole request was to visit Shedd Aquarium. Then Mayor Richard J. Daley, an avid angler, presented the prince with a gift that he scooped with a net from one of the tanks himself: 18 bluegills, the official Illinois ...
iGEM and Gene Drives: A Case Study for Governance
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Governance, Regulation, Risk and safetyP. Millett, T. Alexanian, M. J. Palmer, S. W. Evans, T. Kuiken and K. Oye, Health Security, 2022.
Gene drives have already challenged governance systems. In this case study, we explore the International Genetically Engineered Machine (iGEM) competition's experiences in gene drive-related research and lessons in developing, revising, and implementing a governance system. ...
The Need for a Tiered Registry for US Gene Drive Governance
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Malaria, Mosquitoes, Policy, Regulation, Risk and safetyK. L. Warmbrod, A. L. Kobokovich, R. West, G. K. Gronvall and M. Montague, Health Security, 2022.
A great deal of attention has been focused on the potential risks of gene drives, the kinds of biosafety protections they may require, and how they may be reversed; however, less attention has been paid to the systems that would be useful to have in place in the future, when ...
An Introduction to Containment Recommendations for Gene Drive Mosquitoes and the Laboratory Rearing of Genetically Engineered Mosquitoes in Africa
Tags: Containment, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Genetically modified mosquitoes, Policy, Regulation, Risk and safetyS. Higgs, Vector-Borne and Zoonotic Diseases, 2022.
The prospect of using genetically engineered arthropods to reduce the incidence of vector-borne diseases either indirectly by suppressing vector populations or directly by replacing wild-type vector species with less competent ones has long been discussed; however, only in the ...
Preparing an Insectary in Burkina Faso to Support Research in Genetic Technologies for Malaria Control
Tags: Africa, Containment, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Genetically modified mosquitoes, MalariaC. Guissou, M. M. Quinlan, R. Sanou, R. K. Ouédraogo, M. Namountougou and A. Diabaté, Vector-Borne and Zoonotic Diseases, 2022.
The Institut de Recherche en Sciences de la Santé (IRSS) of Burkina Faso, West Africa, was the first African institution to import transgenic mosquitoes for research purposes. A shift from the culture of mosquito research to regulated biotechnology research and considerable ...
Stakeholder engagement to inform the risk assessment and governance of gene drive technology to manage spotted-wing drosophila
Tags: Fruit fly, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Governance, Invasive species, Risk assessment, Stakeholder engagementA. E. Kokotovich, S. K. Barnhill-Dilling, J. E. Elsensohn, R. Li, J. A. Delborne and H. Burrack, Journal of Environmental Management, 307:114480. 2022.
Emerging biotechnologies, such as gene drive technology, are increasingly being proposed to manage a variety of pests and invasive species. As one method of genetic biocontrol, gene drive technology is currently being developed to manage the invasive agricultural pest ...
Information Sharing in Senegal on the Gene Drive Technology as a potential Complementary Tool for Malaria Vector Control
Tags: Africa, Gene drive synthetic, Mosquitoes, Policy, Regulation, Risk assessment, Stakeholder engagementAUDA-NEPAD, AUDA-NEPAD, 2022.
AUDA-NEPAD in partnership with the National Biosafety Authority (Autorité Nationale de Biosécurité (ANB) in Senegal organized an Information sharing meeting on the gene drive technology as a complementary tool for malaria vector control, from 22-23 December 2021, in Somone, ...
Intervention of Modern Genetic Tools for Managing Insect Pests of Fruit Crops
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Incompatible insect technique, Sterile insect technique (SIT)G. S. Miglani, S. Singh, Z. Li and R. K. Sandhu, Genetic Methods and Tools for Managing Crop Pests, 2022.
Merits and demerits of select modern genetic tools as sterile insect technique, repressible dominant lethal, engineering insect pests, transgenic crops, primary resistance management, gene silencing RNA interference, genome-editing-based methods, autocidal insect control ...
Stakeholder Views on Engagement, Trust, Performance, and Risk Considerations About Use of Gene Drive Technology in Agricultural Pest Management
Tags: Agriculture, Gene drive synthetic, Policy, Regulation, Risk and safety, Stakeholder engagementC. L. Goldsmith, K. E. Kang, E. Heitman, Z. N. Adelman, L. W. Buchman, D. Kerns, X. Liu, R. F. Medina and A. Vedlitz, Health Security, 2021.
Gene drive is an experimental technique that may make it possible to alter the genetic traits of whole populations of a species through the genetic modification of a relatively small number of individuals. This technology is sufficiently new that literature on the understanding ...
Facilitating the Conversation: Gene Drive Classification
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Policy, Regulation, Risk and safety, Stakeholder engagementJ. Overcash and A. Golnar, Health Security, 2021.
Gene drives are an emerging technology with tremendous potential to impact public health, agriculture, and conservation. While gene drives can be described simply as selfish genetic elements (natural or engineered) that are inherited at non-Mendelian rates, upon closer ...
Modeling CRISPR gene drives for suppression of invasive rodents using a supervised machine learning framework
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Invasive species, Modeling, Replicator/site directed nuclease, RodentsS. E. Champer, N. Oakes, R. Sharma, P. García-Díaz, J. Champer and P. W. Messer, PLoS Comput Biol, 17:e1009660. 2021.
Invasive rodent populations pose a threat to biodiversity across the globe. When confronted with these invaders, native species that evolved independently are often defenseless. CRISPR gene drive systems could provide a solution to this problem by spreading transgenes among ...
Meiotic Cas9 expression mediates gene conversion in the male and female mouse germline
Tags: CRISPR, Gene drive synthetic, RodentsA. J. Weitzel, H. A. Grunwald, C. Weber, R. Levina, V. M. Gantz, S. M. Hedrick, E. Bier and K. L. Cooper, PLOS Biology, 19:e3001478. 2021.
Highly efficient gene conversion systems have the potential to facilitate the study of complex genetic traits using laboratory mice and, if implemented as a “gene drive,” to limit loss of biodiversity and disease transmission caused by wild rodent populations. We previously ...
How sci-fi weapon could stop grey squirrels killing Britain’s trees
Tags: Biodiversity/Conservation, Gene drive synthetic, Invasive species, Rodentsrymeradelle, INentertainment, 2021.
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. ...
Scientists Used CRISPR Gene Editing to Choose the Sex of Mouse Pups
Tags: CRISPR, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Rodents, Sex distorterS. Fan, Singuarity Hub, 2021.
“Do you want a boy or a girl?” can be an awkward question.But in certain circles, it’s a question that’s asked every day. Take agriculture. In a perfect world, most cows would only birth females. Chicks would grow up to be all hens. “Sexing” a farm animal when ...
Weakly deleterious natural genetic variation amplifies probability of resistance in multiplexed gene drive systems
Tags: Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Modeling, ResistanceB. S. Khatri and A. Burt, bioRxiv, 2021.12.23.473701. 2021.
Evolution of resistance is a major barrier to successful deployment of gene drive systems to suppress natural populations. Multiplexed guide RNAs that require resistance mutations in all target cut sites is a promising strategy to overcome resistance. Using novel stochastic ...
Interaction Between Entomology and Gene Technology: Bt-transgenic and Gene Drives for Pests Control .
Tags: Agriculture, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrolJ. C. Ndayıragıje, T. Özek, H. Çevik and İ. Karaca, Türk Bilim ve Mühendislik Dergisi, 3:108-115. 2021.
Pest control is the major agricultural activity for increasing crop productivity thus insuring food security. Recent pest management programs are depending too much on chemical pesticides, which are a threat to our health and environment. One of the greatest entomological ...
Driving the Self-Destruction of Malaria-Transmitting Mosquitos
Tags: Anopheles, Gene drive synthetic, Malaria, MosquitoesH. Aliouche, News Medical Life Sciences, 2021.
Self-destruction of malaria-transmitting mosquitoes can be driven by gene drives deployed to manipulate natural populations. In particular, they can be used to reduce the number of individuals in a population or to modify their composition; this is particularly useful when such ...
Perspectives into Genetic Manipulations for Control of Dengue Vector (Aedes aegypti Linnaeus, 1762) with Reference to Progress in Indian Experiments
Tags: Aedes, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Incompatible insect technique, Sterile insect technique (SIT)R. Chatterjee, S. Bhattacharya and B. K. Tyagi, Genetically Modified and other Innovative Vector Control Technologies, 2021.
Vector-borne diseases like malaria, dengue, chikungunya, Japanese encephalitis, Zika and others claim millions of lives across the globe annually, and as such their control has become an ardent necessity. Past attempts over the decades have introduced vector control through ...
Advances in Aedes Mosquito Vector Control Strategies Using CRISPR/Cas9
Tags: Aedes, Dengue, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, MosquitoesP. D. S. U. Wickramasinghe, G. N. Silva, Y. I. N. Silva Gunawardene and R. S. Dassanayake, Genetically Modified and other Innovative Vector Control Technologies, 2021.
Advancements in genetic engineering have resulted in the development of mosquitoes with impaired vector competence, thereby limiting acquisition and transmission of pathogens. The main dengue (DENV) vector, Aedes aegypti, is an invasive species that have spread unwittingly across ...
Field Trials of Gene Drive Mosquitoes: Lessons from Releases of Genetically Sterile Males and Wolbachia-infected Mosquitoes
Tags: Field trials, Gene drive synthetic, Incompatible insect technique, Mosquitoes, Sterile insect technique (SIT), WolbachiaJ. M. Marshall and V. N. Vásquez, Genetically Modified and other Innovative Vector Control Technologies, 2021.
The discovery of CRISPR-based gene editing and its application to homing-based gene drive has been greeted with excitement, for its potential to control mosquito-borne diseases on a wide scale, and concern, for the invasiveness and potential irreversibility of a release. At the ...
Arthropods of Medical Importance: Need for Genetic and Other Innovative Vector Control Technologies, with Emphasis on Eco-biosocial and Environmental Considerations.
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Incompatible insect technique, Mosquitoes, Policy, Risk and safety, Stakeholder engagement, Sterile insect technique (SIT), WolbachiaB. K. Tyagi, Genetically Modified and other Innovative Vector Control Technologies, 2021.
Among the world’s known vector groups, viz. arthropods, snails and rodents, the most important vectors originate from arthropods, the jointed legs. Arthropods are doubtlessly regarded as the most dominant creatures on the Earth due largely to their remarkable structural and ...
Genetically Modified and other Innovative Vector Control Technologies
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Incompatible insect technique, Mosquitoes, Policy, Risk and safety, Stakeholder engagement, Sterile insect technique (SIT), WolbachiaB. K. Tyagi, SpringerLink, 2021.
This book comprehensively covers the latest development in developing and deploying the genetically modified vectors, particularly Anopheles and Aedes mosquitoes responsible for transmitting malaria parasites and dengue viruses, the most deadly and/or debilitating among all the ...
Gene Drives For Malaria Control And Elimination
Tags: Africa, Gene drive synthetic, Malaria, Target malariaAnnonymous, Health Tech, 2021.
There is notable ongoing research and prioritization of gene drive technology in Africa for Malaria control and elimination. Currently, there is ongoing gene drive mosquito research in Burkina Faso, Ghana, Mali and Uganda led by the Target Malaria consortium. While laboratory ...
Gene Editing in the Wild: Shaping Decisions through Broad Public Deliberation
Tags: Ethics, Gene drive synthetic, Gene editing, Stakeholder engagementM. K. Gusmano, G. E. Kaebnick, K. J. Maschke, C. P. Neuhaus and B. C. Wills, The Hastings Center Report, 51. 2021.
The essays in this special report grew out of a project funded by the National Science Foundation (with NSF award number 1827935). Gregory E. Kaebnick and Michael K. Gusmano were co-principal investigators on the project, and Karen J. Maschke and Carolyn P. Neuhaus were ...
The Decision Phases Framework for Public Engagement: Engaging Stakeholders about Gene Editing in the Wild
Tags: Ethics, Gene drive synthetic, Gene editing, Stakeholder engagementS. K. Barnhill-Dilling, A. Kokotovich and J. A. Delborne, Hastings Center Report, 51 Suppl 2:S48-s61. 2021.
Some experts and advocates propose environmental biotechnologies such as genetic engineering, gene drive systems, and synthetic biology as potential solutions to accelerating rates of species loss. While these tools may offer hope for a seemingly intractable problem, they also ...
Exploiting a Y chromosome-linked Cas9 for sex selection and gene drive
Tags: Chromosomal drive, CRISPR, Gene drive synthetic, Sex distorterS. Gamez, D. Chaverra-Rodriguez, A. Buchman, N. P. Kandul, S. C. Mendez-Sanchez, J. B. Bennett, C. H. Sánchez, T. Yang, I. Antoshechkin, J. E. Duque, P. A. Papathanos, J. M. Marshall and O. S. Akbari, Nature Communications, 7202. 2021.
CRISPR-based genetic engineering tools aimed to bias sex ratios, or drive effector genes into animal populations, often integrate the transgenes into autosomal chromosomes. However, in species with heterogametic sex chromsomes (e.g. XY, ZW), sex linkage of endonucleases could be ...
Genomic insertion locus and Cas9 expression in the germline affect CRISPR/Cas9-based gene drive performance in the yellow fever mosquito Aedes aegypti
Tags: Aedes, Arbovirus, CRISPR, Dengue, Gene drive synthetic, Population modification/replacement, ResistanceW. R. Reid, J. Lin, A. E. Williams, R. Juncu, K. E. Olson and A. W. E. Franz, bioRxiv, 2021.12.08.471839. 2021.
The yellow fever mosquito Aedes aegypti is a major vector of arthropod-borne viruses, including dengue, chikungunya, and Zika. A novel approach to mitigate arboviral infections is to generate mosquitoes refractory to infection by overexpressing antiviral effector molecules. Such ...
Modeling impact and cost-effectiveness of driving-Y gene drives for malaria elimination in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Tags: Anopheles, Gene drive synthetic, Malaria, Modeling, Replicator/site directed nucleaseN. Metchanun, C. Borgemeister, G. Amzati, J. von Braun, M. Nikolov, P. Selvaraj and J. Gerardin, Evolutionary Applications, 2021.
Malaria elimination will be challenging in countries that currently continue to bear high malaria burden. Sex-ratio distorting gene drives, such as driving-Y, could play a role in an integrated elimination strategy if they can effectively suppress vector populations. Using a ...
Gene editing used to create all-male or all-female litters of mice
Tags: CRISPR, Gene drive synthetic, Rodents, Sex distorterJ. Goodyer, Science Focus, 2021.
As males are unable to produce milk or lay eggs, the ability to breed cows and hens that produce all-female litters is likely to be high on most poultry and dairy farmers’ wish lists. Now, scientists at the Francis Crick Institute and the University of Kent have come a step ...
Genetic conversion of a split-drive into a full-drive element
Tags: CRISPR, Fruit fly, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Self limitingG. Terradas, J. B. Bennett, Z. Li, J. M. Marshall and E. Bier, bioRxiv, 2021.12.05.471291. 2021.
Gene-drive systems offer an important new avenue for spreading beneficial traits into wild populations. Their core components, Cas9 and guide RNA (gRNA), can either be linked within a single cassette (full gene drive, fGD) or provided in two separate elements (split gene drive, ...
The economic value of genetically engineered mosquitoes as a Malaria control strategy depends on local transmission rates
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Genetically modified mosquitoes, Malaria, Oxitec, Sterile insect technique (SIT)K. Lacy, K. A. Schaefer, D. P. Scheitrum and E. Y. Klein, Biotechnology Journal, 10. 2021.
This paper assesses the economic value of genetically engineered (GE) Anopheles gambiae mosquitoes as a malaria control strategy. We use an epidemiological-economic model of malaria transmission to evaluate this technology for a range of village-level transmission settings. In ...
Gene editing used to create all-male or all-female mice litters
Tags: CRISPR, Gene drive synthetic, Rodents, Sex distorterA. Reis, European Scientist, 2021.
Researchers from the Francis Crick Institute and the University of Kent used gene-editing technologies to create male-only and female-only mice litters, according to a study published in Nature Communications (1). The authors also suggested ways in which this method could be used ...
Gene-editing used to create single sex mice litters
Tags: CRISPR, Gene drive synthetic, Rodents, Sex distorterThe Francis Crick Institute, Phys Org, 2021.
Scientists at the Francis Crick Institute, in collaboration with University of Kent, have used gene editing technology to create female-only and male-only mice litters with 100% efficiency. This proof of principle study, published in Nature Communications today, demonstrates how ...
Single-sex mice litters were created with 100% efficiency using gene editing.
Tags: CRISPR, Gene drive synthetic, Rodents, Sex distorterR. Silman, Brinkwire, 2021.
The Francis Crick Institute, in partnership with the University of Kent, has employed gene editing technology to construct 100% efficient female-only and male-only mouse litters. This proof-of-concept study, which was published today (Friday, December 3rd, 2021) in Nature ...
Scientists eye gene drive technology to combat malaria
Tags: Africa, Gene drive synthetic, MalariaS. Buguzi, Sci Dev Net, 2021.
Scientists are hoping that adoption of gene drive technology could reduce mosquito populations as they call for new innovations in the fight against malaria, a fatal disease widespread in Sub-Saharan Africa. The World Health Organization (WHO) says the Africa region accounted ...
Lab animals: Gene-editing technology is used to create female-only and male-only mice litters
Tags: CRISPR, Gene drive synthetic, Rodents, Sex distortertodayuknews, Today UK News, 2021.
Single-sex litters of mice — comprising only either female or male pups — have been produced by means of so-called CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing technology. The technique, developed by experts at the Francis Crick Institute and the University of Kent, works by inactivating embryos ...
Gene editing produces all-male or all-female litters of mice
Tags: CRISPR, Gene drive synthetic, Rodents, Sex distorterE. Pennisi, Science, 2021.
In some farmers’ ideal world, cows would birth only females, sows would bear no boars, and chicks would all grow up to be hens. Such sex ratios would stop them from killing millions of male animals, which don’t produce eggs or milk. Now, scientists are a step closer to this ...
CRISPR-Cas9 effectors facilitate generation of single-sex litters and sex-specific phenotypes
Tags: CRISPR, Gene drive synthetic, Rodents, Sex distorter, X chromosome, Y-chromosomeC. Douglas, V. Maciulyte, J. Zohren, D. M. Snell, S. K. Mahadevaiah, O. A. Ojarikre, P. J. I. Ellis and J. M. A. Turner, Nature Communications, 12:6926. 2021.
Animals are essential genetic tools in scientific research and global resources in agriculture. In both arenas, a single sex is often required in surplus. The ethical and financial burden of producing and culling animals of the undesired sex is considerable. Using the mouse as a ...
CRISPR gene-drive systems based on Cas9 nickases promote super-Mendelian inheritance in Drosophila
Tags: CRISPR, Fruit fly, Gene drive syntheticV. Lopez del Amo, S. Sanz Juste and V. M. Gantz, bioRxiv, 2021.12.01.470847. 2021.
CRISPR-based gene drive systems can be used to modify entire wild populations due to their ability to bias their own inheritance towards super-Mendelian rates (>100%). Current gene drives contain a Cas9 and a gRNA gene inserted at the location targeted by the gRNA. These ...
Gene drive that results in addiction to a temperature-sensitive version of an essential gene triggers population collapse in Drosophila
Tags: Fruit fly, Gene drive synthetic, Population modification/replacement, Population suppression, Selfish genetic elements, Toxin-antidoteG. Oberhofer, T. Ivy and B. A. Hay, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 118:e2107413118. 2021.
One strategy for population suppression seeks to use gene drive to spread genes that confer conditional lethality or sterility, providing a way of combining population modification with suppression. Stimuli of potential interest could be introduced by humans, such as an otherwise ...
Applying functional genomics to the study of lamprey development and sea lamprey population control
Tags: CRISPR, Fish, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrolJ. R. York, R. E. Thresher and D. W. McCauley, Journal of Great Lakes Research, 47:S639-S649. 2021.
Lampreys are one of the few survivors of an ancient lineage of jawless vertebrates and have become an important study organism in numerous disciplines in the biological sciences, including evolutionary biology, embryology, ecology, physiology and biomedicine. At the same time, ...
New Arthropod Containment Recommendations Provide Essential Guidance for Safety of Gene Drive Research
Tags: Containment, Gene drive synthetic, Genetically modified mosquitoes, PolicyS. James and D. O’Brochta, The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, tpmd211148. 2021.
Gene drive technologies have not yet been field tested, however, there are no data on the possible environmental or health effects of releasing gene drive–modified organisms. For this reason, there have been widespread calls for additional guidance on risk assessment and ...
New molecular genetic techniques: regulatory and societal considerations
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Incompatible insect technique, Policy, Regulation, Risk and safety, Risk assessment, Stakeholder engagement, Sterile insect technique (SIT)Nielsen, K. M., AREA-WIDE INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT: Development and Field Application, 2021.
A rapidly expanding toolbox of techniques available for genome editing provides the basis for a new continuum in types of modifications that can be introduced into a genome and blur the bimodal GMO vs. non-GMO (genetically modified organism) divide. Site-directed nucleases (SDN) ...
Genome editing and its applications for insect pest control: Curse or blessing?
Tags: CRISPR, Gene drive synthetic, Gene editing, Genetic biocontrol, Genetically modified mosquitoes, Policy, Regulation, Risk and safety, Stakeholder engagementHacker, I. , and Schetelig, M. F, AREA-WIDE INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT: Development and Field Application, 2021.
Gene and genome editing are described as cutting-edge research tools with the potential to tackle urgent global challenges in the management of agricultural pests and human disease vectors such as mosquitoes. The field is defined by the chances and challenges to interlink the ...
Procedurally Robust Risk Assessment Framework for Novel Genetically Engineered Organisms and Gene Drives
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Gene editing, Genetically modified organisms, Governance, Policy, Risk assessmentKuzma, J., Regulation and Governance, 15:1144-1165. 2021.
In this article, a new framework for improving risk assessments of novel genetically engineered organisms (GEOs) is developed and applied. The Procedurally Robust Risk Assessment Framework (PRRAF) provides a set of principles and criteria for assessing and enhancing risk ...
CRISPR-based gene drives for combatting malaria: Need for an early stage technology assessment.
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Policy, Regulation, Risk assessmentLiebert, W., AREA-WIDE INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT: Development and Field Application, 2021.
The potential power of CRISPR-based gene drives makes it necessary to engage in science and technology assessment already in early stages of research and development. In order to argue for efforts to address this urgent need, gene drives to combat malaria-transmitting mosquitoes ...
AREA-WIDE INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT: Development and Field Application
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Incompatible insect technique, Sterile insect technique (SIT)Hendrichs, J. Pereira, R., Vreysen, M. J. B., AREA-WIDE INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT: Development and Field Application, 2021.
The concept of area-wide integrated pest management (AW-IPM), in which the total population of a pest in an area is targeted, is central to the effective control of such populations through the integration of genetic, biological and other pest suppression technologies. Insect ...
Synthetic sex ratio distorters based on CRISPR for the control of harmful insect populations
Tags: Chromosomal drive, Gene drive synthetic, Transmission distortion, Y-chromosomeFasulo, B., Meccariello, A., Papathanos, P. A., and Windbichler, N., AREA-WIDE INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT: Development and Field Application, 2021.
Since the overall reproductive output of a population is typically determined by the fertility of its females, which are rate-limiting in gamete production, a successful way to genetically control a population should involve artificially biasing the sex ratio towards males. In ...
Podcast: Malaria Gene Drive
Tags: Ethics, Gene drive synthetic, Malaria, Policy, Stakeholder engagementS. Hartley, S. Neema and C. Opesen, University of Exeter Business School, 2021.
Professor Sarah Hartley and her two colleagues in Uganda, Stella Neema and Chris Opesen discuss gene drive research for malaria control. Funded by British Academy and Wellcome trust, their work is to understand the social science challenges around the development of this kind of ...
Propagation of seminal toxins through binary expression gene drives can suppress polyandrous populations
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Modeling, Population suppression, Self limiting, Sex distorter, Toxin-antidoteJ. Hurtado, S. Revale and L. M. Matzkin, bioRxiv, 2021.11.23.469777. 2021.
Gene drives can be highly effective in controlling a target population by disrupting a female fertility gene. To spread across a population, these drives require that disrupted alleles be largely recessive so as not to impose too high of a fitness penalty. We argue that this ...
Historical perspective and new avenues to control the myiasis-causing fly Cochliomyia hominivorax in Uruguay.
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Sterile insect technique (SIT)Fresia P, Pimentel S, Iriarte V, Marques L, Durán V, Saravia A, Novas R, Basika T, Ferenczi A, Castells D, Saporiti T, Cuore U, Losiewicz S, Fernández F, Ciappesoni G, Dalla-Rizza M and M. A., Agrociencia Uruguay, 25:e974. 2021.
Mosca de la bichera’ or simply ‘bichera’ are common names given in Uruguay and the region to the primary myiasis-causing species Cochliomyia hominivorax, the New World Screwworm (NWS) fly (Diptera: Calliphoridae). Myiasis happens when dipteran larvae infest live animals at ...
Science Has Given Us the Power to Undermine Nature’s Deadliest Creature: Should We Use It?
Tags: Aedes, Dengue, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, North America, OxitecE. Herold, leaps.org, 2021.
British biotech company Oxitec has engineered male mosquitoes to have a genetic "kill-switch" that could potentially crash the local population of Aedes aegypti, at least in the short-term. The modified males that are being released are intended to mate with wild females. Males ...
High-resolution in situ analysis of Cas9 germline transcript distributions in gene-drive Anopheles mosquitoes
Tags: Anopheles, CRISPR, Gene drive synthetic, Population modification/replacement, Population suppressionG. Terradas, A. Hermann, A. A. James, W. McGinnis and E. Bier, G3-Genes Genomes Genetics, 2021.
Gene drives are programmable genetic elements that can spread beneficial traits into wild populations to aid in vector-borne pathogen control. Two different drives have been developed for population modification of mosquito vectors. The Reckh drive (vasa-Cas9) in Anopheles ...
Gene drives in malaria control: what we need to know
Tags: Ecology, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Malaria, Policy, Risk and safetyR. Mudziwapasi, M. C. Changara, A. Ndudzo, T. Kaseke, F. Godobo, F. L. Mtemeli, R. Shoko, F. Songwe, S. Ndlovu and S. Sandra Mlambo, Biotechnology and Biotechnological Equipment, 35:1623-1631. 2021.
Gene drives are being used to enhance a DNA sequence?s likelihood of passing between generations via sexual reproduction. Gene drives can be deployed to manipulate natural populations. They can be used to suppress populations by reducing the number of individuals in a population ...
New developments in the field of genomic technologies and their relevance to conservation management
Tags: Biodiversity/Conservation, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Genomics, Invasive speciesG. 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.
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. ...
Two years of laboratory studies on the non gene drive genetically modified sterile male mosquitoes concluded successfully in Mali
Tags: Anopheles, Gene drive synthetic, Malaria, Population suppression, Target malariaM. Coulibaly, Target Malaria, 2021.
The Target Malaria Mali team at the Malaria Research and Training Centre (MRTC) based at the University of Sciences, Techniques and Technologies of Bamako (USTTB) is proud to have been the first Malian research team to work on non gene drive genetically modified sterile male ...
Genetic control of invasive sea lamprey in the Great Lakes
Tags: Fish, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Invasive species, Self limiting, Self sustainingD. Ferreira-Martins, J. Champer, D. W. McCauley, Z. Zhang and M. F. Docker, Journal of Great Lakes Research, 2021.
The invasive sea lamprey was a significant factor in the collapse of fish stocks in the Great Lakes, and it continues to threaten the multi-billion-dollar fishing industry. Thus, substantial resources are invested annually on sea lamprey control. Current control strategies have ...
Uncle Sam’s Dangerous Game
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Genetically modified mosquitoes, North America, OxitecX. Ping, XINHUANET, 2021.
Since the very beginning, residents in Florida Keys doubted if the “self-limiting” gene of Genetically Modified (GM) mosquitoes brought and released there by Oxitec, a biotech firm, and approved by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Florida Keys Mosquito Control ...
Will freeing ourselves (forever) from mosquitoes soon be a realizable “dream”? Pros and cons of an epochal turning point – breaking latest news
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Malaria, Mosquitoes, Population suppressionAnnonymous, Breaking Latest News, 2021.
Also true for a dangerous insect like the mosquito: due to the pathologies of which vector, such as the malaria, the dengue o la yellow fever, every year in the world about 800 thousand people die. There are therefore quite a few reasons to want to get rid of it, not just the ...
New Zealand wants to get rid of stoats with genetic engineering
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Invasive species, OceaniaC. Weerasinghe, Cyber Layman, 2021.
The principle of the “gene drive” is to modify a specific gene in a group of specimens of a species and then let the gene spread throughout the population by inheritance, through reproduction. If, as in this case, the aim is to reduce the population of animals, for example, ...
Population replacement gene drive characteristics for malaria elimination in a range of seasonal transmission settings: a modeling study
Tags: Anopheles, Field trials, Gene drive synthetic, Malaria, Modeling, Population modification/replacementS. Leung, N. Windbichler, E. Wenger, C. Bever and P. Selvaraj, bioRxiv, 2021.11.01.466856. 2021.
Genetically engineering mosquitoes is a promising new vector control strategy to reinvigorate the fight against malaria in Sub-Saharan Africa. Using an agent-based model of malaria transmission with vector genetics, we examine the impacts of releasing population-replacement gene ...
Modeling the efficacy of CRISPR gene drive for schistosomiasis control
Tags: CRISPR, Gene drive synthetic, Modeling, Other invertebrates, Population modification/replacementR. E. Grewelle, J. Perez-Saez, J. Tycko, E. K. O. Namigai, C. G. Rickards and G. A. De Leo, bioRxiv, 2021.10.29.466423. 2021.
CRISPR gene drives could revolutionize the control of infectious diseases by accelerating the spread of engineered traits that limit parasite transmission in wild populations. While much effort has been spent developing gene drives in mosquitoes, gene drive technology in molluscs ...
Alternatives for mammal pest control in New Zealand in the context of concerns about 1080 toxicant (sodium fluoroacetate)
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Other mammalsB. Warburton, C. Eason, P. Fisher, N. Hancox, B. Hopkins, G. Nugent, S. Ogilvie, T. A. A. Prowse, J. Ross and P. E. Cowan, New Zealand Journal of Zoology, 43. 2021.
The ongoing use of 1080 toxin for the control of mammal pests in New Zealand remains highly contentious. Several reviews over the last 25 years identified information gaps and areas of concern, both social and scientific. In this paper these areas of concern are discussed and the ...
Containment Practices for Arthropods Modified with Engineered Transgenes Capable of Gene Drive Addendum 1 to the Arthropod Containment Guidelines, Version 3.2
Tags: Containment, Gene drive synthetic, Genetically modified mosquitoes, Mosquitoes, Policy, RegulationAmerican Committee of Medical Entomology, Vector-Borne and Zoonotic Diseases, 2021.
Responsible conduct of research is a cornerstone of rigorous scientific discovery. Institutional committees, independent advisory panels, and expert steering groups are among the frameworks in academia meant to provide guidance and assurances that research activities do not ...
European Parliament adopts text on biodiversity, calls for no releases of gene drive organisms
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Policy, RegulationThird World Network, TWN Biosafety Briefing, 2021.
Gene drive technologies, such as GM mosquitoes for the control of vector-borne diseases, pose serious and novel threats for the environment and nature, including irreversible changes to food chains and ecosystems, and losses of biodiversity, on which the world’s poorest depend ...
A Golden Menace
Tags: Biodiversity/Conservation, Gene drive synthetic, Invasive species, South/Central AmericaS. Moutinho, Science, 2021.
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 ...
Genome Editing Tools and Gene Drives: A Brief Overview (1st ed.).
Tags: CRISPR, Gene drive synthetic, Gene editing, Policy, Risk and safetyR. Mudziwapasi, R. Chekera, C. Z. Ncube, I. Shoko, B. Ncube, T. Moyo, J. G. Chimbo, J. Dube, F. F. Mashiri, M. A. Mubani, D. Maruta, C. Chimbo, M. Masuku, R. Shoko, R. P. Nyamusamba and F. N. Jomane, CRC Press, 2021.
Genome-editing methods are becoming routine tools for molecular and cell biologists. Such tools include ZFNs, CRISPR, megaTALs and TALENs. These tools are revolutionizing the creation of precisely manipulated genomes to modify the characteristics of organisms or cells. ...
Ecological vulnerability analysis for suppression of Drosophila suzukii by gene drives
Tags: Ecology, Fruit fly, Gene drive synthetic, Risk and safety, Risk assessmentC. R. Lalyer, L. Sigsgaard and B. Giese, Global Ecology and Conservation, 32:e01883. 2021.
Synthetic gene drives are transgenic constructs that aim to bias heredity and thereby influence the characteristics and fate of populations regarding abundance and evolution. Aside from irreversible effects in ecosystems that could be triggered by the release of a gene drive, ...
Gene drive and RNAi technologies: a bio-cultural review of next-generation tools for pest wasp management in New Zealand
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Genetic engineering, Oceania, Policy, Population suppression, Regulation, Stakeholder engagementS. Palmer, P. K. Dearden, O. R. Mercier, A. King-Hunt and P. J. Lester, Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand, 1-18. 2021.
There is a global need for novel, next-generation technologies and techniques to manage pest species. We review work on potential step-changing technologies for large landscape (>1000 hectares) pest management of social Vespula wasps. We also review M?ori perspectives on these ...
GeneConvene Global Collaborative Webinar Series | Decision and Analysis Tools for Complex Problems
Tags: Field trials, Gene drive synthetic, Invasive species, Risk and safety, WebinarHector Quemada and David O'Brochta, GeneConvene Global Collaborative, 2021.
The challenges associated with the multiple phases of testing and possible deployment of gene drive-containing organisms appear to have similarities to those associated with various aspects of invasive species management. Preventing unwanted spread of the target species as well ...
Modeling homing suppression gene drive in haplodiploid organisms
Tags: CRISPR, Gene drive synthetic, Modeling, Replicator/site directed nucleaseY. Liu and J. Champer, bioRxiv, 2021.10.12.464047. 2021.
Gene drives have shown great promise for suppression of pest populations. These engineered alleles can function by a variety of mechanisms, but the most common is the CRISPR homing drive, which converts wild-type alleles to drive alleles in the germline of heterozygotes. Some ...
Small-scale release of non-gene drive mosquitoes in Burkina Faso: from engagement implementation to assessment, a learning journey
Tags: Africa, Ethics, Gene drive synthetic, Genetically modified mosquitoes, Malaria, Policy, Stakeholder engagement, Target malariaL. Pare Toe, N. Barry, A. D. Ky, S. Kekele, W. Meda, K. Bayala, M. Drabo, D. Thizy and A. Diabate, Malaria Journal, 20:395. 2021.
This study provides a review of engagement activities relevant to field trials on non-gene drive genetically-modified mosquitoes as well as an assessment framework-using both qualitative and quantitative studies as well as an audit procedure. The latter was implemented to ...
Spatial modelling for population replacement of mosquito vectors at continental scale
Tags: Africa, Anopheles, Gene drive synthetic, Modeling, Population modification/replacementN. J. Beeton, A. Wilkins, A. Ickowicz, K. R. Hayes and G. R. Hosack, bioRxiv, 2021.10.06.463299. 2021.
We explore transmission of the gene drive between the subspecies, different hybridisation mechanisms, the effects of both local dispersal and potential wind-aided migration to the spread, and the development of resistance to the gene drive. We find that given best current ...
Gene drive: a faster route to plant improvement
Tags: Agriculture, CRISPR, Gene drive synthetic, Gene editingH. A. Siddiqui, T. Harvey-Samuel and S. Mansoor, Trends in Plant Science, 2021.
Gene drives for control of vector-borne diseases have been demonstrated in insects but remain challenging in plants. Theoretically, they could be transformative in speeding breeding programs and contributing to food security through providing novel weed control methods. Zhang et ...
Gene drive revolution: How genetically tweaked mosquitoes could tip the balance in the battle to contain malaria
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Malaria, Mosquitoes, Target malariaF. Okumu, Genetic Literacy Project, 2021.
In 2016, a World Health Organisation (WHO) panel concluded that even with the best use of current approaches, there would still be 11 million malaria cases in 2050. What’s needed are longer-term integrated strategies to complement current methods. These may include large-scale ...
Genome engineering in insects for the control of vector borne diseases
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Genetically modified mosquitoesV. E. Hillary and S. A. Ceasar, Progress in Molecular Biology and Translational Science, 179:197-223. 2021.
Insects cause many vector-borne infectious diseases and have become a major threat to human health. Although many control measures are undertaken, some insects are resistant to it, exacerbated by environmental changes which is a major challenge for control measures. Genetic ...
Towards CRISPR/Cas9-based gene drive in the diamondback moth Plutella xylostella
Tags: CRISPR, Gene drive synthetic, MothsX. Xu, T. Harvey-Samuel, H. Siddiqui, J. Ang, M. A. E. Anderson, C. Reitmayer, E. Lovett, P. T. Leftwich, M. You and L. Alphey, bioRxiv, 2021.10.05.462963. 2021.
Promising to provide powerful genetic control tools, gene drives have been constructed in multiple dipterans, yeast and mice, for the purposes of population elimination or modification. However, it remains unclear whether these techniques can be applied to lepidopterans. Here, we ...
Genetically-modified possums and all-in-one trapping machines: funding for new predator-free studies
Tags: Biodiversity/Conservation, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Invasive species, OceaniaA. Allott, stuff, 2021.
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 ...
Weltnaturschutzunion sucht Position
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Governance, Policy, Regulation, Risk assessmentAnonymous, Informationsdienst Gentechnik, 2021.
Die Weltnaturschutzunion IUCN will in den nächsten drei Jahren eine breite interne Diskussion führen, ob Gentechnik und Gene Drives im Naturschutz eingesetzt werden sollen. Mit diesem Beschluss ist der Versuch gentechnikfreundlicher Organisationen, mit Artenschutz-Argumenten ...
New report demands moratorium on gene drives
Tags: Agriculture, Gene drive synthetic, Governance, Regulation, Risk and safetyGM Watch, GM Watch, 2021.
To help the public understand what's at stake, the Germany-based NGO Save Our Seeds (SOS) has published a report, "Gene Drives: The New Dimension of Genetic Engineering", which can be downloaded as a pdf document. The report provides a scientifically founded overview of how ...
Gene Drive Organisms: A new dimension of genetic engineering
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Governance, Regulation, Risk and safetyV. Henn and M. Imken, Save Our Seeds, 2021.
Enabled by new genetic engineering techniques such as CRISPR/Cas9, so-called gene drives have been developed in recent years that enable humans to spread new genes throughout the genome of wild animal populations. Gene drives force the inheritance of newly introduced genes to be ...
Predicting the spread and persistence of genetically modified dominant sterile male mosquitoes
Tags: Anopheles, Gene drive synthetic, Modeling, Mosquitoes, Sterile insect technique (SIT)A. Ickowicz, S. D. Foster, G. R. Hosack and K. R. Hayes, Parasites and Vectors, 14:480. 2021.
Reproductive containment provides an opportunity to implement a staged-release strategy for genetic control of malaria vectors, in particular allowing predictions about the spread and persistence of (self-limiting) sterile and male-biased strains to be compared to outcomes before ...
Faut-il miser sur le forçage génétique contre les espèces invasives?
Tags: Biodiversity/Conservation, Gene drive synthetic, Invasive speciesP. Minet, Le Temps, 2021.
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 ...
To exterminate, or not to: Scientists debate tweaking wild genomes
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Invasive species, Policy, Regulation, RodentsFrench Press Agency, Daily Sabah, 2021.
veryone remembers Jeff Goldblum's famous speech in 1993 classic Jurassic Park: “Your scientists were so preoccupied with whether they could, they didn't stop to think if they should.” Well, these scientists are debating whether one should. In the movie, reconstructing and ...
Scientists debate promise, peril of tweaking wild genomes
Tags: Biodiversity/Conservation, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Invasive species, RodentsJ. Zamora, Phys Org, 2021.
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 ...
The viral era
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Governance, Policy, Regulation, Risk and safety, Risk assessmentB. Giese, EMBO reports, 22:e53229. 2021.
New biotechnologies such as gene drives and engineered viruses herald a viral era that would give humans exceptional power over any organism at the level of the genotype. In synthetic biology, orthogonality—in the sense of lack of interference—between different systems or ...
$1M in funding for project to cull mouse plagues
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Invasive species, Oceania, RodentsK. Brown, University of Adelaide NEWSROOM, 2021.
South Australian researchers are set to use genetic tools to help find innovative solutions to the devastating mouse plagues that have caused massive economic damage to Australian farmers.The University of Adelaide has been awarded $1 million in funding from the South Australian ...
Gene drive escape from resistance depends on mechanism and ecology
Tags: CRISPR, Gene drive synthetic, Modeling, Population suppression, Replicator/site directed nuclease, Resistance, Toxin-antidoteF. Cook, J. J. Bull and R. Gomulkiewicz, bioRxiv, 2021.08.30.458221. 2021.
Gene drives can potentially be used to suppress pest populations, and the advent of CRISPR technology has made it feasible to engineer them in many species, especially insects. What remains largely unknown for implementations is whether anti-drive resistance will evolve to block ...
Genetically changed mosquitoes could transform Africa’s long fight against malaria
Tags: Africa, Anopheles, Gene drive synthetic, MalariaL. Singh, ForumIAS, 2021.
In nature, there’s a phenomenon called gene drive which operates in the process of reproduction. This is when a genetic element is able to increase the chance that it will be inherited by offspring. The general underlying principle of all gene drives is an organism that will ...
The international governance of gene drive organisms
Tags: Biodiversity/Conservation, Gene drive synthetic, Governance, Policy, Regulation, Risk and safetyF. Rabitz, Environmental Politics, 2021.
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 ...
Versatile Applications of the CRISPR/Cas Toolkit in Plant Pathology and Disease Management
Tags: Agriculture, CRISPR, Gene drive synthetic, Gene editing, Yeast and FungiM. S. Wheatley and Y. N. Yang, Phytopathology, 111:1080-1090. 2021.
New tools and advanced technologies have played key roles in facilitating basic research in plant pathology and practical approaches for disease management and crop health. Recently. the CRISPR/Cas (clustered regularly interspersed short palindromic repeats/CRISPR-associated) ...
CRISPR/Cas9-based functional characterization of the pigmentation gene ebony in Plutella xylostella
Tags: CRISPR, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Moths, Self limitingX. Xu, T. Harvey-Samuel, J. Yang, M. You and L. Alphey, Insect Molecular Biology, 2021.
Abstract Body pigmentation is an important character of insects in adapting to biotic and abiotic environmental challenges. Additionally, based on the relative ease of screening, several genes involved in insect melanisation have been used in classic genetic studies or as visual ...
Africa must not rest until Malaria rests: What is the role of emerging technologies?
Tags: Africa, Gene drive synthetic, Malaria, MosquitoesR. Oronje, AFIDEP, 2021.
As we mark the World Mosquito Day today, it is a sad reminder that Malaria still kills hundreds of thousands of people every year, majority of these people in Africa. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), Malaria killed 409,000 people in 2019, and 94% of these deaths ...
Insect pest management in the age of synthetic biology
Tags: Agriculture, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Synthetic biologyR. Mateos Fernández, M. Petek, I. Gerasymenko, M. Juteršek, Š. Baebler, K. Kallam, E. Moreno Giménez, J. Gondolf, A. Nordmann, K. Gruden, D. Orzaez and N. J. Patron, Plant Biotechnology Journal, 2021.
Arthropod crop pests are responsible for 20% of global annual crop losses, a figure predicted to increase in a changing climate where the ranges of numerous species are projected to expand. At the same time, many insect species are beneficial, acting as pollinators and predators ...
The Complex Lives of Mosquitoes: The Key for Malaria Control
Tags: Anopheles, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Malaria, MosquitoesF. Okumu, ISGlobal, 2021.
Mosquitoes spread diseases to millions of people around the world, yet they remain poorly understood by most. Studying their biology and behaviours can help us combat, and eventually eliminate, dangerous diseases such as malaria and dengue fever.There are nearly 3,500 species of ...
Attack of the Superweeds
Tags: Agriculture, Gene drive syntheticH. C. Brown, New York Times, 2021.
If there’s a plant perfectly suited to outcompete the farmers, researchers and chemical companies that collectively define industrial American agriculture, it’s Palmer amaranth. This pigweed (a catchall term that includes some plants in the amaranth family) can re-root itself ...
Identifying Sites for Testing Modified Mosquitoes as a Strategy to Eradicate Malaria
Tags: Field trials, Gene drive synthetic, Malaria, Population modification/replacementA. Fell, UC Davis News, 2021.
In a newly published article in the journal Evolutionary Applications Professor Greg Lanzaro and his team at the Vector Genetics Laboratory, UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, set forth a framework for the selection of field sites in Africa best suited for testing ...
New mosquito control tools are critical
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, History, Malaria, MosquitoesL. Braack, Open Access Government, 2021.
Globally, we are making slow headway in the fight against malaria, but there has been progress, nonetheless. Since 2000, 39 countries and territories have managed to rid themselves of malaria; the most recent is China. Existing tools can achieve local elimination, but the battle ...
Genetic modification could be used to combat invasive crayfish
Tags: Gene drive syntheticO. Rudgard, The Telegraph, 2021.
Genetically-modified crayfish carrying infertility genes could be used to tackle the problem of invasive crustaceans in British waterways. A technique being developed by scientists at the University of Edinburgh's Roslin Institute offers hope for conservationists trying to ...
Knowing and Controlling: Engineering Ideals and Gene Drive for Invasive Species Control in Aotearoa New Zealand
Tags: Ethics, Gene drive synthetic, Invasive species, Oceania, PolicyC. H. Ross, Nature Remade: Engineering Life, Envisioning Worlds, 2021.
On the islands of Aotearoa, also called New Zealand, invasive species have been a prominent and persistent concern for local ecosystems. Traditional methods of biological control, though, can be difficult to implement and often have harmful side- effects for the environment and ...
A common gene drive language eases regulatory process and eco-evolutionary extensions
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, ModelingP. Verma, R. G. Reeves and C. S. Gokhale, BMC Ecology and Evolution, 21:156. 2021.
Synthetic gene drive technologies aim to spread transgenic constructs into wild populations even when they impose organismal fitness disadvantages. The extraordinary diversity of plausible drive mechanisms and the range of selective parameters they may encounter makes it very ...
Gene drives gaining speed
Tags: CRISPR, Gene drive synthetic, Population modification/replacement, Population suppression, UnderdominanceE. Bier, Nature Reviews Genetics, 2021.
Gene drives are selfish genetic elements that are transmitted to progeny at super-Mendelian (>50%) frequencies. Recently developed CRISPR–Cas9-based gene-drive systems are highly efficient in laboratory settings, offering the potential to reduce the prevalence of vector-borne ...
The Promise of Genetics and Genomics for Improving Invasive Mammal Management on Islands
Tags: CRISPR, Gene drive synthetic, Genomics, Invasive species, Other mammalsB. T. Burgess, R. L. Irvine, G. R. Howald and M. A. Russello, Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution, 9. 2021.
Invasive species are major contributors to global biodiversity decline. Invasive mammalian species (IMS), in particular, have profound negative effects in island systems that contain disproportionally high levels of species richness and endemism. The eradication and control of ...
Invasive Mice and Engineered Genes
Tags: Biodiversity/Conservation, Gene drive synthetic, Invasive speciesW. M. Adams and K. H. Redford, Yale University Press Blog, 2021.
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 ...
2021 WHO guidelines on genetically modified mosquitoes
Tags: Ethics, Gene drive synthetic, Genetically modified mosquitoes, Policy, RegulationM. Makoni, The Lancet Microbe, 2:e353. 2021.
On May 19, 2021, WHO updated its guidelines for research and development on genetically modified mosquitoes, which define the standards for decision-making about how and when testing should proceed and describe best practices to ensure that research done in a public health ...
Scientists eradicate malaria-transmitting mosquitos using genetic engineering which make females infertile in new study which takes one step closer to wiping out the disease worldwide.
Tags: Africa, Gene drive synthetic, Malaria, Population suppression, Target malariaC. Ciaccia, Daily Mail, 2021.
Malaria kills nearly 500,000 people globally every year, but scientists have now figured out a way to use CRISPR gene-editing technology to make female mosquitoes infertile, described as a 'game-changer' for ending the deadly disease. Researchers from Imperial College London, ...
Breakthrough in non-GMO malaria control
Tags: Anopheles, Gene drive synthetic, Malaria, Mosquitoes, Other SymbiontsC. Robinson and J. Matthews, GM Watch, 2021.
A just-published study carried out in a high-security lab claims to show that a CRISPR gene drive (a way of forcing a heritable genetic modification through a whole species or population) can crash populations of malaria-spreading mosquitoes. But why crash mosquito populations ...
Genetic engineering may rid world of malaria-transmitting mosquitoes
Tags: Anopheles, Gene drive synthetic, Malaria, Population suppressionY. Steinbuch, New York Post, 2021.
Scientists have eradicated a population of malaria-transmitting mosquitoes by using genetic engineering to make the females infertile — in what the lead researcher called a possible “game-changer in bringing about malaria elimination.” A team of researchers — led by ...
Malaria-carrying mosquitoes could be bred out of existence using ‘gene drive’ technology
Tags: Anopheles, Gene drive synthetic, Malaria, Population suppressionA. Wilkins, METRO, 2021.
Malaria-carrying mosquitoes have been eliminated using ‘gene drive’ technology in a nature-like environment, in a world-first study. By altering a gene that blocks female mosquito reproduction, and allowing that gene to spread, researchers found they could ensure complete ...
Scientists reveal controversial genetically modified mosquitoes in high-security lab
Tags: Anopheles, Gene drive synthetic, Malaria, Population suppressionThe Frontier Post, The Frontier Post, 2021.
Many years of additional research will be needed to prove the approach works and the mosquitoes would be safe to release into the wild. The project would also require regulatory approval and agreement by local residents in areas where those mosquitoes live, mostly in sub-Saharan ...
Genetic engineering test with mosquitoes ‘may be game changer’ in eliminating malaria
Tags: Anopheles, Gene drive synthetic, Malaria, Population suppressionL. Geddes, The Guardian, 2021.
Scientists have successfully wiped out a population of malaria-transmitting mosquitoes by using a radical form of genetic engineering to render the females infertile – in the most advanced and largest ever test of use of the technology to fight the disease. As well as bringing ...
World Nature Conservation Day: Technology to Forge a Path for Nature Conservation and Communities
Tags: Biodiversity/Conservation, Gene drive synthetic, Invasive speciesP. Becker, Isand Conservation, 2021.
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 ...
How An Altered Strand Of DNA Can Cause Malaria-Spreading Mosquitoes To Self-Destruct
Tags: Anopheles, Gene drive synthetic, Malaria, Population suppressionR. Stein, NPR, 2021.
For the first time, scientists have shown that a new kind of genetic engineering can crash populations of malaria-spreading mosquitoes. In the landmark study, published Wednesday in the journal Nature Communications, researchers placed the genetically modified mosquitoes in a ...
A lab experiment shows that we could engineer malaria-carrying mosquitoes to kill themselves off
Tags: Anopheles, Gene drive synthetic, Malaria, Population suppressionA. Micu, ZME Science, 2021.
A new paper showcases how genetic engineering can be used to cause populations of malaria-spreading mosquitoes to self-destroy. An international research effort has shown, in the context of a lab experiment, that male mosquitoes engineered to carry a certain strand of DNA can ...
Malarial mosquitoes suppressed in experiments that mimic natural environments
Tags: Anopheles, Gene drive synthetic, Malaria, Population suppressionH. Dunning, Phys Org, 2021.
Researchers have shown "gene drive" technology, which spreads a genetic modification blocking female reproduction, works in natural-like settings. The team, led by researchers from Imperial College London, Polo GGB and Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine were able to suppress ...
Gene-drive suppression of mosquito populations in large cages as a bridge between lab and field
Tags: Anopheles, Gene drive synthetic, Malaria, Population suppressionA. Hammond, P. Pollegioni, T. Persampieri, A. North, R. Minuz, A. Trusso, A. Bucci, K. Kyrou, I. Morianou, A. Simoni, T. Nolan, R. Müller and A. Crisanti, Nature Communications, 12:4589. 2021.
CRISPR-based gene-drives targeting the gene doublesex in the malaria vector Anopheles gambiae effectively suppressed the reproductive capability of mosquito populations reared in small laboratory cages. To bridge the gap between laboratory and the field, this gene-drive ...
Gene drive strategies of pest control in agricultural systems: challenges and opportunities
Tags: Agriculture, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Resistance, Risk assessment, UnderdominanceM. Legros, J. M. Marshall, S. Macfadyen, K. R. Hayes, A. Sheppard and L. G. Barrett, Evolutionary Applications, 2021.
Abstract Recent advances in gene editing technologies have opened new avenues for genetic pest control strategies, in particular around the use of gene drives to suppress or modify pest populations. Significant uncertainty, however, surrounds the applicability of these strategies ...
Resistance to a CRISPR-based gene drive at an evolutionarily conserved site is revealed by mimicking genotype fixation
Tags: Anopheles, CRISPR, Gene drive synthetic, Replicator/site directed nuclease, ResistanceS. Fuchs, W. Garrood, A. Beber, A. Hammond, R. Galizi, M. Gribble, G. Morselli, T.-Y. Hui, K. Willis, N. Kranjc, A. Burt, T. Nolan and A. Crisanti, bioRxiv, 2021.
CRISPR-based homing gene drives can be designed to disrupt essential genes whilst biasing their own inheritance, leading to suppression of mosquito populations in the laboratory. This class of gene drives relies on CRISPR-Cas9 cleavage of a target sequence and copying ...
Risk management recommendations for environmental releases of gene drive modified insects
Tags: Field trials, Gene drive synthetic, Modeling, Policy, Risk assessment, Stakeholder engagementY. Devos, J. D. Mumford, M. B. Bonsall, D. C. M. Glandorf and H. D. Quemada, Biotechnology Advances, 2021.
The ability to engineer gene drives (genetic elements that bias their own inheritance) has sparked enthusiasm and concerns. Engineered gene drives could potentially be used to address long-standing challenges in the control of insect disease vectors, agricultural pests and ...
GM mosquitoes to fight malaria
Tags: Africa, Gene drive synthetic, Genetically modified mosquitoes, Malaria, Target malariaI. Khisa, The INDEPENDENT, 2021.
Scientists at the Uganda Virus Research Institute (UVRI) plans to undertake a research on genetically engineered mosquitoes to tackle malaria. Dr. Jonathan Kayondo, the principal investigator Target Malaria Uganda and Senior Research Officer at UVRI had an email interview with ...
Combating mosquito-borne diseases using genetic control technologies
Tags: Dengue, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Malaria, Mosquitoes, Population modification/replacement, Population suppression, Underdominance, WolbachiaG.-H. Wang, S. Gamez, R. R. Raban, J. M. Marshall, L. Alphey, M. Li, J. L. Rasgon and O. S. Akbari, Nature Communications, 12:4388. 2021.
Mosquito-borne diseases, such as dengue and malaria, pose significant global health burdens. Unfortunately, current control methods based on insecticides and environmental maintenance have fallen short of eliminating the disease burden. Scalable, deployable, genetic-based ...
Genetically Modifying Bats Could Prevent the Next Pandemic, Scientists Say
Tags: Arbovirus, Biodiversity/Conservation, Ecology, Gene drive synthetic, Other mammalsG. Dutton, BioSpace, 2021.
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 ...
Gene Drives – Engineering the Wild
Tags: Agriculture, Gene drive synthetic, Malaria, Mosquitoes, Policy, Regulation, Risk and safety, Target malariaL. Sharratt, Sentinel, 2021.
So far, genetically engineered organisms have been mostly limited to agricultural use, with partial success. Around the world, a few major crops (mostly corn, soy, and cotton) are genetically engineered, predominantly for herbicide tolerance and insect resistance. However, the ...
Mice Plague Eastern Australia in Record Numbers
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Invasive species, Rodents, X chromosomeB. Nogrady, The Scientist, 2021.
Just before Christmas last year, Julie Leven and her husband Des took their camper up to visit their son in northern New South Wales, Australia. Driving back at night to their home in Gilgandra, around 430 kilometers northwest of Sydney, they saw masses of white spots moving ...
Autocatalytic-protection for an unknown locus CRISPR-Cas countermeasure for undesired mutagenic chain reactions
Tags: Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Modeling, Replicator/site directed nuclease, Risk and safetyE. Schonfeld, E. Schonfeld and D. Schonfeld, Journal of Theoretical Biology, 528:110831. 2021.
The mutagenic chain reaction (MCR) is a genetic tool to use a CRISPR–Cas construct to introduce a homing endonuclease, allowing gene drive to influence whole populations in a minimal number of generations (Esvelt et al., 2014, Gantz and Bier, 2015, Gantz and Bier, 2016). The ...
Part of ‘master plan’: Researchers receive grant to fund research on malaria
Tags: Anopheles, Gene drive synthetic, ModelingL. Huang, The Daily Californian, 2021.
Early this month, The Marshall Lab at UC Berkeley received an $800,000 grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to fund its research on genetics-based malaria mosquito control. The Marshall Lab is one of many teams playing a part in the Gates Foundation’s decades-long ...
Africa Turning to Gene Drive Technology for Malaria Elimination
Tags: Anopheles, Gene drive synthetic, Malaria, Policy, Regulation, Risk and safetyM. Hearty, Science Africa, 2021.
With Africa accounting for nine out of ten malaria cases globally, the continent is turning to gene drive technology to control the disease. This is according to a decision made by African leaders at the 29th Summit of Heads of States and Governments of the African Union held in ...
A new tool in the global fight against malaria
Tags: Anopheles, Ethics, Gene drive synthetic, Genetically modified mosquitoes, MalariaS. Laux, Brighter World, 2021.
McMaster researchers with the Institute on Ethics & Policy for Innovation (IEPI) have played a key role in developing updated international guidelines that will inform research and development on genetically modified mosquitoes – an initiative that could significantly affect ...
West African countries working together to develop framework to regulate genetically engineered mosquitos: Target Malaria
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Genetically modified mosquitoes, Policy, Regulation, Risk and safety, Risk assessment, Target malariaAnonymous, Global News, 2021.
Abdoulaye Diabaté, principal investigator for Target Malaria, says West African countries like Burkina Faso, Mali and Benin are working with the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) to develop a pan-West African framework to regulate gene drive mosquitos.
Marshall Lab receives Gates grant for genetics-based malaria mosquito control
Tags: Anopheles, Gene drive synthetic, ModelingBerkeley Public Health, Berkeley Public Health, 2021.
Berkeley Public Health Associate Professor John Marshall, PhD, and Assistant Project Scientist Héctor Sánchez, PhD, have received an $800,000 grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to support their lab’s work in genetics-based malaria mosquito control. Malaria, the ...
Scientists develop new technology that gives greater control for managing malaria mosquitoes
Tags: Anopheles, CRISPR, Gene drive synthetic, MosquitoesKeele University, Phy Org, 2021.
Researchers including a Keele University scientist have engineered an innovative approach to disable highly powerful genetic devices that control harmful insect populations. Dr. Roberto Galizi from Keele's School of Life Sciences was part of a research team that previously ...
Gene drive that results in addiction to a temperature sensitive version of an essential gene triggers population collapse in Drosophila
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Population suppression, Self limiting, Toxin-antidoteG. Oberhofer, B. Hay and T. Ivy, bioRxiv, 2021.07.03.451005. 2021.
One strategy for population suppression seeks to use gene drive to spread genes that confer conditional lethality or sterility, providing a way of combining population modification with suppression. Stimuli of potential interest could be introduced by humans, such as an otherwise ...
Gene Drive: The Technology and its Potentials for Biodiversity Conservatio
Tags: Biodiversity/Conservation, Gene drive syntheticZ. Bugnosen, Science Speaks, 2021.
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 ...
Could editing the genomes of bats prevent future coronavirus pandemics? Two scientists think it’s worth a try
Tags: Arbovirus, Gene drive syntheticE. C. Hayden, STAT, 2021.
Amid the devastating Covid-19 pandemic, two researchers are proposing a drastic way to stop future pandemics: using a technology called a gene drive to rewrite the DNA of bats to prevent them from becoming infected with coronaviruses. The scientists aim to block spillover ...
Preventing COVID-59
Tags: Arbovirus, Gene drive syntheticY. Erlich and D. Douek, github, 2021.
SARS-CoV-2 is the third betacoronavirus to enter the human population in the past 20 years, revealing a concerning pattern. Clearly, preventing a future pandemic from such viruses is a critical priority. Previous studies have shown that shRNAs can be powerful suppressors of RNA ...
INSIDER: alignment-free detection of foreign DNA sequences
Tags: Field trials, Gene drive syntheticA. P. Tay, B. Hosking, C. Hosking, D. C. Bauer and L. O. W. Wilson, Computational and Structural Biotechnology Journal, 19:3810-3816. 2021.
External DNA sequences can be inserted into an organism’s genome either through natural processes such as gene transfer, or through targeted genome engineering strategies. Being able to robustly identify such foreign DNA is a crucial capability for health and biosecurity ...
The (Losing) Battle Against Mosquitoes In Texas
Tags: Arbovirus, Dengue, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Malaria, MosquitoesJ. Clayton, Texas Public Radio, 2021.
Jerry Clayton: Mosquitoes are a fact of life in Texas, and the battle against the pesky biting insects is never ending. But there are some new weapons on the horizon. Zach Adleman is an associate professor of entomology at Texas A&M University. He joins us today. Thanks for being ...
A genetically encoded anti-CRISPR protein constrains gene drive spread and prevents population suppression
Tags: Anopheles, CRISPR, Gene drive synthetic, MosquitoesC. Taxiarchi, A. Beaghton, N. I. Don, K. Kyrou, M. Gribble, D. Shittu, S. P. Collins, C. L. Beisel, R. Galizi and A. Crisanti, Nature Communications, 12:3977. 2021.
CRISPR-based gene drives offer promising means to reduce the burden of pests and vector-borne diseases. These techniques consist of releasing genetically modified organisms carrying CRISPR-Cas nucleases designed to bias their inheritance and rapidly propagate desired ...
UC San Diego scientists develop the first CRISPR/Cas9-based gene drive in plants
Tags: Agriculture, CRISPR, Gene drive syntheticM. Aguilera, UC San Diego News Center, 2021.
With a goal of breeding resilient crops that are better able to withstand drought and disease, University of California San Diego scientists have developed the first CRISPR-Cas9-based gene drive in plants. While gene drive technology has been developed in insects to help stop the ...
Using gene drives to control malaria
Tags: Anopheles, CRISPR, Gene drive synthetic, Population modification/replacementA. Fell, Daily News, 2021.
A group of UC scientists led by Greg Lanzaro, professor of pathology, microbiology and immunology in the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, recently completed an analysis of a strategy aimed at eliminating malaria from Africa using genetically engineered mosquitoes. ...
Potential use of gene drive modified insects against disease vectors, agricultural pests and invasive species poses new challenges for risk assessment
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Policy, Regulation, Risk assessmentY. Devos, J. D. Mumford, M. B. Bonsall, A. M. Camargo, L. G. Firbank, D. C. M. Glandorf, F. Nogué, K. Paraskevopoulos and E. A. Wimmer, Critical Reviews in Biotechnology, 2021.
Potential future application of engineered gene drives (GDs), which bias their own inheritance and can spread genetic modifications in wild target populations, has sparked both enthusiasm and concern. Engineered GDs in insects could potentially be used to address long-standing ...
Selective inheritance of target genes from only one parent of sexually reproduced F1 progeny in Arabidopsis
Tags: Agriculture, CRISPR, Gene drive syntheticT. Zhang, M. Mudgett, R. Rambabu, B. Abramson, X. Dai, T. P. Michael and Y. Zhao, Nature Communications, 12:3854. 2021.
Sexual reproduction constrains progeny to inherit allelic genes from both parents. Selective acquisition of target genes from only one parent in the F1 generation of plants has many potential applications including the elimination of undesired alleles and acceleration of trait ...
Sustainable Food Production: The Contribution of Genome Editing in Livestock
Tags: CRISPR, Gene drive synthetic, Gene editing, Other mammalsA. Menchaca, Sustainability, 13. 2021.
This article is focused on the scope and perspectives for the application of this technology, which includes improving production traits, enhancing animal welfare through adaptation and resilience, conferring resistance to infectious diseases, and suppressing pests and invasive ...
Population modification strategies for malaria vector control are uniquely resilient to observed levels of gene drive resistance alleles
Tags: Anopheles, CRISPR, Gene drive synthetic, Population modification/replacementG. C. Lanzaro, H. M. Sánchez C, T. C. Collier, J. M. Marshall and A. A. James, BioEssays, 2021.
Cas9/guide RNA (gRNA)-based gene drive systems are expected to play a transformative role in malaria elimination efforts., whether through population modification, in which the drive system contains parasite-refractory genes, or population suppression, in which the drive system ...
Selfish DNA: how new gene technology could stop the advance of mice
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Oceania, Rodents, X chromosomeM. McMillan, Tentenfield Star, 2021.
It used to be that seeing a mouse in the house was a rare occurrence. Now, it's rarely a day that goes by where we aren't seeing or hearing the little vermin. Current methods of baiting and trapping are struggling to control the plague of mice spreading across regional ...
‘Nigeria has capacity for safe application of modern biotechnology’
Tags: Africa, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Genetically modified organisms, Policy, Regulation, Risk and safetyM. Adewale, The Guardian, 2021.
Director-general of the National Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA), Dr. Rufus Ebegba, has declared that Nigeria has the capacity to deploy safe biotechnology products for agricultural development and environmental safety. Ebegba, who gave the assurance at the opening of a ...
European Parliament calls for ban on gene drive technology
Tags: Biodiversity/Conservation, Gene drive synthetic, Malaria, Policy, Regulation, Risk and safetySave Our Seeds, Save Our Seeds, 2021.
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, ...
Fine-scale estimation of key life-history parameters of malaria vectors: implications for next-generation vector control technologies
Tags: Ecology, Gene drive synthetic, Modeling, Mosquitoes, Population genetics/dynamicsA. L. Morris, A. Ghani and N. Ferguson, Parasites and Vectors, 14:311. 2021.
Mosquito control has the potential to significantly reduce malaria burden on a region, but to influence public health policy must also show cost-effectiveness. Gaps in our knowledge of mosquito population dynamics mean that mathematical modelling of vector control interventions ...
Living With the Limits of Our New Clerisy’s Knowledge
Tags: Ethics, Gene drive synthetic, Policy, RegulationR. Fernandez, PJ Media, 2021.
We are living in a strange time when reason has fallen short of human expectations and there is, once again, pressure to place our trust in faith. Leighton Woodhouse hit the nail on the head when he argued that we have appointed a New Clerisy to rule over us, not because they are ...
Victory: NSW Government Invests in Humane Mice Control!
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Invasive species, Rodents, X chromosomePETA Australia, PETA Australia, 2021.
Just two weeks after calling us “brainless” for suggesting that the state government invest in more ethical, eco-friendly methods of mice control – Minister for Agriculture Adam Marshall announced a $1.8 million package to “fast-track the delivery of next generation ...
Gene tech to prevent crossbreeding could safely harness the power of gene drives
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Genetic incompatibilities, UnderdominanceI. l. Guillou, The Science Advisory Board, 2021.
A new gene engineering technology could allow scientists to harness the benefits of releasing genetically modified animals into the wild without the risk of uncontrolled spread. The new study, published in the journal Nature Communications on June 2, could help in the battle ...
New biocontrol research to help prevent mice plagues
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Invasive species, Oceania, Other mammals, Population suppression, RodentsAnonymous, The National Tribune, 2021.
Scientists at the University of Adelaide are partnering with the CSIRO and the Centre for Invasive Species Solutions on breakthrough genetic biocontrol research to help control mice populations and prevent future mice plagues. The three-year research program will identify fast ...
Gene drive could be a game changer for future mouse control.
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Invasive species, Rodents, X chromosomeAnonymous, Centre for Invasive Species Solutions, 2021.
We are proud to announce we will be coordinating a brand new, three-year program of genetic biocontrol research, which will identify fast acting gene drives designed to spread an inherited characteristic through a population at higher-than-normal rates. Using targeted gene ...
“Gene Drive” Technology To Control Mouse Invasions | Liverpool City Champion
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Oceania, Rodents, X chromosomeT. Carrington, Liverpool IL, 2021.
As western New South Wales faces a devastating mouse plague, the government is investing in groundbreaking genetic biocontrol research that could transform pest management in Australia. Agriculture Minister Adam Marshall said the NSW government will provide $ 1.8 million for the ...
Australia plots biological warfare to eradicate rampaging ‘mouse plague’
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Rodents, X chromosomeJ. Smyth, Financial Times, 2021.
Australia is home to some of the world’s most fearsome creatures. But none is more destructive than the humble house mouse, a plague of which is rampaging across vast swaths of farmland and terrorising countryfolk. Farmers in New South Wales, the worst affected state, warned ...
Scientists design new gene drive to stop the transmission of devastating diseases
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Genetic incompatibilitiesE. Henderson, AZO Life Sciences, 2021.
CRISPR-based technologies offer enormous potential to benefit human health and safety, from disease eradication to fortified food supplies. As one example, CRISPR-based gene drives, which are engineered to spread specific traits through targeted populations, are being developed ...
Mouse plague control hopes raised with funding for genetic biocontrol research
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Oceania, Rodents, X chromosomeAnonymous, From Press, 2021.
As communities and farmers continue to battle the mouse plague, a funding announcement for genetic biocontrol research could be a potential game changer for future plagues. The New South Wales government has today announced a $50 million mouse control package which includes $1.8 ...
Genetically modified mosquitoes and Africa
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Genetically modified mosquitoes, MalariaS. Bagcchi, Sci Dev Net, 2021.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has released new guidance for the deployment of genetically modified (GM) mosquitoes to combat vector-borne diseases like malaria and dengue. GM mosquitoes may carry a gene that kills female progeny and the technology can be used against the ...
ISAAA Webinar: What is Gene Drive?
Tags: Gene drive syntheticISAAA, ISAAA, 2021.
ISAAA, in partnership with the Outreach Network for Gene Drive Research and the Biotechnology Information Centers, will be conducting the Gene Drive Webinar Series. The first webinar titled What is Gene Drive? will be held on June 10, 2021, at 2 PM GMT+8 (7 AM London/4 PM Sydney) ...
‘Gene drive’ tech to control mice plagues
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Rodents, X chromosomeAAP, Countryman, 2021.
As western NSW deals with a devastating mouse plague the government is investing in breakthrough genetic biocontrol research that could transform pest management in Australia. Agriculture Minister Adam Marshall said the NSW government would provide $1.8 million to the project to ...
New CRISPR Tools Can Help Contain Mosquito Disease Transmission
Tags: CRISPR, Culex, Gene drive synthetic, Gene editing, Genetically modified mosquitoesAnonymous, labcompare, 2021.
Scientists have now developed several genetic editing tools that help pave the way to an eventual gene drive designed to stop Culex mosquitoes from spreading disease. As detailed in the journal Nature Communications, Xuechun Feng, Valentino Gantz and their colleagues at Harvard ...
African Experts Welcome WHO Guidance on Ethics, Standards, and Governance of Genetically Modified Mosquito Research
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Genetically modified mosquitoes, Policy, RegulationE. Nakkazi, Health Policy Watch, 2021.
Researchers engaged in mosquito gene drive technologies are optimistic that new World Health Organization (WHO) guidance on best research practices will ensure that their work is safe and ethical. Such guidance also helps research results advance from laboratories to be used in ...
What is wrong in extinguishing a species? Charting the Ethical Challenges of using Gene-Drive Technologies to eradicate A. gambiae vector populations
Tags: Anopheles, Ethics, Gene drive synthetic, Malaria, Mosquitoes, Policy, RegulationM. Annoni and T. Pievani, Biolaw Journal-Rivista Di Biodiritto, 2021.
This article analyses three ethical arguments against the use of gene-drive technologies to control for, and possibly extinguish, a particular species of vector mosquitoes (Anopheles gambiae) causing the malaria infection. We conclude that none of these arguments is truly ...
Analysis of off-target effects in CRISPR-based gene drives in the human malaria mosquito
Tags: CRISPR, Gene drive synthetic, Replicator/site directed nuclease, Risk and safetyW. T. Garrood, N. Kranjc, K. Petri, D. Y. Kim, J. A. Guo, A. M. Hammond, I. Morianou, V. Pattanayak, J. K. Joung, A. Crisanti and A. Simoni, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 118:e2004838117. 2021.
CRISPR-Cas9 nuclease-based gene drives have been developed toward the aim of control of the human malaria vector Anopheles gambiae. Gene drives are based on an active source of Cas9 nuclease in the germline that promotes super-Mendelian inheritance of the transgene by ...
Experimental demonstration of tethered gene drive systems for confined population modification or suppression
Tags: Fruit fly, Gene drive mechanisms, Gene drive synthetic, Population suppression, Replicator/site directed nucleaseM. Metzloff, E. Yang, S. Dhole, A. G. Clark, P. W. Messer and J. Champer, bioRxiv, 2021.05.29.446308. 2021.
Tethered drive systems, in which a locally confined gene drive provides the CRISPR nuclease needed for a homing drive, could provide a solution to this problem, offering the power of a homing drive and confinement of the supporting drive. Here, we demonstrate the engineering of a ...
Improving mosquito control strategies with population genomics
Tags: Aedes, Anopheles, Dengue, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Genomics, Malaria, ResistanceT. L. Schmidt, N. M. Endersby-Harshman and A. A. Hoffmann, Trends in Parasitology, 37:907-921. 2021.
Mosquito control strategies increasingly apply knowledge from population genomics research. This review highlights recent applications to three research domains: mosquito invasions, insecticide resistance evolution, and rear and release programs. Current research trends follow ...
WHO releases new guidance for deployment of genetically modified mosquitoes
Tags: Ethics, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Genetically modified mosquitoes, Policy, RegulationE. Henderson, News Medical Life Sciences, 2021.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has released new guidance for the deployment of genetically modified (GM) mosquitoes to combat vector-borne diseases like malaria and dengue. GM mosquitoes may carry a gene that kills female progeny and the technology can be used against the ...
Researchers Create New CRISPR Tools to Help Contain Mosquito Disease Transmission
Tags: CRISPR, Culex, Gene drive synthetic, Gene editing, Genetically modified mosquitoesM. Aguilera, UC San Diego News Center, 2021.
Much less genetic engineering has been devoted to Culex genus mosquitoes, which spread devastating afflictions stemming from West Nile virus—the leading cause of mosquito-borne disease in the continental United States—as well as other viruses such as the Japanese encephalitis ...
New CRISPR tools help contain mosquito disease transmission: Genetics toolkit targets less researched Culex mosquitoes, which transmit West Nile virus and avian malaria.
Tags: CRISPR, Culex, Gene drive synthetic, Gene editing, Genetically modified mosquitoesUniversity of California - San Diego, ScienceDaily, 2021.
Since the onset of the CRISPR genetic editing revolution, scientists have been working to leverage the technology in the development of gene drives that target pathogen-spreading mosquitoes such as Anopheles and Aedes species, which spread malaria, dengue and other ...
The origin of island populations of the African malaria mosquito, Anopheles coluzzii
Tags: Africa, Anopheles, Gene drive synthetic, Genetics, Population modification/replacementM. Campos, M. Hanemaaijer, H. Gripkey, T. C. Collier, Y. S. Lee, A. J. Cornel, J. Pinto, D. Ayala, H. Rompao and G. C. Lanzaro, Communications Biology, 4:9. 2021.
Anopheles coluzzii is a major malaria vector throughout its distribution in west-central Africa. Here we present a whole-genome study of 142 specimens from nine countries in continental Africa and three islands in the Gulf of Guinea. This sample set covers a large part of this ...
Pest reduction with female killers and sterile males
Tags: Fruit fly, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Sterile insect technique (SIT)L. Mertz, Good Fruit Grower, 2021.
New ways to fight spotted wing drosophila are in the works, thanks to new genetic engineering tools. These transgenic methods introduce new reproduction-hampering genes into male SWD, so that when they mate with females, the females either don’t have any young, or their female ...
Q&A: WHO updates guidance on testing genetically modified mosquitoes
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Genetically modified mosquitoes, Policy, RegulationE. N. Dreisbach, Healio, 2021.
Researchers have been exploring the use of genetically modified mosquitos as a potential control method for vector-borne diseases. Just last month, Oxitec began releasing its genetically modified (GM), self-limiting male Aedes aegypti mosquitoes in the Florida Keys in the hope of ...
Why the EU should back research into gene drive – even if Europe never uses it
Tags: Europe, Gene drive synthetic, Malaria, Mosquitoes, Policy, RegulationR. Müller, The Brussels Times, 2021.
As the EU’s Biodiversity Strategy reaches the European Parliament, it has reopened a worrying debate about research into gene drive technology, a tool which could pave the way for biasing the inheritance of desired genetic traits through targeted species. Advances in this kind ...
Scientists want to alter rodent genes to prevent mice plagues
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Invasive species, Oceania, Other mammals, Population suppression, RodentsP. Hannon, The Sydney Morning Herald, 2021.
Mice plagues, such as the one ravaging parts of inland NSW, could become a thing of the past if scientists succeed in modifying the genes of the rodents so that populations crash before they can take off. Paul Thomas, a researcher at the University of Adelaide, is part of an ...
Malaria-Resistant Mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae); The Principle is Proven, But Will the Effectors Be Effective?
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Malaria, Mosquitoes, Population modification/replacementZ. N. Adelman and B. B. Kojin, Journal of Medical Entomology, 58:1997-2005. 2021.
Over the last few decades, a substantial number of anti-malarial effector genes have been evaluated for their ability to block parasite infection in the mosquito vector. While many of these approaches have yielded significant effects on either parasite intensity or prevalence of ...
Genetically modified mosquitoes; WHO issues new guidance for research
Tags: Ethics, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Genetically modified mosquitoes, Policy, RegulationDTE Staff, Down To Earth, 2021.
Genetically-modified mosquitoes or GMMs have been used across the world to control mosquitoes. GMMs have been able to bring down the population of the Aedes aegypti by 90 per cent in countries like Brazil, the Cayman Islands, Panama and Malaysia. But there have never been any ...
Burkina Faso Testing Genetically Modified Mosquitoes to Curb Malaria
Tags: Africa, Field trials, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Genetically modified mosquitoes, MalariaH. Wilkins, Voice of America, 2021.
The mosquito-borne disease malaria kills more than 400,000 people each year, the vast majority in Africa. Target Malaria, an international group of scientists, is working in Burkina Faso on a genetic solution. Abdoulaye Diabate, with the West African country’s Research ...
Optimized CRISPR tools and site-directed transgenesis towards gene drive development in Culex quinquefasciatus mosquitoes
Tags: CRISPR, Culex, Gene drive synthetic, Gene editing, Genetically modified mosquitoesX. Feng, V. López Del Amo, E. Mameli, M. Lee, A. L. Bishop, N. Perrimon and V. M. Gantz, Nature Communications, 12:2960. 2021.
Culex mosquitoes are a global vector for multiple human and animal diseases, including West Nile virus, lymphatic filariasis, and avian malaria, posing a constant threat to public health, livestock, companion animals, and endangered birds. While rising insecticide resistance has ...
WHO issues new guidance for research on genetically modified mosquitoes to fight malaria and other vector-borne diseases
Tags: Ethics, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Genetically modified mosquitoes, Policy, RegulationWHO, reliefweb, 2021.
New guidance from the World Health Organization (WHO) sets essential standards to inform future research and development on genetically modified mosquitoes, particularly in addressing issues relating to ethics, safety, affordability and effectiveness. Malaria and other ...
Targeting conserved sequences circumvents the evolution of resistance in a viral gene drive against human cytomegalovirus
Tags: Arbovirus, CRISPR, Gene drive synthetic, Population modification/replacement, Replicator/site directed nucleaseM. Walter, R. Perrone and E. Verdin, Journal of virology, 2021.
Here, we analyze in cell culture experiments the evolution of resistance in a viral gene drive against human cytomegalovirus. We report that, after an initial invasion of the wildtype population, a drive-resistant population is positively selected over time and outcompetes gene ...
Guidance framework for testing of genetically modified mosquitoes, second edition
Tags: Ethics, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Genetically modified mosquitoes, Policy, RegulationWHO, WHO-TDR, 2021.
For more than 2 decades, scientists have been working to harness the promise of molecular biology to develop genetically modified mosquitoes (GMMs) for use as public health tools to prevent the transmission of vector-borne diseases. Responding to a need for additional standards ...
Small-Cage Laboratory Trials of Genetically-Engineered Anopheline Mosquitoes
Tags: Anopheles, Field trials, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Malaria, Mosquitoes, Replicator/site directed nucleaseR. Carballar-Lejarazú, T. B. Pham, V. Bottino-Rojas, A. Adolfi and A. A. James, J Vis Exp, 2021.
Control of mosquito-borne pathogens using genetically-modified vectors has been proposed as a promising tool to complement conventional control strategies. CRISPR-based homing gene drive systems have made transgenic technologies more accessible within the scientific community. ...
Genetic Technologies for Sustainable Management of Insect Pests and Disease Vectors
Tags: CRISPR, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrolS. Grilli, R. Galizi and C. Taxiarchi, Sustainability, 13. 2021.
Recent advancements in genetic and genome editing research, augmented by the discovery of new molecular tools such as CRISPR, have revolutionised the field of genetic engineering by enabling precise site-specific genome modifications with unprecedented ease. These technologies ...
New genetic copycatchers detect efficient and precise CRISPR editing in a living organism
Tags: Fruit fly, Gene drive syntheticUNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA - SAN DIEGO, UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA - SAN DIEGO, 2021.
Researchers at the University of California San Diego have laid the groundwork for a potential new type of gene therapy using novel CRISPR-based techniques. Working in fruit flies and human cells, research led by UC San Diego Postdoctoral Scholar Zhiqian Li in Division of ...
CopyCatchers are versatile active genetic elements that detect and quantify inter-homolog somatic gene conversion
Tags: Fruit fly, Gene drive syntheticZ. Li, N. Marcel, S. Devkota, A. Auradkar, S. M. Hedrick, V. M. Gantz and E. Bier, Nature Communications, 12:2625. 2021.
CRISPR-based active genetic elements, or gene-drives, copied via homology-directed repair (HDR) in the germline, are transmitted to progeny at super-Mendelian frequencies. Active genetic elements also can generate widespread somatic mutations, but the genetic basis for such ...
Cloning wildlife and editing their genes to protect them and us.
Tags: Biodiversity/Conservation, Biological control, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrolH. Thomasy, NEO-LIFE, 2021.
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 ...
Driving genetic destruction
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Genetically modified mosquitoes, Policy, Regulation, Risk and safetyAnonymous, Alliance for Natural Health, 2021.
Genetically-engineered (GE) mosquitoes have been released in a number of countries, including the US. We’ve known for some time that these experiments have not gone to plan, but a new paper provides a better understanding of how they’ve went awry, and provides a harrowing ...
Selection of Sites for Field Trials of Genetically Engineered Mosquitoes with Gene Drive
Tags: Africa, Anopheles, Field trials, Gene drive synthetic, Genetically modified mosquitoes, Governance, Malaria, Policy, Population modification/replacement, RegulationG. C. Lanzaro, M. Campos, M. Crepeau, A. Cornel, A. Estrada, H. Gripkey, Z. Haddad, A. Kormos, S. Palomares and W. Sharpee, bioRxiv, 2021.04.28.441877. 2021.
Novel malaria control strategies using genetically engineered mosquitoes (GEMs) are on the horizon. Population modification is one approach wherein mosquitoes are engineered with genes rendering them refractory to the malaria parasite coupled with a low-threshold, Cas9-based gene ...
Does Gene Technology Offer Potential to Wipe Out Malaria?
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Genetically modified mosquitoes, MalariaAnonymous, AFIDEP, 2021.
The persisting high numbers of Malaria deaths and illnesses mean that the current tools will not get us to zero Malaria. For this reason, experts have continued to explore new tools for Malaria elimination. The gene drive technology is one of the tools being explored for Malaria ...
Major fly pest genetically modified in lab to produce more males
Tags: Fruit fly, Gene drive synthetic, X chromosomeH. Dunning, Imperial College London, 2021.
It has been predicted that the world's population will increase to over nine billion people by 2050, and that global food production will need to increase by around 70 percent to match this rate of change. Lead researcher Dr Angela Meccariello, from the Department of Life ...
CRISPR may help curb malaria by altering a mosquito’s gut genes, new study suggests
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Malaria, Population modification/replacementCornell Alliance for Science, Genetic Literacy Project, 2021.
Altering a mosquito’s gut genes to make them spread antimalarial genes to the next generation of their species shows promise as an approach to curb malaria, suggests a preliminary study published in eLife. The study is the latest in a series of steps toward using CRISPR-Cas9 ...
Fighting mosquitoes with mosquitoes
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Genetically modified mosquitoes, Malaria, Policy, Regulation, Risk assessmentW. Feng, The Daily Targum, 2021.
When you think about the animal that has killed the greatest number of humans in the world, you generally tend to think of large predators. Is it perhaps the great white shark or maybe the cute but deadly hippopotamus? While these animals are certainly deadly, the number of ...
CRISPR-Cas and Its Wide-Ranging Applications: From Human Genome Editing to Environmental Implications, Technical Limitations, Hazards and Bioethical Issues
Tags: Ethics, Gene drive synthetic, Policy, Regulation, Risk assessmentR. Piergentili, A. Del Rio, F. Signore, F. U. Ronchi, E. Marinelli and S. Zaami, Cells, 10:24. 2021.
The CRISPR-Cas system is a powerful tool for in vivo editing the genome of most organisms, including man. During the years this technique has been applied in several fields, such as agriculture for crop upgrade and breeding including the creation of allergy-free foods, for ...
Eliminating malaria via a simple genetic modification
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Malaria, Population modification/replacementS. Gunn, Front Line Genomics, 2021.
Despite decades worth of research and efforts, data from 2015 onwards suggests that there has been no significant progress in reducing global malaria cases. Every year, around 400,00 people die from malaria, with over 90% of cases being within sub-Saharan Africa. The rise of ...
This Malaria Preventing Mosquito Is Not A GMO But Is A Science Boost For Nature – Will Activists Want To Block It?
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Malaria, Population modification/replacementH. Campbell, science 2.0, 2021.
Mosquitoes like Aedes aegypti don't have any value ecologically. If Thanos snapped them out of existence tomorrow there is nothing they do that won't immediately be taken up by 3,000 other mosquito species, not to mention 25,000 bee species when it comes to pollination. The ...
Breeding Malaria Out: Scientists Engineer Mosquitos to Spread Antimalaria Genes
Tags: Anopheles, Gene drive synthetic, Malaria, Population modification/replacementL. Papadopoulos, INTERSTING ENGINEERING, 2021.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), malaria is a "serious and sometimes fatal disease caused by a parasite that commonly infects a certain type of mosquito which feeds on humans." There are four types of malaria parasites: Plasmodium falciparum, P. ...
Engineered sex ratio distortion by X-shredding in the global agricultural pest Ceratitis capitata
Tags: Fruit fly, Gene drive synthetic, X chromosomeA. Meccariello, F. Krsticevic, R. Colonna, G. Del Corsano, B. Fasulo, P. A. Papathanos and N. Windbichler, BMC Biology, 19:78. 2021.
Genetic sex ratio distorters are systems aimed at effecting a bias in the reproductive sex ratio of a population and could be applied for the area-wide control of sexually reproducing insects that vector disease or disrupt agricultural production. One example of such a system ...
Curbing Malaria’s Spread by Genetic Engineering
Tags: Anopheles, Gene drive synthetic, Malaria, Population modification/replacementAnonymous, Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News, 2021.
There is an urgent need to find new ways to combat the growing mosquito resistance to pesticides and malaria parasite resistance to antimalarial drugs. Gene drives are being tested as a new approach. In a new study, researchers from the Imperial College London reported that their ...
New genetic modification could cut malaria spread
Tags: Anopheles, Gene drive synthetic, Malaria, Population modification/replacementStaff Writers, MALAYSIA NOW, 2021.
Altering a mosquito’s gut genes to make them spread antimalarial genes to the next generation of their species shows promise as an approach to curb malaria, suggests a preliminary study published in eLife on Tuesday. The study is the latest in a series of steps being taken ...
GeneConvene Global Collaborative Webinar Series | Ecological Relationships of Mosquito Disease Vectors: Anticipating Risk Assessment of Gene Drive Technologies
Tags: Ecology, Gene drive synthetic, Risk assessment, WebinarStephanie James, Hector Quemada and David O'Brochta, GeneConvene Global Collaborative, 2021.
An often-raised concern for the development of genetically modified mosquito technologies, particularly those involving gene drive, as tools to prevent disease transmission is the limitation of our understanding of the roles these species may play within the ecosystem. This ...
Ecological Relationships of Mosquito Disease Vectors: Anticipating Risk Assessment of Gene Drive Technologies
Tags: Ecology, Gene drive syntheticStephanie James, Hector Quemada and David O'Brochta, GeneConvene Global Collaborative, 2021.
An often-raised concern for the development of genetically modified mosquito technologies, particularly those involving gene drive, as tools to prevent disease transmission is the limitation of our understanding of the roles these species may play within the ecosystem. This ...
Researchers Using Mutant Mosquitoes To End Malaria, Which Kills 4 Lakh Per Year
Tags: Anopheles, Gene drive synthetic, Malaria, Population modification/replacementM. Mohanti, India Times, 2021.
Every year, more than 22 crore people get infected with malaria and more than 4 lakh die because of it. In fact, in 2019, nearly half of the world's population was at risk of malaria. According to WHO, infants or children aged under 5 years are the most vulnerable group, ...
Why do you think a gene drive approach could help with malaria and dengue?
Tags: Dengue, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, MalariaOutreach Network for Gene Drive Research, 2021.
Why do you think a gene drive approach could help with malaria and dengue?
US Gene Drive Governance: A Special Feature in Health Security
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Governance, RegulationL. Warmbrod, A. Kobokovich, R. West, G. K. Gronvall and M. Montague, Health Security, 19:131-132. 2021.
The novel potential of gene drives and related genetic pest control measures highlights a gap in the oversight of products using such technologies in the United States. The US Coordinated Framework for Regulation of Biotechnology, as applied by US Environmental Protection Agency, ...
CRISPR-mediated knock-in of transgenes into the malaria vector Anopheles funestus
Tags: Anopheles, Gene drive synthetic, Gene editing, Malaria, MosquitoesC. Quinn, A. Anthousi, C. Wondji and T. Nolan, bioRxiv, 2021.03.31.437891. 2021.
We describe herein an optimised transformation system based on the germline delivery of CRISPR components that allows efficient cleavage of a previously validated genomic site and preferential repair of these cut sites via homology-directed repair (HDR), which allows introduction ...
Systematic identification of plausible pathways to potential harm via problem formulation for investigational releases of a population suppression gene drive to control the human malaria vector Anopheles gambiae in West Africa
Tags: Anopheles, CRISPR, Gene drive synthetic, Regulation, Risk assessmentJ. B. Connolly, J. D. Mumford, S. Fuchs, G. Turner, C. Beech, A. R. North and A. Burt, Malaria Journal, 20:170. 2021.
Population suppression gene drive has been proposed as a strategy for malaria vector control. A CRISPR-Cas9-based transgene homing at the doublesex locus (dsxFCRISPRh) has recently been shown to increase rapidly in frequency in, and suppress, caged laboratory populations of the ...
Experimenting with co-development: a qualitative study of gene drive research for malaria control in Mali
Tags: Ethics, Gene drive synthetic, Policy, Risk and safety, Stakeholder engagementS. Hartley, K. Ledingham, R. Owen, S. Leonelli, S. Diarra and S. Diop, Social Science and Medicine, 2021.
Our findings suggest co-development is opening up previously expert-dominated spaces as researchers attempt to take responsibility for the societal implications of their work. However, its main function is as a project management tool to enable and instrumentally support ...
Ethics of Genome Editing
Tags: Agriculture, Ethics, Gene drive synthetic, Gene editing, Governance, PolicyEuropean Group on Ethics, European Group on Ethics in Science and New Technologies, 2021.
This Opinion addresses the profound ethical questions raised and revived by them. It analyses various domains of application, from human health to animal experimentation, from livestock breeding to crop variety and to gene drives. With its wide view across areas, it identifies ...
Evaluating unintended consequences of intentional species introductions and eradications for improved conservation management
Tags: Biological control, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrolD. E. Pearson, T. J. Clark and P. G. Hahn, Conserv Biol, 2021.
We conducted a global literature review of these conservation actions to quantify how often unintended outcomes occur and to elucidate their underlying causes. We found that studies reported intended outcomes in 51% of cases, a combination of intended outcomes and unintended ...
The ethical scientist in a time of uncertainty
Tags: Ethics, Gene drive synthetic, Malaria, Policy, Population suppression, Stakeholder engagement, Target malariaL. Zoloth, Cell, 184:1430-1439. 2021.
Using the example of gene drives for malaria control to explore the problem of deep uncertainty in biomedical research, I argue that profound uncertainty is an essential feature. Applying the language and presumptions of the discipline of philosophical ethics, I describe three ...
Driving to Safety: CRISPR-Based Genetic Approaches to Reducing Antibiotic Resistance
Tags: CRISPR, Gene drive syntheticE. Bier and V. Nizet, Trends in Genetics, 2021.
The complex and challenging problem of reducing antibiotic resistance (AR) requires a network of both societal and science-based solutions to preserve the most lifesaving pharmaceutical intervention known to medicine. In addition to developing new classes of antibiotics, it is ...
Ultra-conserved sequences in the genomes of highly diverse Anopheles mosquitoes, with implications for malaria vector control
Tags: CRISPR, Gene drive synthetic, Population suppression, Replicator/site directed nuclease, ResistanceS. M. O'Loughlin, A. J. Forster, S. Fuchs, T. Dottorini, T. Nolan, A. Crisanti and A. Burt, G3-Genes Genomes Genetics, 2021.
Here we search for conserved sequences of 18bp and over in an alignment of 21 Anopheles genomes, spanning an evolutionary timescale of 100 million years, and characterise the resulting sequences according to their location and function. Over 8000 ultra-conserved elements were ...
Meiotic Cas9 expression mediates genotype conversion in the male and female mouse germline.
Tags: CRISPR, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Population suppression, RodentsA. J. Weitzel, H. A. Grunwald, R. Levina, V. M. Gantz, S. M. Hedrick, E. Bier and K. L. Cooper, 2021.03.16.435716, 2021.
We previously showed that such a system of genotype conversion from heterozygous to homozygous after a sequence targeted CRISPR/Cas9 double strand DNA break is feasible in the female mouse germline. In the male germline, however, all double strand breaks were instead repaired by ...
Genetically Encoded CRISPR components Yield Efficient Gene Editing in the Invasive Pest, Drosophila suzukii
Tags: CRISPR, Fruit fly, Gene drive synthetic, Gene editingN. P. Kandul, E. J. Belikoff, J. Liu, A. Buchman, F. Li, A. Yamamoto, T. Yang, I. Shriner, M. J. Scott and O. Akbari, bioRxiv, 2021.03.15.435483. 2021.
Here we have developed transgenic strains that encode three different terminators and four different promoters to express Cas9 in both the soma and/or germline of SWD. The Cas9 lines were evaluated through genetic crossing to transgenic lines that encode single guide RNAs ...
Ugandan stakeholder hopes and concerns about gene drive mosquitoes for malaria control: new directions for gene drive risk governance
Tags: Africa, Ethics, Gene drive synthetic, Stakeholder engagementS. Hartley, R. D. J. Smith, A. Kokotovich, C. Opesen, T. Habtewold, K. Ledingham, B. Raymond and C. B. Rwabukwali, Malaria Journal, 20:149. 2021.
The African Union’s High-Level Panel on Emerging Technologies identified gene drive mosquitoes as a priority technology for malaria elimination. The first field trials are expected in 5–10 years in Uganda, Mali or Burkina Faso. In preparation, regional and international ...
Current Effector and Gene-Drive Developments to Engineer Arbovirus-Resistant Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae) for a Sustainable Population Replacement Strategy in the Field
Tags: Aedes, Arbovirus, Gene drive synthetic, Mosquitoes, Population modification/replacementW. R. Reid, K. E. Olson and A. W. E. Franz, J Med Entomol, 2021.
Conventional mosquito control efforts based on insecticide treatments and/or the use of bednets and window curtains are currently insufficient to reduce arbovirus prevalence in affected regions. Novel, genetic strategies that are being developed involve the genetic manipulation ...
Gene Drives Built to Follow More Stringent Rules of the Road
Tags: CRISPR, Gene drive synthetic, Self limitingAnonymous, Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News, 2021.
Gene drives, or systems that accelerate the spread of desirable genetic traits into a population, may be built to achieve specific levels of spread when released into the wild. By exerting control over the degree of spread, those who unleash gene drives may realize the benefits ...
Gene-Editing Approach To Control the Invasive Gray Squirrel
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Invasive species, Replicator/site directed nuclease, Resistance, Rodents, Self limiting, Self sustaining, Toxin-antidoteM. Campbell, Technology Networks, 2021.
Biodiversity refers to the extent of the variety of life that is found on planet Earth – and it is currently under threat. Changes in biodiversity have been flagged as "surpassing safe limits" for several years, and world leaders and scientists across the globe are consequently ...
New gene-drive technologies can help control crop pests
Tags: CRISPR, Gene drive synthetic, Self limitingAnonymous, AZO Life Sciences, 2021.
The supposed gene drives, which exploit CRISPR technology to affect genetic inheritance, show the potential to quickly spread particular genetic traits across the populations of a specified species. For instance, gene-drive technologies used on insects are being developed to stop ...
Experts’ moral views on gene drive technologies: a qualitative interview study
Tags: Ethics, Gene drive synthetic, Policy, Stakeholder engagementN. de Graeff, K. R. Jongsma and A. L. Bredenoord, BMC Medical Ethics, 22:25. 2021.
Gene drive technologies (GDTs) promote the rapid spread of a particular genetic element within a population of non-human organisms. Potential applications of GDTs include the control of insect vectors, invasive species and agricultural pests. Whether, and if so, under what ...
Eliminating Mosquitoes with Precision Guided Sterile Males
Tags: Aedes, Dengue, Gene drive synthetic, Mosquitoes, Sterile insect technique (SIT)M. Li, T. Yang, M. Bui, S. Gamez, T. Wise, N. P. Kandul, J. Liu, L. Alcantara, H. Lee, J. R. Edula, R. Raban, Y. Zhan, Y. Wang, N. DeBeaubien, J. Chen, H. M. Sanchez C, J. B. Bennett, I. Antoshechkin, C. Montell, J. M. Marshall and O. S. Akbari, bioRxiv, 2021.03.05.434167. 2021.
Here we develop a molecular genetic control system termed precision guided sterile insect technique (pgSIT) in Aedes aegypti. PgSIT uses a simple CRISPR-based approach to generate sterile males that are deployable at any life stage. Supported by mathematical models, we ...
New ‘Split-drive’ System Puts Scientists in the (Gene) Driver Seat
Tags: CRISPR, Gene drive synthetic, Self limitingM. Aguilera, UC San Diego News Center, 2021.
Gene-drive technologies applied in insects, for example, are being designed to halt the spread of devastating diseases such as malaria and dengue by preventing mosquito hosts from becoming infected. In agricultural fields, gene-drives are being developed to help control or ...
In Uganda, genetically modified mosquitoes bring hope and fear
Tags: Africa, Gene drive synthetic, Malaria, Mosquitoes, Population suppression, Target malariaAnonymous, africanews, 2021.
Scientists here are investigating whether populations of the malaria-carrying insects can be reduced by genetic modification. They're looking at the viability of releasing large numbers of genetically modified mosquitos into the wild to influence future generations. The study ...
A confinable home and rescue gene drive for population modification
Tags: CRISPR, Fruit fly, Gene drive synthetic, Modeling, Replicator/site directed nuclease, ResistanceN. P. Kandul, J. Liu, J. B. Bennett, J. M. Marshall and O. S. Akbari, eLife, 10:e65939. 2021.
Homing based gene drives, engineered using CRISPR/Cas9, have been proposed to spread desirable genes throughout populations. However, invasion of such drives can be hindered by the accumulation of resistant alleles. To limit this obstacle, we engineer a confinable population ...
Renew Europe | The science & ethics of gene drive technology from a conservation & development perspective
Tags: Biodiversity/Conservation, Ethics, Gene drive synthetic, Malaria, Policy, Regulation, WebinarRenew Europe, Renew Europe, 2021.
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 ...
Ecology: Gene drives may help control invasive grey squirrel in the UK
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Invasive species, Replicator/site directed nuclease, Resistance, Rodents, Self limiting, Self sustaining, Toxin-antidoteA. Korn, EurekaAlert, 2021.
Gene drives introduce genes into a population that have been changed to induce infertility in females, allowing for the control of population size. However, they face technical challenges, such as controlling the spread of altered genes as gene drive individuals mate with wild ...
Genetically modified mosquitoes for better health
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Gene editing, Genetic biocontrol, Genetically modified mosquitoes, Malaria, Population modification/replacement, Population suppression, Risk assessmentD. Devis, COSMOS, 2021.
One method of preventing these mosquito-born diseases is to use insecticides to kill the mozzies and remove them, but sometimes this only works as a short term solution, or has unintended devasting effects on the ecosystem. Another method for decreasing the number of ...
Genetically modified squirrels could curb growing population of greys
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Invasive species, Replicator/site directed nuclease, Resistance, Rodents, Self limiting, Self sustaining, Toxin-antidoteS. Knapton, Telegraph, 2021.
Mutant grey squirrels, genetically modified to spread infertility genes, could be released into the wild to tackle the burgeoning population,
Expert reaction to a paper suggesting that gene drives could be used to help control grey squirrel numbers in the UK
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Invasive species, Replicator/site directed nuclease, Resistance, Rodents, Self limiting, Self sustaining, Toxin-antidoteAnonymous, Science Media Centre, 2021.
This study assesses the prospects for using a gene drive to control invasive grey squirrels in the UK. This is a modelling study exploring the potential for such an approach – no such gene drives currently exist and developing them for grey squirrels would be quite a long-term ...
CRISPR gene drives may come to a squirrel near you.
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Invasive species, Replicator/site directed nuclease, Resistance, Rodents, Self limiting, Self sustaining, Toxin-antidoteAnonymous, NewsBeezer, 2021.
Today’s gene drive technologies could be blended to provide control of the invasive gray squirrel population in the UK – with minimal risk to other populations, according to a new modeling published in the journal Scientific reports. Gene driving introduces altered genes ...
Quantifying the risk of vector-borne disease transmission attributable to genetically modified vectors
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Gene editing, Genetic biocontrol, Genetically modified mosquitoes, Malaria, Modeling, Population modification/replacement, Population suppression, Regulation, Risk assessmentG. R. Hosack, A. Ickowicz and K. R. Hayes, Royal Society Open Science, 8:201525. 2021.
The relative risk of disease transmission caused by the potential release of transgenic vectors, such as through sterile insect technique or gene drive systems, is assessed with comparison with wild-type vectors. The probabilistic risk framework is demonstrated with an assessment ...
Developing GDi-CRISPR System for Multi-copy Integration in Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Tags: CRISPR, Gene drive synthetic, Synthetic biology, Yeast and FungiZ.-X. Zhang, Y.-Z. Wang, Y.-S. Xu, X.-M. Sun and H. Huang, Applied Biochemistry and Biotechnology, 2021.
This study aims to develop a low-cost and easy-to-use multi-copy integration tool in S. cerevisiae. Firstly, twenty-one Cas proteins from different microorganisms were tested in S. cerevisiae to find the functional Cas proteins with optimal cleavage ability. Results showed that ...
How Brussels can help or hinder the fight against malaria
Tags: Biodiversity/Conservation, Gene drive synthetic, MalariaF. Okumu, EURACTIV, 2021.
In the wake of the pandemic, the world has much for which to thank Europe. Not only did European science lead the field in developing the first approved vaccine against COVID-19, but the EU’s long history of rigorous regulatory approval has also allowed for public confidence in ...
Demographic and psychographic drivers of public acceptance of novel invasive pest control technologies
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Invasive species, Policy, Stakeholder engagementF. Eppink, P. J. Walsh and E. MacDonald, Ecology and Society, 26. 2021.
Invasive mammals are a primary threat to New Zealand's endemic species. In remote areas, aerial delivery of poison is the preferred method of pest management, although it faces some public backlash. Novel pest control technologies are currently being investigated as alternatives ...
Designing gene drives to limit spillover to non-target populations
Tags: Biodiversity/Conservation, CRISPR, Gene drive synthetic, Invasive species, Malaria, Modeling, Replicator/site directed nucleaseG. Greenbaum, M. W. Feldman, N. A. Rosenberg and J. Kim, PLOS Genetics, 17:e1009278. 2021.
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 ...
GeneConvene Global Collaborative Webinar Series | Ecological Modeling in Risk Assessment of Gene Drives
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Modeling, Regulation, Risk assessment, WebinarHector Quemada and David O'Brochta, 2021.
Unlike non-gene drive organisms, which can be limited in time and space and therefore provide data in small scale tests that can be relevant to large scale releases, the potential for large-scale spread from a limited release, even in well-isolated trials, means that reliance on ...
GeneConvene Webinar Series on: Ecological Modeling in Risk Assessment of Gene Drives
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Modeling, Policy, Regulation, Risk assessmentHector Quemada and David O'Brochta, 2021.
Unlike non-gene drive organisms, which can be limited in time and space and therefore provide data in small scale tests that can be relevant to large scale releases, the potential for large-scale spread from a limited release, even in well-isolated trials, means that reliance on ...
Population genomics of invasive rodents on islands: Genetic consequences of colonization and prospects for localized synthetic gene drive
Tags: Containment, CRISPR, Gene drive synthetic, Gene editing, Genetic biocontrol, Risk and safety, Rodents, Synthetic biologyK. P. Oh, A. B. Shiels, L. Shiels, D. V. Blondel, K. J. Campbell, J. R. Saah, A. L. Lloyd, P. Q. Thomas, F. Gould, Z. Abdo, J. R. Godwin and A. J. Piaggio, Evolutionary Applications, 2021.
Here we used pooled whole-genome sequencing of invasive mouse (Mus musculus) populations on four islands along with paired putative source populations to test genetic predictions of island colonization and characterize locally fixed Cas9 genomic targets. Patterns of variation ...
Modeling impact and cost-effectiveness of gene drives for malaria elimination in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Tags: Africa, Gene drive synthetic, Population suppression, Replicator/site directed nuclease, X chromosomeN. Metchanun, C. Borgemeister, G. Amzati, J. von Braun, M. Nikolov, P. Selvaraj and J. Gerardin, medRxiv, 2020.06.29.20142760. 2021.
Using a spatially explicit, agent-based model of malaria transmission in eight representative provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, we predict the impact and cost-effectiveness of integrating driving-Y gene drive mosquitoes in malaria elimination strategies that ...
Split versions of Cleave and Rescue selfish genetic elements for measured self limiting gene drive
Tags: CRISPR, Gene drive mechanisms, Gene drive synthetic, Self limiting, Toxin-antidoteG. Oberhofer, T. Ivy and B. A. Hay, PLoS genetics, 17:e1009385. 2021.
Self-sustaining Cleave and Rescue (ClvR) elements include a DNA sequence-modifying enzyme such as Cas9/gRNAs that disrupts endogenous versions of an essential gene, a tightly linked recoded version of the essential gene resistant to cleavage (the Rescue), and a Cargo. ClvR ...
Plain language summary: How do we have a public conversation about new technologies for conservation? The possibilities and pitfalls of scientific language
Tags: Biodiversity/Conservation, Gene drive synthetic, Oceania, Stakeholder engagement, Synthetic biologyAnnonymous, Relational Thinking, 2021.
Having caused a catastrophic decline of animal species, people now look to new technologies to reverse the damage. Gene drive is a potential tool that could increase the proportion of male offspring in rat populations and eventually reduce their overall numbers. Some suggest this ...
Scientifically framed gene drive communication perceived as credible but riskier
Tags: CRISPR, Gene drive synthetic, Invasive species, Policy, Risk and safety, Stakeholder engagement, Synthetic biologyE. A. MacDonald, E. D. Edwards, J. Balanovic and F. Medvecky, People and Nature, 2021.
Framing is a communication technique in which certain beliefs or values are emphasized that resonate with the target audience. Framing may increase how much people objectively think about new information and update their opinions; framing may mitigate emo
Detailed genome map of malaria vector
Tags: Anopheles, Gene drive synthetic, Genomics, MalariaThe Hindu, Aspirant World, 2021.
In order to engineer advanced forms of defence against malaria transmission, including targeted CRISPR and gene drive–based strategies, scientists require intricate knowledge of the genomes of vector mosquitoes. CRISPR technology is a gene-editing tool which allows ...
Researchers Unveil Detailed Genome of Invasive Malaria Mosquito
Tags: Anopheles, Gene drive synthetic, Genomics, MalariaM. Aguilera, UC San Diego News Center, 2021.
Mosquito-transmitted malaria remains the number one worldwide killer among vector-borne diseases, claiming more than 400,000 human lives in 2019. In order to engineer advanced forms of defense against malaria transmission, including targeted CRISPR and gene drive-based ...
Optimized CRISPR tools and site-directed transgenesis in Culex quinquefasciatus mosquitoes for gene drive development
Tags: CRISPR, Culex, Gene drive synthetic, Gene editing, Genetic biocontrolX. Feng, V. Lopez Del Amo, E. Mameli, M. Lee, A. L. Bishop, N. Perrimon and V. M. Gantz, bioRxiv, 2021.02.10.430702. 2021.
Here, we developed a Culex-specific Cas9/gRNA expression toolkit and used site-directed homology-based transgenesis to generate and validate a Culex quinquefasciatus Cas9-expressing line. We showed that gRNA scaffold variants improve transgenesis efficiency in both Culex and ...
Hidden genomic features of an invasive malaria vector, Anopheles stephensi, revealed by a chromosome-level genome assembly
Tags: Anopheles, Gene drive synthetic, Genomics, MalariaM. Chakraborty, A. Ramaiah, A. Adolfi, P. Halas, B. Kaduskar, L. T. Ngo, S. Jayaprasad, K. Paul, S. Whadgar, S. Srinivasan, S. Subramani, E. Bier, A. A. James and J. J. Emerson, BMC Biology, 19:28. 2021.
The mosquito Anopheles stephensi is a vector of urban malaria in Asia that recently invaded Africa. Studying the genetic basis of vectorial capacity and engineering genetic interventions are both impeded by limitations of a vector’s genome assembly. The existing assemblies of ...
Projects to target a range of pest control solutions
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Pest management, Synthetic biologyK. McCormack, The Chronicle, 2021.
With the annual national cost of established vertebrate pest animals estimated to be around $800 million, and over $4 billion for weeds, it’s in Australia’s best interest to try and tackle these pesky problems at their root causes. 19 projects will be funded following a ...
A Code of Ethics for Gene Drive Research
Tags: Biodiversity/Conservation, CRISPR, Ethics, Gene drive synthetic, Invasive species, Policy, Risk and safety, Risk assessmentG. 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.
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 ...
Assisting Evolution: How Far Should We Go to Help Species Adapt?
Tags: Biodiversity/Conservation, CRISPR, Gene drive synthetic, Gene editing, Invasive species, Oceania, Synthetic biologyE. Kolbert, YaleEnvironment360, 2021.
It was a hot, intensely blue day in the Australian Outback, about 350 miles north of Adelaide. I was tagging along with Moseby as she checked the batteries on the motion-sensitive cameras that dot Arid Recovery, an ecosystem restoration project she and her husband launched in ...
Should we dim the sun? Will we even have a choice
Tags: Biodiversity/Conservation, CRISPR, Ecology, Gene drive synthetic, Gene editing, Invasive species, Oceania, Synthetic biologyE. Klein, New York Times, 2021.
“Under a White Sky” is going to be on my best books of 2021 list. It’s a wonderful work. Kolbert is the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of “The Sixth Extinction,” which you may have read. She is a staff writer at The New Yorker and just one of the great science ...
Public attitudes towards synthetic biology
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Oceania, Policy, Stakeholder engagement, Synthetic biologyCSIRO, Synthetic Biology Future Science Platform, 2021.
A national survey has been conducted by CSIRO’s Synthetic Biology Future Science Platform as an important first step in measuring public attitudes towards synthetic biology. The survey draws on the views of more than 8,000 Australians, and researchers are examining the data to ...
In Our Image: The Ethics of CRISPR Genome Editing
Tags: CRISPR, Ethics, Gene drive synthetic, Gene editing, Synthetic biologyJ. C. Eissenberg, Biomolecular Concepts, 12:1-7. 2021.
Here, I discuss the ethics surrounding the transformative CRISPR/Cas9mediated genome editing technology in the contexts of human genome editing to eradicate genetic disease and of gene drive technology to eradicate animal vectors of human disease.
Grey squirrels: is birth control the solution to Britain’s invasive species problem?
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Invasive species, RodentsJ. Gilchrist, The Conversation, 2021.
As with the UK’s other invasive species, such as rabbits, signal crayfish and Japanese knotweed, introducing the grey squirrel has proved to be an expensive mistake. Not only do grey squirrels displace red squirrels, they strip bark from trees. A recent report estimated that ...
Mosquitoes genetically modified to be resistant to Zika
Tags: Aedes, Arbovirus, Gene drive synthetic, Gene editing, Genetic biocontrol, MosquitoesStaff, Lab+Life Scientist, 2021.
Researchers have wrestled with different strategies for controlling the spread of Zika virus, which is transmitted to humans from female mosquito bites. One approach, which has been approved by the US Environmental Protection Agency, will see more than 750 million genetically ...
Experts oppose plan to breed mosquitoes
Tags: Africa, Anopheles, Gene drive synthetic, Malaria, Target malariaT. Abet, Daily Monitor, 2021.
Environmentalists have opposed the plan to breed and release genetically modified mosquitoes in the country to curb malaria prevalence. They say the act presents substantial human and environmental health risks. Their objection follows last week’s announcement by scientists ...
Regulating the expression of gene drives is key to increasing their invasive potential and the mitigation of resistance
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Genetics, Mosquitoes, Replicator/site directed nuclease, Resistance, Selfish genetic elementsA. Hammond, X. Karlsson, I. Morianou, K. Kyrou, A. Beaghton, M. Gribble, N. Kranjc, R. Galizi, A. Burt, A. Crisanti and T. Nolan, PLOS Genetics, 17:e1009321. 2021.
Here we show that restricting the cutting activity of the gene drive to the germline tissue is crucial to maintaining its potency and we illustrate how failure to restrict this activity can lead to the generation of mutations that can make mosquitoes resistant to the gene drive.
Les Européens très critiques vis-à-vis du forçage génétique
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Policy, Regulation, Risk and safety, Stakeholder engagementL. Duboua-Lorsch, EURACTIV, 2021.
Cette technique, qui vise à éradiquer ou modifier certaines espèces dites nuisibles, sera au cœur des négociations cette année, alors que se profile la COP15 sur la biodiversité. maginez un monde débarrassé d’insectes porteurs de maladies, de parasites agricoles, ...
Genetically modified mosquitoes to curb malaria
Tags: Africa, Anopheles, Gene drive synthetic, Malaria, Target malariaT. Abet, Daily Monitor, 2021.
Scientists at Uganda Virus Research Institute (UVRI) have started breeding mosquitoes with the aim of modifying their genetic materials and releasing them to the environment to curb malaria transmission. The genetically modified mosquitoes, according to the scientists, do not ...
New genetically modified mosquitoes to help fight malaria
Tags: Africa, Anopheles, Gene drive synthetic, Malaria, Target malariaD. Zirimala, Capital Radio FM, 2021.
According to Dr. Jonathan Kayondo, the principal investigator of the Target Malaria project, the genetically modified mosquitoes do not transmit malaria parasites when they bite. These are made infertile so that when they cross breed with the female anopheles mosquito, they are ...
Proceedings of an expert workshop on community agreement for gene drive research in Africa – Co-organised by KEMRI, PAMCA and Target Malaria [version 1; peer review: awaiting peer review]
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Genetically modified mosquitoes, Genetically modified organisms, Malaria, Stakeholder engagement, Target malariaD. Thizy, L. Pare Toe, C. Mbogo, D. Matoke-Muhia, V. P. Alibu, S. K. Barnhill-Dilling, T. Chantler, G. Chongwe, J. Delborne, L. Kapiriri, E. Nassonko Kavuma, S. Koloi-Keaikitse, A. Kormos, K. Littler, D. Lwetoijera, R. Vargas de Moraes, N. Mumba, L. Muten, Gates Open Research, 2021.
Target Malaria, the Kenya Medical Research Institute and the Pan African Mosquito Control Association co-organised a workshop with researchers and practitioners on this topic to question the model proposed by Target Malaria in its research so far that involved the release of ...
GENE DRIVE ACCEPTANCE SURVEY
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Policy, Regulation, Risk and safety, Stakeholder engagementYouGov, Pollinis, 2021.
This representative survey was conducted by the international market research institute YouGov and polled 8.826 citizens from 8 EU countries in December 2020. It was commissioned by WeMove Europe, Save Our Seeds (Germany), Skiftet (Sweden), France Nature Environnement (FNE) ...
Demographic feedbacks can hamper the spatial spread of a gene drive
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Modeling, Population genetics/dynamics, Population modification/replacement, Population suppression, Replicator/site directed nuclease, WolbachiaL. Girardin and F. Débarre, arXiv, 2021.
Our results indicate that taking into account the interplay between population dynamics and population genetics might actually be crucial, as it can effectively reverse the direction of the invasion and lead to failure. Our findings can be extended to other bistable systems, such ...
Genetically-modified mosquitoes key to stopping Zika virus spread
Tags: Aedes, Arbovirus, Gene drive synthetic, Gene editing, Genetic biocontrol, MosquitoesUniversity of Missouri, Medical Xpress, 2021.
Alexander Franz, an associate professor in the MU College of Veterinary Medicine, collaborated with researchers at Colorado State University by using CRISPR gene-editing technology to produce mosquitoes that are unable to replicate Zika virus and therefore cannot infect a human ...
Anopheles gambiae Genome Conservation as a Resource for Rational Gene Drive Target Site Selection
Tags: Gene drive syntheticN. Kranjc, A. Crisanti, T. Nolan and F. Bernardini, Insects, 12. 2021.
In this study we describe a bioinformatic pipeline that allows the analysis of whole genome data for the identification of highly conserved regions that can point at potential functional or structural constraints. The analysis was conducted across the genomes of 22 insect species ...
Drivers of mosquito mating
Tags: Anopheles, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Pest management, Sterile insect technique (SIT)N. C. Manoukis, Science, 371:340. 2021.
Gene drive systems are based on the release of organisms whose genomes have been modified or engineered to spread a desired allele or trait (such as resistance to the parasites that cause malaria) through a population. Success will depend on the release of genetically modified ...
Clock genes and environmental cues coordinate Anopheles pheromone synthesis, swarming, and mating
Tags: Anopheles, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Sterile insect technique (SIT)G. Wang, J. Vega-Rodríguez, A. Diabate, J. Liu, C. Cui, C. Nignan, L. Dong, F. Li, C. O. Ouedrago, A. M. Bandaogo, P. S. Sawadogo, H. Maiga, T. L. Alves e Silva, T. V. Pascini, S. Wang and M. Jacobs-Lorena, Science, 371:411. 2021.
Knockdown of per and tim expression affects Anopheles gambiae s.s. and Anopheles stephensi male mating in the laboratory, and it reduces male An. coluzzii swarming and mating under semifield conditions. Light and temperature affect mosquito mating, possibly by modulating per ...
The Promises and Realities of Integration in Synthetic Biology: A View From Social Science
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Invasive species, Policy, Stakeholder engagement, Synthetic biologyL. Carter and A. Mankad, Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology, 8. 2021.
We take stock of thepromises and realities of science integration by sharing our experiences of embarking onthis very challenge in Australia. We conclude by offering suggestions for bringing aboutthe enabling conditions for improved integration across the natural and social ...
Co‐developing a common glossary with stakeholders for engagement on new genetic approaches for malaria control in a local African setting
Tags: Ethics, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Stakeholder engagement, Target malariaE. Chemonges Wanyama, B. Dicko, L. Pare Toe, M. B. Coulibaly, N. Barry, K. Bayala Traore, A. Diabate, M. Drabo, J. K. Kayondo, S. Kekele, S. Kodio, A. D. Ky, R. R. Linga, E. Magala, W. I. Meda, S. Mukwaya, A. Namukwaya, B. Robinson, H. Samoura, K. Sanogo, Malaria Journal, 20:53. 2021.
Scientific terminologies are mainly lacking in local languages, yet when research activities involve international partnership, the question of technical jargon and its translation is crucial for effective and meaningful communication with stakeholders. Target Malaria, a ...
Exploring Gene Drive Technologies in Agriculture, Biodiversity and Human Disease
Tags: Biodiversity/Conservation, Ethics, Gene drive synthetic, Mosquitoes, Policy, Population modification/replacement, Population suppression, Regulation, Risk and safety, Stakeholder engagementThe GBIRd Partnership and The GeneConvene Global Collaborative, Gene Drive Research Forum, 2021.
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 ...
Responsibly Developing Gene Drives: The GeneConvene Global Collaborative
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrolJ. Toomey, Bill of Health, 2021.
The GeneConvene Global Collaborative, a project of the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health, was started this past July to promote the responsible development and regulation of gene drive technologies. It brings together researchers, regulators and stakeholders around ...
‘Clever Approach’: Scientists Create GM-Free Organisms Using Genetic Engineering
Tags: Aedes, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Genetic incompatibilities, Genetically modified organisms, OxitecA. Paleja, The WIRE, 2021.
Farther to the north, researchers at the University of Minnesota have developed a novel way to resolve this problem. They used genetic engineering to create organisms for release that are not genetically modified. Maciej Maselko was a postdoctoral associate at the university ...
CRISPR and the splice to survive: New gene-editing technology could be used to save species from extinction—or to eliminate them.
Tags: Biodiversity/Conservation, CRISPR, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Invasive species, Mosquitoes, Oceania, Population modification/replacement, Population suppressionE. Kolbert, New Yorker, 2021.
About a year ago, not long before the pandemic began, I paid a visit to the center, which is an hour southwest of Melbourne. The draw was an experiment on a species of giant toad known familiarly as the cane toad. The toad was introduced to Australia as an agent of pest control, ...
Double drives and private alleles for localised population genetic control
Tags: Anopheles, Containment, Gene drive synthetic, Modeling, Mosquitoes, Population suppressionK. Willis and A. Burt, bioRxiv, 2021.01.08.425856. 2021.
In this paper we propose and model a series of low threshold double drive designs for population suppression, each consisting of two constructs, one imposing a reproductive load on the population and the other inserted into a differentiated locus and controlling the drive of the ...
Self-Deleting Genes Project To Tackle Mosquito-Borne Diseases
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Genomics, Modeling, Mosquitoes, Self limiting, Selfish genetic elementsD. Ozdemir, INTERESTING ENGINEERING, 2021.
Did you know that mosquitoes kill at least 725,000 persons every year? They truly are one of the world's deadliest animals which is the reason why scientists from all around are trying to find new ways of dealing with them. Controlling mosquito populations and preventing them ...
Targeting evolutionary conserved sequences circumvents the evolution of resistance in a viral gene drive against human cytomegalovirus
Tags: Arbovirus, CRISPR, Gene drive synthetic, ResistanceM. Walter, R. Perrone and E. Verdin, bioRxiv, 2021.01.08.425902. 2021.
Here, we analyze in cell culture experiments the evolution of resistance in a gene drive against human cytomegalovirus. We report that after an initial invasion of the wildtype population, a drive-resistant population is positively selected over time and outcompetes gene drive ...
Suppression gene drive in continuous space can result in unstable persistence of both drive and wild-type alleles
Tags: Ecology, Gene drive mechanisms, Gene drive synthetic, ModelingJ. Champer, I. K. Kim, S. E. Champer, A. G. Clark and P. W. Messer, Mol Ecol, 2021.
Using spatially explicit simulations, we show that the release of a suppression drive can result in what we term "chasing" dynamics, in which wild-type individuals recolonize areas where the drive locally eliminated the population. Despite the drive subsequently reconquering ...
Demystifying the Risk Assessment Process for Laboratory-Based Experiments Utilizing Invasive Genetic Elements: It Is More Than Gene Drive
Tags: Containment, Gene drive synthetic, Policy, Regulation, Risk assessmentZ. N. Adelman, Applied Biosafety, 2021.
Advances in recombinant DNA approaches have resulted in the development of transgene architectures that severely bias their own inheritance, a process commonly referred to as ?gene drive.? The rapid pace of development, combined with the complexity of many gene drive approaches, ...
Next-generation tools to control biting midge populations and reduce pathogen transmission
Tags: Agriculture, Cytoplasmic incompatibility, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Other mammals, Policy, Population modification/replacement, Population suppression, Regulation, Stakeholder engagement, WolbachiaP. Shults, L. W. Cohnstaedt, Z. N. Adelman and C. Brelsfoard, Parasites and Vectors, 14:31. 2021.
Biting midges of the genus Culicoides transmit disease-causing agents resulting in a significant economic impact on livestock industries in many parts of the world. Localized control efforts, such as removal of larval habitat or pesticide application, can be logistically ...
Mosquito Sexual Selection and Reproductive Control Programs
Tags: Ecology, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Genetics, Mosquitoes, Population genetics/dynamics, Population modification/replacement, Population suppressionL. J. Cator, C. A. S. Wyer and L. C. Harrington, Trends in Parasitology, 2021.
Recent work has generated many key insights about specific aspects of mating behavior and physiology. Here, we synthesize these findings and classify swarming mosquito systems as polygynous. Male mating success is highly variable in swarms and evidence suggests that it is likely ...
ARS Science Key to Stopping ‘Man-Eating’ Parasite
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Sterile insect technique (SIT)S. Elliott, Tellus, 2021.
Screwworm infestations were once prevalent in the United States, with 230,000 cases reported in 1935 alone. ARS scientists Edward Knipling and Raymond Bushland conceived and developed the sterile insect technique (SIT) to control and eradicate screwworms. With SIT, sterilized ...
Conservation pest control with new technologies: public perceptions
Tags: Biodiversity/Conservation, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Oceania, Policy, Regulation, Risk assessment, Stakeholder engagementE. A. MacDonald, M. B. Neff, E. Edwards, F. Medvecky and J. Balanovic, Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand, 2021.
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 ...
The New Yorker Magazine: Gene Drives as a Tool for Saving Nature
Tags: Biodiversity/Conservation, Gene drive synthetic, Invasive species, Rodents, X chromosome, Y-chromosomeE. Heber, Island Conservation, 2021.
In a recent New Yorker Magazine article, entitled “CRISPR and the Splice to Survive,” journalist and best-selling author Elizabeth Kolbert dives into the world of gene drive research. She touches on aspects of gene drive research from altering the toxin produced by cane toads ...
Edit, undo: Temporary gene editing could help solve the mosquito problem
Tags: Aedes, Fruit fly, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Genomics, Self limiting, Selfish genetic elementsL. Dormehl, digitaltrends, 2020.
But if SyFy original movies have taught us anything, it’s that genetically tweaking organisms and then releasing them can… well, not go quite according to plan.With that in mind, a new Texas A&M AgriLife Research project seeks to test out genetic modifications of mosquitos ...
Self-deleting genes promise risk-free genetic engineering of mosquitoes
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Genomics, Modeling, Mosquitoes, Self limiting, Selfish genetic elementsD. Quick, New Atlas, 2020.
A new project by Texas A&M AgriLife Research is looking to enable "test runs" of genetic changes to mosquitoes that are automatically deleted. Various angles of attack using genetic engineering to combat mosquitoes have been pursued in recent years, including modifying them so ...
Self-deleting genes to be tested as part of mosquito population control concept
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Genomics, Modeling, Mosquitoes, Self limiting, Selfish genetic elementsB. Hays, UPI, 2020.
Scientists at Texas A&M have developed a new technique for altering the genes of mosquitoes -- the new technology will cause genetic changes to self-delete from the mosquitoes' genome. Thanks to the breakthrough, described Monday in the Philosophical Transactions of the Royal ...
$3.9M project on self-deleting genes takes aim at mosquito-borne diseases
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Genomics, Modeling, Mosquitoes, Self limiting, Selfish genetic elementsO. Kuchment, AGRILIFE Today, 2020.
To control mosquito populations and prevent them from transmitting diseases such as malaria, many researchers are pursuing strategies in mosquito genetic engineering. A new Texas A&M AgriLife Research project aims to enable temporary “test runs” of proposed genetic changes in ...
Self-deleting genes tested as part of the concept of mosquito population control
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Genomics, Modeling, Mosquitoes, Self limiting, Selfish genetic elementscharlottelarson, NEWYORK NEWS TIMES, 2020.
Most genetic engineering strategies designed to control mosquito populations, and their ability to spread diseases such as malaria, require gene editing to be combined with gene drives. Gene drives allow altered DNA to spread rapidly throughout the population.
Genetic pest management and the background genetics of release strains
Tags: Evolution, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Pest management, Population genetics/dynamics, Sterile insect technique (SIT), WolbachiaP. T. Leftwich, L. G. Spurgin, T. Harvey-Samuel, C. J. E. Thomas, L. C. Paladino, M. P. Edgington and L. Alphey, Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 376:20190805. 2020.
We discuss issues around strain selection and the potential consequences of such introgression. We conclude that such introgression is probably harmless in almost all circumstances, and could, in theory, provide specific additional benefits to the release programme. We outline ...
Control of malaria-transmitting mosquitoes using gene drives
Tags: CRISPR, Gene drive synthetic, Population modification/replacement, Population suppression, Replicator/site directed nuclease, ResistanceT. Nolan, Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 376:20190803. 2020.
In this article, I will discuss the relative merits of this type of gene drive, as well as barriers to its technical development and to its deployment in the field as malaria control. This article is part of the theme issue ‘Novel control strategies for mosquito-borne ...
Making gene drive biodegradable
Tags: Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Genomics, Modeling, Self limiting, Selfish genetic elementsJ. Zapletal, N. Najmitabrizi, M. Erraguntla, M. A. Lawley, K. M. Myles and Z. N. Adelman, Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 376:20190804. 2020.
Here, we consider the inclusion of self-elimination mechanisms into the design of homing-based gene drive transgenes. This approach not only caused the excision of the gene drive transgene, but also generates a transgene-free allele resistant to further action by the gene drive. ...
Vector dynamics influence spatially imperfect genetic interventions against disease
Tags: CRISPR, Gene drive synthetic, Synthetic biology, Yeast and FungiM. K. Yuksel, C. H. Remien, B. Karki, J. J. Bull and S. M. Krone, Evolution, Medicine, and Public Health, 9:1-10. 2020.
In spatially structured populations, imperfect coverage of the vector will leave pockets in which the parasite may persist. Movement by humans may disrupt this local persistence and facilitate eradication when these pockets are small, spreading parasite reproduction outside ...
Application of the Relationship-Based Model to Engagement for Field Trials of Genetically Engineered Malaria Vectors
Tags: Ethics, Field trials, Gene drive synthetic, Malaria, Policy, Stakeholder engagementA. Kormos, G. C. Lanzaro, E. Bier, G. Dimopoulos, J. M. Marshall, J. Pinto, A. Aguiar dos Santos, A. Bacar, H. Sousa Pontes Sacramento Rompão and A. A. James, The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, 2020.
Although guidelines and recommendations for engagement for gene drives have recently been described, we argue here that communities and stakeholders should lead the planning, development, and implementation phases of engagement. The RBM provides a new approach to the development ...
New GE unintentionally leaves traces in cells
Tags: CRISPR, Gene drive synthetic, Policy, Regulation, Risk and safetyC. Then, Testbiotech, 2020.
A new scientific publication shows that CRISPR/Cas gene scissor applications in animals unintentionally leave traces. The findings are not related to unintended changes in the DNA, which have often been described, but to gene regulation, i.e. epigenetics. The effects are ...
Converting female mosquitoes to non-biting males with implications for mosquito control
Tags: Aedes, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Sex distorter, Sterile insect technique (SIT)M. V. Candy, Vet Candy, 2020.
Virginia Tech researchers have proven that a single gene can convert female Aedes aegypti mosquitoes into fertile male mosquitoes and identified a gene needed for male mosquito flight. Male mosquitoes do not bite and are unable to transmit pathogens to humans. Female mosquitoes, ...
New insect species made via genetic engineering
Tags: CRISPR, Cytoplasmic incompatibility, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Genetic incompatibilities, Synthetic biologyL. Leffer, SCIENCELINE, 2020.
A biotech fast-forward button for evolution is on the horizon. Researchers say they have used a novel genetic engineering method to create several new species of fruit fly in the lab for the first time — an achievement which might help put a future without malaria and other ...
Core commitments for field trials of gene drive organisms
Tags: Field trials, Gene drive synthetic, Policy, Regulation, Risk assessmentK. C. Long, L. Alphey, G. J. Annas, C. S. Bloss, K. J. Campbell, J. Champer, C.-H. Chen, A. Choudhary, G. M. Church, J. P. Collins, K. L. Cooper, J. A. Delborne, O. R. Edwards, C. I. Emerson, K. Esvelt, S. W. Evans, R. M. Friedman, V. M. Gantz, F. Gould,, Science, 370:1417-1419. 2020.
While field trials of gene drive organisms (GDOs) ultimately will depend on public policy decisions, those engaged in GDO work can play critical roles in support of these decisions by generating evidence and developing evaluation strategies in fair and effective partnerships with ...
Scientists paved the way for field trials of gene-driven organisms
Tags: Field trials, Gene drive synthetic, Policy, Regulation, Risk and safety, Risk assessment, Stakeholder engagementK. Winslet, FLORIDA News Times, 2020.
The recent rise of gene drive research, accelerated by CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing technology, has brought about a wave of transformation throughout science.Developed with selected traits that have been genetically engineered to spread throughout the population, Gene Drive ...
Technical Support to Burkina Faso on Gene Drive Stage 2 Dossier Review
Tags: Africa, Gene drive synthetic, Policy, Regulation, Risk and safety, Risk assessmentAUDA-NEPAD, AUDA-NEPAD, 2020.
AUDA-NEPAD in partnership with the National Biosafety Agency (ANB) in Burkina Faso organised a training workshop to support to the National Biosafety Committee (NBC) on stage 2 dossier review, on December 3 – 5, 2020, in Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso. In addition to the NBC ...
Gene Drive-Modified Organisms: Developing Practical Risk Assessment Guidance
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Policy, Regulation, Risk and safety, Risk assessmentY. Devos, M. B. Bonsall, L. G. Firbank, J. Mumford, F. Nogué and E. A. Wimmer, Trends in Biotechnology, 2020.
Risk assessors, risk managers, developers, potential applicants, and other stakeholders at many levels discuss the need for new or further risk assessment guidance for deliberate environmental releases of gene drive-modified organisms. However, preparing useful and practical ...
Scientists Set a Path for Field Trials of Gene Drive Organisms
Tags: Ethics, Field trials, Gene drive synthetic, Policy, Regulation, Risk and safety, Stakeholder engagementM. Aguilera, UC San Diego News Center, 2020.
The modern rise of gene drive research, accelerated by CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing technology, has led to transformational waves rippling across science. Gene drive organisms (GDOs), developed with select traits that are genetically engineered to spread through a population, have ...
A CRISPR endonuclease gene drive reveals two distinct mechanisms of inheritance bias
Tags: Aedes, CRISPR, Gene drive synthetic, Genetics, Replicator/site directed nuclease, Self limitingS. A. N. Verkuijl, E. González, J. X. D. Ang, M. Li, N. P. Kandul, M. Anderson, O. S. Akbari, M. Bonsall and L. Alphey, bioRxiv, 2020.12.15.421271. 2020.
In this study, we report the functioning of sds3, bgcn, and nup50 expressed Cas9 in an Aedes aegypti homing split drive system targeting the white gene. We report their inheritance biasing capability, propensity for maternal deposition, and zygotic/somatic expression. ...
Evading resistance to gene drives
Tags: CRISPR, Gene drive synthetic, Modeling, Population suppression, Replicator/site directed nuclease, Resistance, Toxin-antidoteR. Gomulkiewicz, M. L. Thies and J. J. Bull, bioRxiv, 2020.08.27.270611. 2020.
Our analyses suggest that among gene drives that cause moderate suppression, toxin-antidote systems are less apt to select for resistance than homing drives. Single drives of moderate effect might cause only moderate population suppression, but multiple drives (perhaps delivered ...
Interdisciplinary development of a standardized introduction to gene drives for lay audiences
Tags: Field trials, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic engineering, Policy, Stakeholder engagement, Vector controlC. E. Schairer, C. Triplett, A. Buchman, O. S. Akbari and C. S. Bloss, BMC Medical Research Methodology, 20:15. 2020.
While there is wide consensus that the public should be consulted about emerging technology early in development, it is difficult to elicit public opinion about innovations unfamiliar to lay audiences. We sought public input on a program of research on genetic engineering to ...
A Gene Drive Could Wipe Out Mosquitoes. But What If We Want To Turn It Off?
Tags: Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Genetics, Malaria, Mosquitoes, RegulationA. Winkler, freethink, 2020.
Gene drives are powerful tools: they allow scientists to hack how animals pass down genes to their offspring. They could allow us to wipe out malaria-carrying mosquitoes, preserve endangered species, or fight off crop-eating pests. But once it's out in the wild, a gene drive ...
Targeting female flight for genetic control of mosquitoes
Tags: Aedes, Culex, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Genetics, Mosquitoes, Population suppressionD. Navarro-Payá, I. Flis, M. A. E. Anderson, P. Hawes, M. Li, O. S. Akbari, S. Basu and L. Alphey, PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases, 14:e0008876. 2020.
The yellow fever mosquito and the Southern house mosquito are important vectors of infectious diseases. Given their widespread presence across tropical and subtropical regions of the world and the increased risk of spread due to global warming there is a growing need for ...
Evaluating Gene Drive Approaches for Public Benefit
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Governance, Mosquitoes, Policy, Regulation, Risk and safetyM. R. Santos, GMOs: Implications for Biodiversity Conservation and Ecological Processes, 2020.
Gene drive approaches—those which bias inheritance of a genetic element in a population of sexually reproducing organisms—have the potential to provide important public benefits. The spread of selected genetic elements in wild populations of organisms may help address certain ...
Engineered Gene Drives and their Value in the Control of Vector-Borne Diseases, Weeds, Pests, and Invasive Species
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Policy, Regulation, Risk and safetyK. Hefferon and R. Herring, GMOs: Implications for Biodiversity Conservation and Ecological Processes, 2020.
Genetic engineering has created potential for moving medical and agricultural research and application frontiers forward in unprecedented ways. Despite its accepted use as a powerful tool in medical research, genetic modification and genome editing technologies remain ...
Engineered Gene Drives: Ecological, Environmental, and Societal Concerns
Tags: Ethics, Gene drive synthetic, Governance, Policy, Regulation, Risk and safety, Stakeholder engagementJ. Kuzma, GMOs: Implications for Biodiversity Conservation and Ecological Processes, 2020.
This chapter overviews the types, purposes, and potential impacts of gene drive organisms (GDOs) and discusses challenges with foreseeing and assessing these impacts prior to their environmental release. It concludes with a few examples of risk analysis methods and governance ...
Genetically Engineered Fish: Potential Impacts on Aquaculture, Biodiversity, and the Environment
Tags: Fish, Gene drive synthetic, Gene editing, Genetic biocontrol, Policy, Regulation, Risk and safetyR. A. Dunham and B. Su, GMOs: Implications for Biodiversity Conservation and Ecological Processes, 2020.
Studies on transgenic fish for the aquaculture industry have focused on improving growth rates, enhancing disease resistance, altering body composition, acting as biological factories for medical proteins, and even altering temperature tolerance and coloration. The future impact ...
Invasive Species Control and Resolution of Wildlife Damage Conflicts: A Framework for Chemical and Genetically Based Management Methods
Tags: Biodiversity/Conservation, Ecology, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Invasive species, Other mammals, Policy, Regulation, Risk and safetyL. 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.
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
Tags: Biodiversity/Conservation, Ecology, Gene drive synthetic, Genetically modified organisms, Policy, Regulation, Risk and safetyChaurasia, Anurag , Hawksworth, David L., Pessoa de Miranda, Manoela., GMOs: Implications for Biodiversity Conservation and Ecological Processes, 2020.
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 ...
Reply to: “Enhancement of Aedes aegypti susceptibility to dengue by Wolbachia is not supported”
Tags: Aedes, Arbovirus, Dengue, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Resistance, WolbachiaC. Souto-Maior, J. G. King, L. M. Sartori, R. Maciel-de-Freitas and M. G. M. Gomes, Nature Communications, 11:6113. 2020.
Ant et al.4 claim that concerns with the data and broader analysis make our conclusions misleading. We herein respond to their comments by demonstrating the robustness of our results to different treatments of the data, and expand our arguments for replacing currently adopted ...
Enhancement of Aedes aegypti susceptibility to dengue by Wolbachia is not supported
Tags: Aedes, Arbovirus, Dengue, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Resistance, WolbachiaT. H. Ant, M.-V. Mancini, J. Martinez and S. P. Sinkins, Nature Communications, 11:6111. 2020.
King et al.3 used DENV infection and transmission modelling to reinterpret experimental data from two previous studies4,5. The authors claimed that wMel Wolbachia increase the mean susceptibility of Ae. aegypti to DENV, contradicting various other studies6,7,8,9,10,11,12. Here, ...
Mosquito population modification: the drive to malaria eradication
Tags: Anopheles, CRISPR, Gene drive synthetic, Malaria, Population modification/replacementA. A. James, BugBitten BMC, 2020.
We have had considerable success in the past demonstrating that we can use modern molecular biological and insect transgenesis tools to make genes that prevent mosquitoes from passing on parasites (see 1 and 2). We have focused most recently on laboratory experiments to find ways ...
Split drive killer-rescue provides a novel threshold-dependent gene drive
Tags: Aedes, CRISPR, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Modeling, Mosquitoes, Replicator/site directed nuclease, Resistance, Self limiting, Toxin-antidoteM. P. Edgington, T. Harvey-Samuel and L. Alphey, Scientific Reports, 10. 2020.
Population genetics mathematical models are developed here to demonstrate the threshold-dependent nature of the proposed system and its robustness to imperfect homing, incomplete penetrance of toxins and transgene fitness costs, each of which are of practical significance given ...
Transformation and slippage in co-production ambitions for global technology development: The case of gene drive
Tags: Ethics, Gene drive synthetic, Governance, Policy, Stakeholder engagementK. Ledingham and S. Hartley, Environmental Science & Policy, 116:78-85. 2020.
Co-production is an increasingly popular framework for knowledge generation, evaluation and decision making. Despite its potential to open up decisions and practices to the input of others, co-production regularly falls short of its transformative ambitions. Through documentary ...
FNIH Panel on Gene Drive Regulation Emphasizes Need for Local Community Engagement
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Policy, Regulation, Risk and safety, Stakeholder engagementC. Rizk, GenomeWeb, 2020.
Genetically modified organisms are another topic of deep debate, with some activists agitating for and getting governments to implement deep restrictions on modified crops. More recently, GMO crops have started to regain public favor, particularly in countries where boosting the ...
‘A plague to be reckoned with’: UMN research creates a buzz with invasive fruit fly research
Tags: Cytoplasmic incompatibility, Fruit fly, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Sterile insect technique (SIT)B. Most, The Minnesota Daily, 2020.
n early November, assistant professor Mike Smanski published an article about a new breakthrough in this research, demonstrating for the first time this kind of genetic engineering was possible in the common fruit fly. This shows that researchers could engineer this work into ...
Engineering biological diversity: the international governance of synthetic biology, gene drives, and de-extinction for conservation
Tags: Biodiversity/Conservation, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Governance, Policy, Regulation, Risk and safetyJ. L. Reynolds, Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability, 49:1-6. 2020.
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, ...
ARRIGE 2020 Meeting | The promise of CRISPR and gene drive systems to end malaria in Africa
Tags: Africa, Gene drive synthetic, Population modification/replacement, Population suppression, Stakeholder engagement, Target malaria, Video, WebinarE. Gomez-Diaz, ARRIGE org, 2020.
Presentation by Elena Gómez Díaz (IPBLN-CSIC, Granada, Spain) at the ARRIGE 2020 meeting on "The promise of CRISPR and gene drive systems to end malaria in Africa". Discussion is included at the end of the Ruud de Maagd presentation.https://youtu.be/te3MJ8EZoes
Further guidance required for assessment of gene drive technology, says EFSA
Tags: Europe, Field trials, Gene drive synthetic, Modeling, Pest management, Policy, Regulation, Risk and safety, Risk assessmentEuractiv, The World News Monitor, 2020.
Existing guidelines are adequate for evaluating risks associated with gene-drive modified insects, but further guidance is needed for some areas, most notably for environmental risk assessments. The evaluation was requested to explore the issue ahead of the consideration of any ...
Mutagenic chain reaction cannot be sufficiently controlled
Tags: Europe, Gene drive synthetic, Policy, Regulation, Risk and safetyChristoph Then, Testbiotech, 2020.
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has published the results of its public consultation on the risks of so-called gene drive organisms. Testbiotech accuses the authority of disguising the real dimension of the risks. Gene drives are designed to spread artificial genetic ...
Adequacy and sufficiency evaluation of existing EFSA guidelines for the molecular characterisation, environmental risk assessment and post-market environmental monitoring of genetically modified insects containing engineered gene drives
Tags: Field trials, Gene drive synthetic, Modeling, Pest management, Policy, Risk assessmentE. Panel o. G. M. Organisms, H. Naegeli, J.-L. Bresson, T. Dalmay, I. C. Dewhurst, M. M. Epstein, P. Guerche, J. Hejatko, F. J. Moreno, E. Mullins, F. Nogué, N. Rostoks, J. J. Sánchez Serrano, G. Savoini, E. Veromann, F. Veronesi, M. B. Bonsall, J. Mumfor, EFSA Journal, 18:e06297. 2020.
As a proactive measure, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has been requested by the European Commission to review whether its previously published guidelines for the risk assessment of genetically modified animals (EFSA, 2012 and 2013), including insects (GMIs), are ...
Outcome of a public consultation on the draft adequacy and sufficiency evaluation of existing EFSA guidelines for the molecular characterisation, environmental risk assessment and post-market environmental monitoring of genetically modified insects containing engineered gene drives
Tags: Europe, Gene drive synthetic, Policy, Regulation, Risk and safety, Stakeholder engagementEuropean Food Safety Authority, Y. Devos, M. B. Bonsall, F. Nogué, K. Paraskevopoulos, E. A. Wimmer and L. G. Firbank, EFSA Supporting Publications, 17:1939E. 2020.
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) carried out an online public consultation to receive input from interested parties/persons on the draftscientific opinion on the adequacy and sufficiencyevaluation of existing guidelines for the molecular characterisation (MC), ...
EFSA advises on risk assessment of engineered gene drives
Tags: Field trials, Gene drive synthetic, Modeling, Pest management, Policy, Risk assessmentEFSA, European Food and Safety Authority, 2020.
EFSA’s existing guidelines for the risk assessment of genetically modified animals are adequate for evaluating risks associated with gene drive modified insects. However, further guidance is needed for some areas, such as molecular characterisation, environmental risk ...
Gene drives, species, and compassion for individuals in conservation biology
Tags: Biodiversity/Conservation, Ethics, Gene drive synthetic, Invasive species, Policy, Population suppression, Regulation, Risk and safetyY. Rohwer, Ethics, Policy and Environment, 2020.
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 ...
NIH NExTRAC (Novel and Exceptional Technology and Research Advisory Committee) | Workshop
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Policy, Regulation, Risk and safety, WebinarNIH Office of Science Policy, National Institutes of Health (NIH), 2020.
NExTRAC provides advice to the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) on matters related to the conduct and oversight of research involving emerging technologies in biomedical science. NExTRAC also makes recommendations on research involving the use of, and ...
When Extinction is Warranted: Invasive Species, Suppression-Drives, and the Worst-Case Scenario
Tags: Biodiversity/Conservation, Gene drive synthetic, Invasive species, Policy, Population suppression, Regulation, Risk and safetyA. C. Thresher, Ethics, Policy and Environment, 2020.
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 ...
Brave New Planet: Reshaping Nature Through Gene Drives
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Governance, Mosquitoes, Policy, Population modification/replacement, Regulation, Risk and safety, Stakeholder engagement, Target malariaE. Lander, Brave New Planet, 2020.
A new technology, called gene drives, has the power to spread any genetic instructions you wish across an entire animal or plant species in the wild. It might let us restore ecosystems ravaged by invasive species, or help species adapt to climate change. And, it might save ...
Gene drive blocks malaria transmission in mosquitoes
Tags: Africa, CRISPR, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Genetics, Malaria, Population modification/replacementlabonline, labonline, 2020.
Employing a strategy known as ‘population modification’, which involves using a CRISPR-Cas9 gene drive system to introduce genes preventing parasite transmission into mosquito chromosomes, University of California (UC) researchers have made a major advance in the use of ...
The ethical way to alter organisms
Tags: Ethics, Gene drive synthetic, Policy, Regulation, Risk and safetyK. Esvelt, Boston Globe, 2020.
As my colleagues and I first described in 2014, we can use CRISPR genome editing to duplicate the most powerful form of “gene drive,” a ubiquitous natural phenomenon that happens when a genetic change is inherited more frequently than usual. Encode the CRISPR machinery next ...
Gene Drives: A Controversial Tool to Fight Malaria
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Malaria, Mosquitoes, Policy, Population modification/replacement, Population suppression, RegulationH. Albert, LABIOTECH.eu, 2020.
The possibility of creating gene drives was introduced into the scientific community in 2003 by Austin Burt, a professor at Imperial College London. Burt was studying ‘selfish genes’ that can copy themselves into a specific target DNA sequence. He suggested that these genes, ...
Expert advises farmers to adopt gene drive-based pest control technology
Tags: Africa, Agriculture, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Pest management, Population suppressionS. Thompson, naija247news, 2020.
Dr Rose Gidado, County Coordinator, Open Forum on Agricultural Biotechnology(OFAB), has advised farmers to adopt the gene drive-based pest control technology. Gidado, also Deputy Director, National Biotechnology Development Agency (NABDA), said the adoption would significantly ...
GeneConvene Global Collaborative | Research and Innovation for biodiversity: what role for gene drive research?
Tags: Biodiversity/Conservation, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Policy, Regulation, Risk and safety, Stakeholder engagement, WebinarEP Intergroup CCBSD, European Bureau of Conservation and Development, 2020.
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, ...
Modeling CRISPR gene drives for suppression of invasive rodents
Tags: Biodiversity/Conservation, Ecology, Gene drive synthetic, Modeling, Resistance, RodentsS. E. Champer, N. Oakes, R. Sharma, P. García-Díaz, J. Champer and P. W. Messer, bioRxiv, 2020.11.05.369942. 2020.
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 ...
A gene-drive rescue system for the modification of malaria mosquito populations
Tags: Africa, CRISPR, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Genetics, Malaria, Population modification/replacementA. Adolfi, Nature Research Bioengineering Community, 2020.
Mosquito populations can now be reliably modified using 1) antimalarial molecules that block parasite development and 2) a CRISPR-based gene drive system that mediates their rapid spreading across the vector population.
UC researchers pioneer more effective method of blocking malaria transmission in mosquitoes
Tags: Africa, CRISPR, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Genetics, Malaria, Population modification/replacementUCI, UCI News, 2020.
University of California, Irvine postdoctoral researcher Adriana Adolfi, in collaboration with colleagues at UCI, UC Berkeley and UC San Diego, followed up on the group’s pioneering effort to develop CRISPR-based gene drive systems for making mosquito vectors resistant to ...
Is Gene Editing the Answer to Eradicating Malaria in Africa?
Tags: Africa, Gene drive synthetic, Malaria, Population suppressionStaff, ASH Clinical News, 2020.
Researchers are looking at a new technique to eradicate malaria: Engineering mosquitoes with a “gene drive” – a gene that when inserted into mosquitoes (or other organisms) will be passed on to nearly 100% of the offspring in the next generation, rather than just half the ...
Gene Drives across engineered fitness valleys: Modeling a design to prevent drive spillover.
Tags: Gene drive mechanisms, Gene drive synthetic, Modeling, Self limitingF. J. H. de Haas and S. Otto, bioRxiv, 2020.10.29.360404. 2020.
We model a proposed drive system that transitions in time from a low threshold drive system (homing-based gene drive) to a high threshold drive system (underdominance) using daisy chain technology. This combination leads to a spatially restricted drive strategy while maintaining ...
Interview with Professor Austin Burt: Role of gene drive technology in the context of the EU’s Biodiversity Strategy 2030
Tags: Biodiversity/Conservation, Gene drive synthetic, Target malariaS. Dunphy, European Scientist, 2020.
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 ...
Inauguration and first meeting of WA-IVM Technical Working Groups
Tags: Africa, Gene drive synthetic, Malaria, Policy, Regulation, Risk and safetyAUDA-NEPAD, AUDA-NEPAD News, 2020.
African Union Development Agency – NEPAD (AUDA-NEPAD) in collaboration with the West Africa Health Organization (WAHO), the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Environment in Cote d’Ivoire, organized the inaugural meeting of WA-IVM Technical Working Groups (TWGs) from 24 ...
Gene Drive: The What, How, Why, and Whether We Should
Tags: CRISPR, Gene drive synthetic, Replicator/site directed nucleaseN. Pazhayam, The Pipettepen, 2020.
Under regular Mendelian inheritance, the probability of inheriting a particular allele from a heterozygous parent is 50% – this is because offspring can only inherit one or the other chromosome from each parent. However, gene drive is a technology that changes this probability ...
GeneConvene Global Collaborative Webinar Series | Engineered Gene Drives: Policy and Regulatory Considerations Webinar Series October-December 2020
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Governance, Policy, Regulation, Risk and safety, Risk assessment, Stakeholder engagement, WebinarHector Quemada and David O'Brochta, GeneConvene Global Collaborative, 2020.
In this series of webinars the regulatory and policy challenges of moving new innovative genetic biocontrol products such as gene drive technologies to the field will be featured. Each seminar is ~60 minutes in length followed by questions and answers.
WHO Refers to GM Mosquitoes as Beneficial Technology
Tags: CRISPR, Gene drive synthetic, Gene editing, Policy, RegulationISAAA, Crop Biotech Update, 2020.
The World Health Organization (WHO) released its official statement to clarify its stance on the evaluation and use of genetically modified (GM) mosquitoes and its use to control vector-borne diseases (VBD). WHO says it supports the investigation of all potentially beneficial ...
Position of ARRIGE Scientific Committee on Gene Drive
Tags: CRISPR, Gene drive synthetic, Gene editing, Policy, RegulationARRIGE Scientific Committee on Gene Drive, ARRIGE Newsletter, 2020.
We are facing a change of paradigm that must lead us to be responsible for altered inheritance and the hybridization between artefacts, considered as natural or artificial, at the very moment when this division itself is blurred by the engineering capacity to act on mutations, ...
Researchers help complete world first wasp genome project
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Oceania, Other arthropodsStaff, The National Tribune, 2020.
In a world first, New Zealand researchers have sequenced the genome of three wasps, two of which are invasive wasps in New Zealand, paving the way for new methods of control for these significant pests.
Researchers complete world first wasp genome project
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Oceania, Other arthropodsUniversity of Otago, Phys Org, 2020.
In a world first, New Zealand researchers have sequenced the genome of three wasps, two of which are invasive wasps in New Zealand, paving the way for new methods of control for these significant pests.
Vector-Focused Approaches to Curb Malaria Transmission in the Brazilian Amazon: An Overview of Current and Future Challenges and Strategies
Tags: Anopheles, Cytoplasmic incompatibility, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, South/Central America, WolbachiaE. M. Rocha, R. D. Katak, J. C. de Oliveira, M. D. Araujo, B. C. Carlos, R. Galizi, F. Tripet, O. Marinotti and J. A. Souza, Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease, 5. 2020.
Here we present an overview on both conventional and novel promising vector-focused tools to curb malaria transmission in the Brazilian Amazon. If well designed and employed, vector-based approaches may improve the implementation of malaria-control programs, particularly in ...
Progress Toward Zygotic and Germline Gene Drives in Mice
Tags: CRISPR, Gene drive synthetic, Invasive species, Replicator/site directed nuclease, RodentsC. Pfitzner, M. A. White, S. G. Piltz, M. Scherer, F. Adikusuma, J. N. Hughes and P. Q. Thomas, The CRISPR Journal, 3:388-397. 2020.
Here, we investigated the efficiency of CRISPR-Cas9-based gene drives in Mus musculus by constructing "split drive" systems where gRNA expression occurs on a separate chromosome to Cas9, which is under the control of either a zygotic (CAG) or germline (Vasa) promoter.
Fruit fly breakthrough puts killer mozzies on notice
Tags: Fruit fly, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic incompatibilitiesV. Tressider, The Lighthouse, 2020.
A new designer fruit fly paves the way for scientists to replace disease-carrying mosquitoes with harmless, genetically modified versions, says Macquarie University researcher Dr Maciej Maselko.
WHO Releases a Position Statement on Genetically Modified Mosquitoes for the Control of Vector-Borne Diseases
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Genetically modified organisms, Malaria, Policy, RegulationE. R. Fletcher, Health Policy Watch, 2020.
WHO announced their support for the continued investigation into genetically modified mosquitoes as an alternative to existing interventions to reduce or prevent vector-borne diseases.
MGDrivE 2: A simulation framework for gene drive systems incorporating seasonality and epidemiological dynamics
Tags: Ecology, Field trials, Gene drive mechanisms, Gene drive synthetic, Modeling, Population genetics/dynamics, Replicator/site directed nucleaseS. L. Wu, J. B. Bennett, H. M. Sanchez C, A. J. Dolgert, T. M. Leon and J. M. Marshall, bioRxiv, 2020.10.16.343376. 2020.
We present MGDrivE 2 (Mosquito Gene Drive Explorer 2): an extension of and development from the MGDrivE 1 simulation framework that investigates the population dynamics of a variety of gene drive architectures and their spread through spatially-explicit mosquito populations.
Ethics and vector-borne diseases
Tags: Ethics, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Genetically modified mosquitoes, Malaria, Policy, Regulation, Vector controlGeneva: World Health Organization, WHO Guidance, 2020.
The guidance was developed by an international group of experts in vector control, infectious disease ethics, maternal and child health, ecology and climate change, research and vaccine development, and public health communication. It examines a broad range of ethical ...
Driven to Exterminate
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Target malariaZ. Moloo and J. Thomas, etc group, 2020.
Gates’s ‘let’s deploy it’ response may not seem out of character, but it was an unusually gung ho response given how risky the technology is widely acknowledged to be.
GeneConvene Global Collaborative Webinar Series | Gene Drive Policy and Regulatory Considerations 2020
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Governance, Policy, Risk and safety, Risk assessment, Stakeholder engagement, Video, WebinarHector Quemada and David O'Brochta, GeneConvene Global Collaborative, 2020.
This is series of webinars the regulatory and policy challenges of moving new innovative genetic biocontrol products such as gene drive technologies to the field will be featured.
ESA Position Statement on the Importance of Continued Innovation in Gene Drive Technology
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Policy, Regulation, Risk and safety, Risk assessment, Stakeholder engagementEntomological Society of America, Annals of the Entomological Society of America, 2020.
The risks and benefits of GDTs should be considered with the risks and benefits of continuing current pest control interventions, which may be comparatively less effective or pose exposure risks to human health and the environment.
GeneConvene Global Collaborative Webinar Series | Gene Drive Policy and Regulatory Consideration
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Governance, Policy, Regulation, Risk and safety, Risk assessment, Stakeholder engagement, Video, WebinarHector Quemada and David O'Brochta, GeneConvene Global Collaborative, 2020.
This is series of webinars the regulatory and policy challenges of moving new innovative genetic biocontrol products such as gene drive technologies to the field will be featured.
Evaluation of genetically modified mosquitoes for the control of vector-borne diseases
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Policy, RegulationGlobal Malaria Programme, WHO - Position Statement, 2020.
In the spirit of fostering innovation, WHO takes the position that all potentially beneficial new technologies, including GMMs, should be investigated to determine whether they could be useful in the continued fight against diseases of public health concern. Such research should ...
GeneConvene Global Collaborative Webinar Series | Gene Drive Technical Webinars
Tags: CRISPR, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic incompatibilities, Population modification/replacement, Population suppression, Replicator/site directed nuclease, WebinarDavid O'Brochta and Hector Quemada, GeneConvene Global Collaborative, 2020.
A series of technical webinars on engineered gene drive technology research and development given by leading researchers in the field.
Engineering the Composition and Fate of Wild Populations with Gene Drive
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Replicator/site directed nuclease, Transmission distortion, UnderdominanceB. A. Hay, G. Oberhofer and M. Guo, Annual Review of Entomology, 2020.
We describe technologies under consideration, progress that has been made, and remaining technological hurdles, particularly with respect to evolutionary stability and our ability to control the spread and ultimate fate of genes introduced into populations.
Towards rangatiratanga in pest management? Maori perspectives and frameworks on novel biotechnologies in conservation
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Other arthropodsS. Palmer, O. R. Mercier and A. King-Hunt, Pacific Conservation Biology, 11. 2020.
We gathered Maori perspectives on novel biotechnological controls for pest wasps through three distinct studies. Study participants included tertiary students, businesses, and spiritual or religiously affiliated groups. All participants drew from their identities as Maori people ...
Assessing the acoustic behaviour of Anopheles gambiae (s.l.) dsxF mutants: implications for vector control
Tags: Anopheles, Gene drive synthetic, Population suppression, Replicator/site directed nuclease, Sex distorterM. P. Su, M. Georgiades, J. Bagi, K. Kyrou, A. Crisanti and J. T. Albert, Parasites and Vectors, 13:507. 2020.
We analysed sound emissions and acoustic preference in a doublesex mutant previously used to collapse Anopheles gambiae (s.l.) cages.
Standardizing the definition of gene drive
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol2020.
Gene Drives Could Kill Mosquitoes And Suppress Herpesvirus Infections
Tags: Arbovirus, CRISPR, Gene drive syntheticA. Berezow, American Council on Science and Health, 2020.
A team of researchers writing in the journal Nature Communications has shown that a gene drive can be used to suppress infection with cytomegalovirus, a type of herpesvirus.
Embracing Dynamic Models for Gene Drive Management
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Genetically modified organisms, Population genetics/dynamics, Regulation, Risk assessmentA. J. Golnar, E. Ruell, A. L. Lloyd and K. M. Pepin, Trends in Biotechnology, 2020.
We describe how quantitative tools can reduce risk uncertainty, streamline empirical research, guide risk management, and promote cross-sector collaboration throughout the process of gene drive technology development and implementation.
Do Africans Want Genetically Modified Mosquitoes?
Tags: Africa, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Policy, Regulation, Stakeholder engagementU. Effiong, The Pursuit, 2020.
The recent publication by fellow Nigerian scientists—Patricia Okorie and colleagues—originally drew my attention to the issue of GMMs.
Gene Drive: Modern Miracle or Environmental Disaster
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Oxitec, Policy, Regulation, Sterile insect technique (SIT)K. Brooks, Journal of Law, Technology and Policy, 2020.
This Note will show how gene drive technology fits imperfectly into the old regulatory framework through case studies. The Analysis will also describe how the different regulatory agencies handle similar gene drive-like organisms inconsistently, and the inherent danger of this ...
Resistance to natural and synthetic gene drive systems
Tags: CRISPR, Gene drive synthetic, Population suppression, Selfish genetic elements, Sex distorter, Transmission distortion, WolbachiaT. A. R. Price, N. Windbichler, R. L. Unckless, A. Sutter, J.-N. Runge, P. A. Ross, A. Pomiankowski, N. L. Nuckolls, C. Montchamp-Moreau, N. Mideo, O. Y. Martin, A. Manser, M. Legros, A. M. Larracuente, L. Holman, J. Godwin, N. Gemmell, C. Courret, A. Buc, Journal of Evolutionary Biology, 2020.
This review summarizes our current knowledge of drive resistance in both natural and synthetic gene drives. We explore how insights from naturally occurring and synthetic drive systems can be integrated to improve the design of gene drives, better predict the outcome of releases ...
Gene Drive Control Worry Eased by Genetic Neutralizing Elements
Tags: Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Replicator/site directed nucleaseStaff, Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology News, 2020.
Bier and his colleagues have developed two new active genetic systems that address such risks by halting or eliminating gene drives in the wild, offering two new solutions based on elements developed in the common fruit fly. T
Global citizen deliberation on genome editing
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Gene editing, Governance, Policy, Regulation, Stakeholder engagementJ. S. Dryzek, D. Nicol, S. Niemeyer, S. Pemberton, N. Curato, A. Bächtiger, P. Batterham, B. Bedsted, S. Burall, M. Burgess, G. Burgio, Y. Castelfranchi, H. Chneiweiss, G. Church, M. Crossley, J. de Vries, M. Farooque, M. Hammond, B. He, R. Mendonça, J., Science, 369:1435. 2020.
Here we show how, as the global governance vacuum is filled, deliberation by a global citizens' assembly should play a role, for legitimate and effective governance.
Active Genetic Neutralizing Elements for Halting or Deleting Gene Drives
Tags: Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Replicator/site directed nucleaseX.-R. S. Xu, E. A. Bulger, V. M. Gantz, C. Klanseck, S. R. Heimler, A. Auradkar, J. B. Bennett, L. A. Miller, S. Leahy, S. S. Juste, A. Buchman, O. S. Akbari, J. M. Marshall and E. Bier, Molecular Cell, 2020.
Here we describe two self-copying (or active) guide RNA-only genetic elements, called e-CHACRs and ERACRs. These elements use Cas9 produced in trans by a gene drive either to inactivate the cas9 transgene (e-CHACRs) or to delete and replace the gene drive (ERACRs).
Biologists create new genetic systems to neutralize gene drives
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Replicator/site directed nucleaseUniversity of California San Diego, ScienceDaily, 2020.
Now, scientists at the University of California San Diego and their colleagues have developed two new active genetic systems that address such risks by halting or eliminating gene drives in the wild.
Risks of releasing gene drives mosquitoes – a possible future scenario
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Policy, Population modification/replacement, Population suppression, Regulation, Risk and safetyTestbiotech, 2020.
Genetically engineering the genome of an organism with gene drive means that it will be replicated in every following generation. This allows the altered gene to spread rapidly throughout natural populations, which may be decimated or even eradicated. The video contains both ...
A CRISPR homing gene drive targeting a haplolethal gene removes resistance alleles and successfully spreads through a cage population
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Population modification/replacement, Replicator/site directed nuclease, Resistance, Toxin-antidoteJ. Champer, E. Yang, E. Lee, J. Liu, A. G. Clark and P. W. Messer, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 202004373. 2020.
Here, we present a CRISPR homing drive that was able to successfully spread to all individuals in a laboratory cage study in Drosophila melanogaster without any apparent evolution of resistance.
Why the UK could end up deploying risky gene drives while ignoring natural biological control
Tags: Biodiversity/Conservation, Gene drive synthetic, Invasive species, Regulation, RodentsJ. Mathews, GM Watch, 2020.
First they cloned Dolly the sheep. Now they’re targeting grey squirrels
The Evolving Arsenal Against Mosquito-Born Diseases
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Genetic incompatibilities, Other Symbionts, WolbachiaJ. Smith, Labiotech.eu, 2020.
As the global climate continues to warm, disease-spreading mosquitoes such as Aedes aegypti are expected to establish themselves in the US and Europe.
Teach Me in 10 – Gene Drive Research with Dr. Jennifer Baltzegar
Tags: Agriculture, Biodiversity/Conservation, Gene drive synthetic, HistoryJ. Baltzegar, Technology Networks, 2020.
Dr Baltzegar teaches us about how the maturation of genetic engineering approaches has advanced gene drives, the two different strategies for gene drives and some of the key questions surrounding the application of gene drives in society.
Underlying beliefs linked to public opinion about gene drive and pest-specific toxin for pest control
Tags: Biodiversity/Conservation, Gene drive synthetic, GeneticsE. A. MacDonald, E. Edwards, J. Balanovic and F. Medvecky, Wildlife Research, 2020.
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 ...
Engineering speciation events in insects may be used to control harmful pests
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Genetic incompatibilitiesUniversity of Minnesota, Phys Org, 2020.
A team of scientists led by Mike Smanski, Ph.D., in the College of Biological Sciences (CBS) has generated speciation events in fruit flies so that engineered strains can reproduce normally with each other, but mating with unmodified flies results in non-viable offspring.
Prospects and Pitfalls: Next-Generation Tools to Control Mosquito-Transmitted Disease
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Genetic incompatibilities, Other Symbionts, WolbachiaE. P. Caragata, S. Dong, Y. Dong, M. L. Simões, C. V. Tikhe and G. Dimopoulos, Annual Review of Microbiology, 74:455-475. 2020.
A diverse array of next-generation tools has been designed to eliminate mosquito populations or to replace them with mosquitoes that are less capable of transmitting key pathogens.
Generating single-sex litters: development of CRISPR-Cas9 genetic tools to produce all-male offspring
Tags: Biodiversity/Conservation, Gene drive synthetic, Rodents, Sex distorterC. 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.
Using the mouse as a model, we developed a synthetic, two-part bicomponent strategy for generating all-male litters.
Suppressing evolution in genetically engineered systems through repeated supplementation
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Genetic engineering, Modeling, Population genetics/dynamics, ResistanceN. C. Layman, B. M. Tuschhoff, A. J. Basinski, C. H. Remien, J. J. Bull and S. L. Nuismer, Evolutionary Applications, 12. 2020.
Genetically engineered organisms are prone to evolve in response to the engineering. This evolution is often undesirable and can negatively affect the purpose of the engineering. Methods that maintain the stability of engineered genomes are therefore critical to the successful ...
Scientists Evaluate Environmental Impacts of Gene Drive Organisms
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Policy, Regulation, Risk and safetyStaff, American Laboratory, 2020.
Researcher Marion Dolezel, from the Environment Agency Austria, and a team of international scientists published in the open-access journal BioRisk, discuss the potential risks and impacts on the environment.
Inherently confinable split-drive systems in Drosophila
Tags: CRISPR, Fruit fly, Gene drive synthetic, Replicator/site directed nuclease, Resistance, Self limitingG. Terradas, A. B. Buchman, J. B. Bennett, I. Shriner, J. M. Marshall, O. S. Akbari and E. Bier, bioRxiv, 2020.09.03.282079. 2020.
Here, we test split gene-drive (sGD) systems in Drosophila melanogaster that were inserted into essential genes required for viability (rab5, rab11, prosalpha2) or fertility (spo11). I
Do Africans need genetically modified mosquitoes?
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Genetically modified organisms, Malaria, Oxitec, Stakeholder engagement, Sterile insect technique (SIT)genetically modified, mosquito, oxitec, autocidal, SIT, perspective, malaria, gene drive synthetic, engagement,, Mail and Guardian, 2020.
The following is an updated version of an article I wrote for the University of Michigan Risk Science Centre a while ago:
Governing New Biotechnologies for Biodiversity Conservation: Gene Drives, International Law, and Emerging Politics
Tags: Biodiversity/Conservation, Gene drive synthetic, Policy, Regulation, Synthetic biologyJ. L. Reynolds, Global Environmental Politics, 20:28-48. 2020.
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.
Non-GMO approach reduces cases of mosquito-borne dengue by 77%
Tags: Aedes, Dengue, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Genetic incompatibilities, WolbachiaGM Watch, GM Watch, 2020.
A randomized field trial found that mosquitoes infected with a natural bacterium called Wolbachia reduced cases of dengue by an "extraordinary" 77%.
Bacteria-Laced Mosquitoes Limit Spread of Dengue
Tags: Aedes, Dengue, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Genetic incompatibilities, WolbachiaA. Heidt, The Scientist, 2020.
Researchers have infected Aedes aegypti mosquitoes—the species responsible for passing on many diseases—with bacteria called Wolbachia with the intent of reducing the insects’ ability to pass on dengue to people.
Gene Drive Dynamics in Natural Populations: The Importance of Density Dependence, Space, and Sex
Tags: Ecology, Evolution, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, GeneticsS. Dhole, A. L. Lloyd and F. Gould, Annual Review of Ecology, Evolution, and Systematics, 51:505-531. 2020.
The spread of synthetic gene drives is often discussed in the context of panmictic populations connected by gene flow and described with simple deterministic models. Under such assumptions, an entire species could be altered by releasing a single individual carrying an invasive ...
Chromosome drives via CRISPR-Cas9 in yeast
Tags: Chromosomal drive, CRISPR, Gene drive synthetic, Yeast and FungiH. Xu, M. Han, S. Zhou, B.-Z. Li, Y. Wu and Y.-J. Yuan, Nature Communications, 11:4344. 2020.
Our results show that the entire Saccharomyces cerevisiae chromosome can be eliminated efficiently through only one double-strand break around the centromere via CRISPR-Cas9. As a proof-of-concept experiment of this CRISPR-Cas9 chromosome drive system, the synthetic yeast ...
Scientists infect mosquitoes with bacteria to stop the transmission of dengue fever in Indonesia, dropping infection rates by 77 percent
Tags: Aedes, Dengue, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Genetic incompatibilities, WolbachiaD. Avery, Daily Mail, 2020.
The team found that dengue infections were 77 percent lower in treated neighborhoods, compared to areas not exposed to the infected insects.
Evading evolution of resistance to gene drives
Tags: CRISPR, Gene drive synthetic, Population suppression, Replicator/site directed nuclease, ResistanceR. Gomulkiewicz, M. L. Thies and J. J. Bull, bioRxiv, 2020.
Here we develop mathematical and computational models to identify conditions under which suppression drives will evade resistance, even if resistance is present initially.
Novel combination of CRISPR-based gene drives eliminates resistance and localises spread
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Invasive species, Replicator/site directed nuclease, Resistance, Rodents, Self limiting, Self sustaining, Toxin-antidoteN. R. Faber, G. R. McFarlane, R. C. Gaynor, I. Pocrnic, C. B. A. Whitelaw and G. Gorjanc, bioRxiv, 2020.
We present HD-ClvR, a novel combination of CRISPR-based gene drives that eliminates resistance and localises spread. As a case study, we model HD-ClvR in the grey squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis), which is an invasive pest in the UK and responsible for both biodiversity and ...
The mosquito strategy that could eliminate dengue
Tags: Aedes, Dengue, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Genetic incompatibilities, WolbachiaE. Callaway, Nature, 2020.
The study, conducted in an Indonesia city, showed that releasing mosquitoes modified to carry a bacterium called Wolbachia, which stops the insects from transmitting some viruses, led to a steep drop in cases of dengue fever.
Researchers Find New Approach To Control Dengue, Zika By Genetically Modifying Mosquitoes
Tags: Aedes, Dengue, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Genetic incompatibilities, WolbachiaN. Sharma, R. Republicworld.com, 2020.
A new study carried out in Indonesia has shown that dengue infection rates decreased in regions where the genetically modified mosquitoes were introduced.
Australian research takes aim at dengue, another killer virus
Tags: Aedes, Dengue, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Genetic incompatibilities, WolbachiaE. Connors, Finanacial Review, 2020.
Australian researchers have teamed up with Indonesian philanthropists to strike a blow against dengue fever, the deadly disease that was a growing scourge in south-east Asia and South America long before COVID-19.
Australian scientists slash dengue fever in Indonesia by infecting mosquitoes with bacteria
Tags: Aedes, Dengue, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Genetic incompatibilities, WolbachiaA. Barker, ABC News, 2020.
Australian scientists may have found the secret to eradicating dengue fever, with a lengthy trial in Indonesia drastically reducing the incidence of the mosquito-borne virus.
Anthony James / Mosquito Modification
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Malaria, Population modification/replacement, Replicator/site directed nucleaseBig Picture Science, SETI Institute, 2020.
Anthony James, vector biologist at the University of California, Irvine, describeshow we might genetically modify mosquitoes to make them unable to pass malaria on to humans.
Next-generation gene drive for population modification of the malaria vector mosquito, Anopheles gambiae
Tags: Anopheles, CRISPR, Gene drive synthetic, Genetics, Population modification/replacement, Replicator/site directed nuclease, ResistanceR. Carballar-Lejarazú, C. Ogaugwu, T. Tushar, A. Kelsey, T. B. Pham, J. Murphy, H. Schmidt, Y. Lee, G. C. Lanzaro and A. A. James, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 202010214. 2020.
We show here that the Cas9/guide RNA-based gene-drive components of a genetically-engineered malaria mosquito vector, Anopheles gambiae, achieve key target product profile requirements for efficacy and performance.
A home and rescue gene drive forces its inheritance stably persisting in populations
Tags: CRISPR, Fruit fly, Gene drive synthetic, Replicator/site directed nuclease, ResistanceN. P. Kandul, J. Liu, J. B. Bennett, J. M. Marshall and O. Akbari, bioRxiv, 2020.08.21.261610. 2020.
We demonstrate that HomeR can achieve nearly ~100% transmission enabling it to persist at genotypic fixation in several multi-generational population cage experiments, underscoring its long term stability.
Viewpoint: Is there a scientific basis to ban gene drive technology that can rid us of virus-carrying rodents and mosquitoes?
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Policy, Risk assessment, RodentsK. Vavitas, Genetic Literacy Project, 2020.
Gene drives may be invaluable tools to control the spread of parasites, invasive species, and disease carriers. But the technology has faced strong opposition from activist groups and some mainstream scientists based on environmental and food safety. Are these concerns valid?
Researchers’ Plan To Release Genetically Engineered American Chestnut Trees in Forests Will Set Dangerous Precedents If Approved
Tags: Biodiversity/Conservation, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrolGlobal Justice Ecology Project, Common Dreams, 2020.
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 ...
Towards Responsive Eco-technology: The Development of a Male Sex-biased Mouse
Tags: CRISPR, Gene drive synthetic, Rodents, Sex distorterW. Kamau, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2020.
CRISPR-Cas systems have catalyzed the emergence of several synthetic population management strategies, like gene drives, for controlling pests and disease vectors. As these technologies garner greater visibility in both general and regulatory audiences, questions have arisen ...
Bednets or Biotechnology: To Rescue Current Persons or Research for the Future?
Tags: Ethics, Gene drive synthetic, Malaria, PolicyD. E. Callies, Fudan Journal of the Humanities and Social Sciences, 14. 2020.
After an exploration of the duty to rescue and cost-effectiveness analysis, I suggest we look towards the literature on intergenerational justice for a justifiable answer to the question of how we ought to allocate our malaria resources.
Modelling the suppression of a malaria vector using a CRISPR-Cas9 gene drive to reduce female fertility
Tags: Africa, CRISPR, Gene drive synthetic, Modeling, Population suppression, Replicator/site directed nucleaseA. R. North, A. Burt and H. C. J. Godfray, BMC Biology, 18:98. 2020.
Gene drives based on CRISPR-Cas9 technology are increasingly being considered as tools for reducing the capacity of mosquito populations to transmit malaria, and one of the most promising options is driving endonuclease genes that reduce the fertility of female mosquitoes. Here, ...
Incorporating Characteristics of Gene Drive Engineered Ae. aegypti as Methods to Reduce Dengue and Zika Virus into the Bayesian Network – Relative Risk Model, Using Ponce, Puerto Rico as a Case Study
Tags: Aedes, Arbovirus, Dengue, Gene drive synthetic, Modeling, Policy, Regulation, Risk assessmentS. R. Eikenbary, WWU Graduate School Collection, 2020.
The Bayesian network relative risk model can perform the risk assessment of gene drive engineered Ae. aegypti for vector control and as part of an adaptive management strategy to reduce dengue and Zika transmission. This study illustrates how the BN-RRM can integrate gene drive ...
Engineered Reproductively Isolated Species Drive Reversible Population Replacement
Tags: Fruit fly, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic incompatibilities, Incompatible insect technique, Population modification/replacementA. Buchman, I. Shriner, T. Yang, J. Liu, I. Antoshechkin, J. M. Marshall, M. W. Perry and O. S. Akbari, bioRxiv, 2020.08.09.242982. 2020.
Engineered reproductive species barriers are useful for impeding gene flow and driving desirable genes into wild populations in a reversible threshold-dependent manner. We engineer multiple reproductively isolated SPECIES and demonstrate their threshold-dependent gene drive ...
CRISPR gene drives could eliminate many vector-driven pests and diseases, but challenges remain
Tags: Fruit fly, Gene drive synthetic, Genetics, Replicator/site directed nuclease, ResistanceJ. Champer, Genetic Literacy Project, 2020.
A functioning gene drive system could fundamentally change our strategies for the control of vector-borne diseases by facilitating rapid dissemination of transgenes that prevent pathogen transmission or reduce vector capacity. CRISPR/Cas9 gene drive promises such a mechanism, ...
Maintenance management and eradication of established aquatic invaders
Tags: Biodiversity/Conservation, Biological control, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Gene editing, Invasive species, Population suppression, Sterile insect technique (SIT)D. Simberloff, Hydrobiologia, 22. 2020.
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 ...
Global Governing Bodies: A Pathway for Gene Drive Governance for Vector Mosquito Control
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Governance, Policy, Regulation, Risk and safety, Stakeholder engagementA. Kelsey, D. Stillinger, T. B. Pham, J. Murphy, S. Firth and R. Carballar-Lejarazú, American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, 2020.
We examined the current institutions and governing bodies among various continents that could have an impact on gene drive governance or the potential to adapt to its future use. Possible governance strategies also are proposed that seek to bridge gaps and promote an ethically ...
Genomic analyses of a livestock pest, the New World screwworm, find potential targets for genetic control programs
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Genetics, Genomics, Sterile insect technique (SIT)M. J. Scott, J. B. Benoit, R. J. Davis, S. T. Bailey, V. Varga, E. O. Martinson, P. V. Hickner, Z. Syed, G. A. Cardoso, T. T. Torres, M. T. Weirauch, E. H. Scholl, A. M. Phillippy, A. Sagel, M. Vasquez, G. Quintero and S. R. Skoda, Nature Communications, 3:424. 2020.
We identify and analyze the expression of genes that are likely important for host-seeking behavior (chemosensory), development of larvae in open wounds in warm-blooded animals (heat shock protein, immune response) and for building transgenic strains for genetic control programs ...
Fighting malaria with genetically modified mosquitoes
Tags: Africa, Containment, Gene drive synthetic, Genetically modified mosquitoes, Malaria, Target malariaE. Nakkazi, BMJ, 370:m2172. 2020.
Could a bold project to genetically engineer mosquitoes curb the scourge of malaria in Africa? Finding out will require careful science—and public acceptance, writes Esther Nakkazi
Exploring gene drive’s role in fight against malaria
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Malaria, Policy, Regulation, Risk and safety, Stakeholder engagementJ. Conrow, Genetic Literacy Project, 2020.
J. Conrow (2020) Genetic Literacy Project. An international initiative has formed to ensure that gene drive technology gets a chance to prove its mettle in the quest to control malaria.
Efficient population modification gene-drive rescue system in the malaria mosquito Anopheles stephensi
Tags: Africa, Anopheles, CRISPR, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Genetics, Malaria, Population modification/replacement, Replicator/site directed nuclease, Risk and safetyA. Adolfi, V. M. Gantz, N. Jasinskiene, H.-F. Lee, K. Hwang, E. A. Bulger, A. Ramaiah, J. B. Bennett, G. Terradas, J. J. Emerson, J. M. Marshall, E. Bier and A. A. James, bioRxiv, 2020.08.02.233056. 2020.
We developed the first recoded gene-drive rescue system for population modification in the malaria vector, Anopheles stephensi, that relieves the load in females caused by integration of the drive into the kynurenine hydroxylase gene by rescuing its function. Non-functional ...
Biotechnologies in pest wasp control: taking the sting out of pest management for Māori businesses?
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Oceania, Other arthropods, Policy, Regulation, Risk and safety, Stakeholder engagementS. Palmer and O. R. Mercier, New Genetics and Society, 2020.
A Maori-centered mixed-method study gauged the perceptions of eight Maori businesses about the potential use of five specific new biotechnological controls in pest management.
Meet Cosmo, the gene-edited Crispr calf
Tags: CRISPR, Gene drive synthetic, Other mammals, Sex distorterS. D. McClain, Capital Press, 2020.
Cosmo was the grand finale of a series of experiments to create a line of genome-edited cattle tailored for the beef industry. He was designed to produce 75% male offspring.
Chemical controllable gene drive in Drosophila
Tags: Fruit fly, Gene drive synthetic, Replicator/site directed nucleaseD. Chae, J. Lee, N. Lee, K. Park, S. J. Moon and H. H. Kim, ACS Synthetic Biology, in press. 2020.
Here, we report a chemical-induced control of gene drive. We prepared a CRISPR-based gene drive system that can be removed by a site-specific recombinase, Rippase, the expression of which is induced by the chemical RU486 in fruit flies. Exposure of fruit flies to RU486 resulted ...
Nix alone is sufficient to convert female Aedes aegypti into fertile males and myo-sex is needed for male flight
Tags: Aedes, Fruit fly, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Population suppression, Sterile insect technique (SIT), Y-chromosomeA. Aryan, M. A. E. Anderson, J. K. Biedler, Y. M. Qi, J. M. Overcash, A. N. Naumenko, M. V. Sharakhova, C. H. Mao, Z. N. Adelman and Z. J. Tu, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 117:17702-17709. 2020.
Here, we report the generation of multiple transgenic lines that express Nix under the control of its own promoter. Genetic and molecular analyses of these lines provided insights unattainable from previous transient experiments. We show that the Nix transgene alone, in the ...
Après les OGM, la nouvelle technique du forçage génétique inquiète écologistes et scientifiques
Tags: Africa, Agriculture, Gene drive synthetic, Malaria, Policy, Risk and safety, Stakeholder engagementH. Leussier, Reporterre, 2020.
Les organismes issus du forçage génétique peuvent transmettre, sans autre intervention humaine, des gènes modifiés à tous leurs descendants. Cette technique permettrait d’éradiquer des espèces nuisibles, comme certains moustiques vecteurs de la malaria. Mais des ...
The potential for a CRISPR gene drive to eradicate or suppress globally invasive social wasps
Tags: Gene drive mechanisms, Gene drive synthetic, Other arthropodsP. J. Lester, M. Bulgarella, J. W. Baty, P. K. Dearden, J. Guhlin and J. M. Kean, Scientific Reports, 10:12398. 2020.
P. J. Lester, M. Bulgarella, J. W. Baty, P. K. Dearden, J. Guhlin and J. M. Kean (2020). Scientific Reports. doi: 10.1038/s41598-020-69259-6 Gene drives have potential for widespread and cost-efficient pest control, but are highly controversial. We examined a potential gene ...
A Crispr calf is born. It’s definitely a boy
Tags: Agriculture, Gene drive synthetic, Other mammals, Sex distorterM. Molteni, WIRED, 2020.
M. Molteni (2020). Wired. UC Davis scientists spent years editing a sex-determining gene into bovine embryos. In April, Cosmo arrived—and his DNA reveals how far the field has to go. This type of sex ratio distortion results in gene drive and is also being considered to help ...
Scientists use CRISPR technology to insert sex-determining gene
Tags: Agriculture, Gene drive synthetic, Other mammals, Sex distorterA. Quinton, Phys Org, 2020.
A. Quinton (2020). Phys Org. Scientists at the University of California, Davis, have successfully produced a bull calf, named Cosmo, who was genome-edited as an embryo so that he'll produce more male offspring. The research was presented in a poster on July 23 at the American ...
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
Tags: Biodiversity/Conservation, Gene drive synthetic, Policy, Regulation, Risk and safetyA. Bossu, N. Laarman, D. Houdebine, H. Le Meur, F. Jacquemart and F. Warlop, Open Letter, 2020.
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 ...
Providing a policy framework for responsible gene drive research: an analysis of the existing governance landscape and priority areas for further research
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Governance, Policy, RegulationD. Thizy, I. Coche and J. de Vries, Wellcome Open Research, 2020.
D. Thizy, I. Coche and J. de Vries (2020). Wellcome Open Research. doi: 10.12688/wellcomeopenres.16023.1 In this manuscript, we review the existing regulatory landscape around gene drive research and map areas of convergence and divergence, as well as gaps in relation to ...
How do you make a gene drive mosquito?
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Gene editing, Other arthropodsGeneConvene Virtual Institute, GeneConvene Global Collaborative, 2020.
This short video explains and illustrates how transgenic mosquitoes are made in the laboratory. While mosquitoes are the focus of the video, the process shown is used to create transgenic insects of almost any species.
An argument for gene drive technology to genetically control populations of insects like mosquitoes and locusts
Tags: Agriculture, Gene drive syntheticI. Ronai and B. Lovett, The Conversation, 2020.
The fate of society rests in part on how humans navigate their complicated relationship with insects – trying to save “good” insects and control “bad” ones. Some insects, like mosquitoes, bite people and make them sick – remember Zika? Now the U.S. mosquito season is ...
Researchers convert female mosquitoes to nonbiting males with implications for mosquito control
Tags: Aedes, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Population suppression, Sterile insect technique (SIT)Virginia Tech, ScienceDaily, 2020.
Researchers convert female mosquitoes to nonbiting males with implications for mosquito control Virginia Tech researchers have proven that a single gene can convert female Aedes aegypti mosquitoes into fertile male mosquitoes and identified a gene needed for male mosquito ...
Genome Editing in Food and Farming: Risks and unexpected consequences
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Gene editing, Policy, Regulation, Risk and safety, Stakeholder engagementJ. Cotter and D. Perls, Canadian Biotechnology Action Network, 2020.
J. Cotter and D. Perls (2020). Canadian Biotechnology Action Network. In this report, we provide an overview of genome editing techniques being explored in agriculture, and the range of potential unexpected effects that can arise from them. The report draws on recent scientific ...
Socrates Untenured: Ethics, Experts, and the Public in the Synthetic Age
Tags: Ethics, Gene drive synthetic, Gene editing, Genetically modified organisms, Synthetic biologyC. Preston, ISSUES in Science and Technology, 2020.
C. Preston (2020). Three tools have transformed biotechnology over the past decade and a half. Gene reading has made it possible to quickly sequence the genome of any living creature. Gene synthesis has made it possible to construct DNA sequences in the lab from constituent ...
CSOs raise alarm over genetically-engineered mosquitoes in Nigeria
Tags: Africa, Gene drive synthetic, Genetically modified mosquitoes, Genetically modified organisms, Policy, Regulation, Risk and safetyA. Oboh, Vanguard, 2020.
No fewer than 75 civil society organisations, CSOs, across the world have raised the alarm over moves to release genetically-modified mosquitoes in Nigeria, noting that the country was about to be used as a guinea pig for the project, which will endanger humans, biodiversity and ...
Three innovative technologies stopping malaria
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Malaria, Target malariaB. Muni, The Borgen Project, 2020.
Malaria has plummeted by 40% fifteen years after 2000. A report that NCBI published attributed this to mosquito preventative measures like bed netting and insecticides. These interventions and practices, like wearing light color clothing, help at-risk populations fight malaria. ...
2-Locus Cleave and Rescue; selfish elements harness a recombination rate-dependent generational clock for self limiting gene drive
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Resistance, Self limitingG. Oberhofer, T. Ivy and B. A. Hay, bioRxiv, 2020.
Self-limiting gene drive allows control over the spread and fate of linked traits. Cleave and Rescue (ClvR) elements create self-sustaining drive and comprise a DNA sequence-modifying enzyme (Cas9-gRNAs, Cleaver) that disrupts an essential gene, and a tightly linked, uncleavable ...
Groups warn against release of genetically-engineered mosquitoes in Nigeria
Tags: Africa, Gene drive synthetic, Genetically modified mosquitoes, Genetically modified organisms, Policy, Regulation, Risk and safetyC. Onyesi, Daily Post, 2020.
C. Onyesi (2020). Daily Post. Over 75 Civil Society Organizations from Nigeria, Africa and the world have condemned moves to open the way for the release of genetically modified mosquitoes in Nigeria.
Malaria: Over 75 CSOs raise alarm over plans to release nautically engineered mosquitoes
Tags: Africa, Gene drive synthetic, Genetically modified mosquitoes, Genetically modified organisms, Policy, Regulation, Risk and safetyNews Agency of Nigeria, WorldStage, 2020.
Mre than 75 Environmental Civil Society Organisations from Nigeria, Africa and other countries have condemned moves to open way for release of genetically modified mosquitoes to control malaria infection. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that at a virtual meeting of ...
NGOs call for moratorium on controversial ‘gene drive organisms’
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Policy, Regulation, Risk and safetyN. Foote, EURACTIV, 2020.
https://borgenproject.org/3-innovative-technologies-stopping-malaria/
Small-Molecule Control of Super-Mendelian Inheritance in Gene Drives
Tags: CRISPR, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Replicator/site directed nucleaseV. López Del Amo, B. S. Leger, K. J. Cox, S. Gill, A. L. Bishop, G. D. Scanlon, J. A. Walker, V. M. Gantz and A. Choudhary, Cell Reports, 31:107841. 2020.
Summary Synthetic CRISPR-based gene-drive systems have tremendous potential in public health and agriculture, such as for fighting vector-borne diseases or suppressing crop pest populations. These elements can rapidly spread in a population by breaching the inheritance limit of ...
Nigerian government restates commitment to safety in applying modern biotechnology
Tags: Africa, Gene drive synthetic, Genetically modified organisms, Policy, RegulationAgencies, today ng, 2020.
The National Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA) has reiterated its commitment to ensure the safety of the public while applying modern biotechnology to boost food security and economic development of citizens. Dr Rufus Ebegba, Director-General, NBMA, gave the assurance at a ...
Please support a global moratorium on the environmental release of gene drive organisms
Tags: Gene drive syntheticJ. Riss, J. Munic and B. Harlin, Open Letter, 2020.
J. Riss, J. Munic and B. Harlin (2020). Open Letter. We, the undersigned civil society organizations, write to you to request that the EU Commission fully supports the EU Parliament's call for a global moratorium on the release of Gene Drive Organisms (GDOs). This is in view of ...
Soon we’ll be able to engineer the wild, can the policies keep up with the science?
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Policy, RegulationM. Montague and A. Kobokovich, The Hill, 2020.
Humans have been able to genetically alter the world around them for thousands of years. With the domestication of dogs at least 14,000 years ago, genetically modified organisms (GMOs) have been a constant feature of human society; only recently have we gained the ability to ...
Role of gene drives in malaria elimination strategy: modeling impact and cost-effectiveness in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Tags: Africa, Gene drive synthetic, Population suppression, X chromosomeN. Metchanun, C. Borgemeister, J. von Braun, M. Nikolov, P. Selvaraj and J. Gerardin, medRxiv, 2020.
The tremendous burden of malaria has led to renewed efforts on malaria elimination and the development of novel tools for application where existing tools fall short. Gene drive mosquitoes, where transgenes and their associated phenotypes are efficiently propagated to future ...
Translating gene drive science to promote linguistic diversity in community and stakeholder engagement
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Genetic engineering, Stakeholder engagementC. Cheung, S. Gamez, R. Carballar-Lejarazú, V. Ferman, V. N. Vásquez, G. Terradas, J. Ishikawa, C. E. Schairer, E. Bier, J. M. Marshall, A. A. James, O. S. Akbari and C. S. Bloss, Global Public Health, 2020.
Information about genetic engineering (GE) for vector control in the United States is disseminated primarily in English, though non-English speakers are equally, and in some geographic regions even more affected by such technologies. Non-English-speaking publics should have equal ...
Development of zygotic and germline gene drives in mice
Tags: CRISPR, Gene drive synthetic, Invasive species, RodentsC. Pfitzner, J. N. Hughes, M. A. White, M. Scherer, S. G. Piltz and P. Q. Thomas, bioRxiv, 2020.
Here we investigated the efficiency of CRISPR/Cas9-based gene drives in Mus musculus by constructing "split drive" systems with Cas9 under the control of zygotic (CAG) or germline (Vasa) promoters.
Research team genetically modifies mosquito; now completing construction of full gene drive system
Tags: Culex, Gene drive syntheticUniversity of Hawaii, UH Hilo News, 2020.
A research group at the University of Hawai‘i at Hilo is currently completing construction of the full gene drive system of the Hawai‘i-sourced southern house mosquito (Culex quinquefasciatus), and plan to use CRISPR technology to insert it alongside an eye-color phenotype ...
Detecting the population dynamics of an autosomal sex ratio distorter transgene in malaria vector mosquitoes
Tags: Anopheles, Dengue, Gene drive synthetic, Genetically modified organisms, Malaria, Replicator/site directed nuclease, WolbachiaP. Pollegioni, A. R. North, T. Persampieri, A. Bucci, R. L. Minuz, D. A. Groneberg, T. Nolan, P. A. Papathanos, A. Crisanti and R. Muller, Journal of Applied Ecology, 11. 2020.
A sex-distorting autosomal transgene has been developed recently in G3 mosquitoes, a laboratory strain of the malaria vectorAnopheles gambiaes.l. Following the World Health Organization guidance framework for the testing of GM mosquitoes, we assessed the dynamics of this ...
ENSSER | Gene Drive Webinar Series
Tags: Ethics, Gene drive synthetic, Policy, Population modification/replacement, Population suppression, Regulation, Risk and safety, Stakeholder engagement, WebinarEuropean Network of Scientists for Social and Environmental Responsibility, 2020.
This series of five Webinars by some of the authors of the interdisciplinary Gene Drive Report (2019) and were organised by four organisations of independent scientists: the European Network of Scientists for Social and Environmental Responsibility (ENSSER), Critical Scientists ...
Species Extinction & the Case for a Global Moratorium on Gene Drives
Tags: Ethics, Gene drive synthetic, Policy, Regulation, Risk and safetyM. Imken, ARC, 2020.
One million species are currently threatened with extinction, and humanity faces the challenge of stopping the sixth mass extinction in the history of our planet. Yet a new technology called Gene Drive enables human beings to reprogram wild species by genetic engineering and to ...
The need for new vector control approaches targeting outdoor biting anopheline malaria vector communities
Tags: Anopheles, Gene drive synthetic, MosquitoesS. Sougoufara, E. C. Ottih and F. Tripet, Parasites & Vectors, 13:15. 2020.
Since the implementation of Roll Back Malaria, the widespread use of insecticide-treated nets (ITNs) and indoor residual spraying (IRS) is thought to have played a major part in the decrease in mortality and morbidity achieved in malaria-endemic regions. In the past decade, ...
Gene Drive: Can this be the Future of Agricultural Pest Management?
Tags: Agriculture, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, PolicyP. Mondal, U. Mohapatra and M. Ganguly, International Journal of Current Microbiology and Applied Sciences, 9. 2020.
A world free of hunger may be possible when the agricultural production exceeds the global demand for the food. In the era of increasing population, the need for increased food production can be attainable by managing the destructive pests of the agricultural and horticultural ...
Jonathan Latham on Gene Drives and the Gates Foundation
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Risk assessment, Stakeholder engagementJames Corbett, The Corbett Report, 2020.
Jonathan Latham of Independent Science News joins us to discuss his 2017 article, “Gates Foundation Hired PR Firm to Manipulate UN Over Gene Drives.” We talk about gene drives, the dangers inherent in this technology, how the UN is involved, and why the Gates Foundation and ...
Fighting malaria with gene-drive technology
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Malaria, Target malariaEarthWise, earthwise radio, 2020.
A team led by Imperial College London has created a genetic modification that distorts the sex ratio of a population of Anopheles gambiae mosquitoes using “gene drive” technology. The modification works by using a DNA-cutting enzyme to destroy the X chromosome during the ...
Conservation implications of disease control
Tags: Biodiversity/Conservation, Ecology, Gene drive synthetic, Risk and safetyJ. C. Buck, S. B. Weinstein, G. Titcomb and H. S. Young, Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, 6. 2020.
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 ...
Mosquitoes engineered to resist the malaria parasite
Tags: Anopheles, Gene drive synthetic, Malaria, Population modification/replacementAnonymous, Lab+Life Scientist, 2020.
Anopheles mosquitoes that have been genetically engineered with multiple antimalaria molecules, acting at different stages of the malaria life cycle, are strongly resistant to the parasite that causes malaria and are unlikely to lose that resistance quickly.
Motivations and expectations driving community participation in entomological research projects: Target Malaria as a case study in Bana, Western Burkina Faso
Tags: Africa, Gene drive synthetic, Stakeholder engagementN. Barry, P. Toé, L. Pare Toe, J. Lezaun, M. Drabo, R. K. Dabiré and A. Diabate, Malaria Journal, 19:199. 2020.
Most field entomology research projects require active participation by local community members. Since 2012, Target Malaria, a not-for-profit research consortium, has been working with residents in the village of Bana, in Western Burkina Faso, in various studies involving ...
Gene drives: benefits, risks, and possible applications
Tags: Ethics, Gene drive synthetic, Policy, Regulation, Risk and safetyA. Deplazes-Zemp, U. Grossniklaus, F. Lefort, P. Müller, J. Romeis, A. Rüegsegger, N. Schoenenberger and E. Spehn, Swiss Academies Factsheets, 15. 2020.
Gene drives are genetic elements that skew the pattern of inheritance of a given characteristic in sexually reproducing organisms. They can be used to spread a characteristic that can alter or even reduce the numbers of individuals in wild populations of a certain species. As ...
Can CRISPR gene drive work in pest and beneficial haplodiploid species?
Tags: CRISPR, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic engineering, Pest managementJ. Li, O. Aidlin Harari, A.-L. Doss, L. L. Walling, P. W. Atkinson, S. Morin and B. E. Tabashnik, Evolutionary Applications, 2020.
Gene drives based on CRISPR/Cas9 have the potential to reduce the enormous harm inflicted by crop pests and insect vectors of human disease, as well as to bolster valued species. In contrast with extensive empirical and theoretical studies in diploid organisms, little is known ...
Islands as Laboratories: Indigenous Knowledge and Gene Drives in the Pacific
Tags: Ethics, Gene drive synthetic, Oceania, Stakeholder engagementR. I. Taitingfong, Human Biology, 91:179-188. 2020.
This article argues that the genetic engineering technology known as gene drive must be evaluated in the context of the historic and ongoing impacts of settler colonialism and military experimentation on indigenous lands and peoples. After defining gene drive and previewing some ...
Position Paper on Integrated Vector Management: Strengthening AU Members’ Regulatory Capacities for Responsible Research Towards Elimination of Malaria in Africa
Tags: Africa, Ethics, Gene drive synthetic, Malaria, Policy, Regulation, Stakeholder engagement, Vector controlAfrican Union Development Agency - NEPAD, AUDA-NEPAD, 2020.
Africa continues to bear a heavy brunt of the malaria which is a disease transmitted by the female Anopheles mosquito. Thousands of lives, mostly of young children, are lost every year; which undermines efforts deployed at various levels for increased life expectancy and improved ...
Engineered Gene Drives for Pest Management
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrolG. Miglani, Biotechnology for Plant Disease Diagnosis and Management, 2020.
Genes in sexually reproducing organisms normally have, on average, a 50% chance of being inherited, but some genes have a higher chance of being inherited. These genes can increase in relative frequency in a population even if they reduce the odds that each organism will ...
Bioengineering horizon scan 2020
Tags: Agriculture, Gene drive syntheticL. Kemp, L. Adam, C. R. Boehm, R. Breitling, R. Casagrande, M. Dando, A. Djikeng, N. G. Evans, R. Hammond, K. Hills, L. A. Holt, T. Kuiken, A. Markotić, P. Millett, J. A. Napier, C. Nelson, S. S. ÓhÉigeartaigh, A. Osbourn, M. J. Palmer, N. J. Patron, E. P, eLife, 9:e54489. 2020.
Horizon scanning is intended to identify the opportunities and threats associated with technological, regulatory and social change. In 2017 some of the present authors conducted a horizon scan for bioengineering (Wintle et al., 2017). Here we report the results of a new horizon ...
Simulation models from: Can CRISPER-mediated gene drive work in pest and beneficial haplodiploid species?
Tags: CRISPR, Gene drive synthetic, ModelingJ. Li and B. Tabashnik, Dryad, 2020.
Gene drives based on CRISPR/Cas9 have the potential to reduce the enormous harm inflicted by crop pests and insect vectors of human disease, as well as to bolster valued species. In contrast with extensive empirical and theoretical studies in diploid organisms, little is known ...
New study highlights success of gene drive technology with preventing mosquito-spread diseases
Tags: Anopheles, Gene drive synthetic, Malaria, Population modification/replacementA. Meckler-Pacheco, The California Aggie, 2020.
For the past 30 years, researchers have studied the usage of gene drive technology to stop the spread of malaria. The idea is to create genetically engineered mosquitoes (GEM) that are either resistant to carrying the malaria parasite or that fail to reproduce, which would result ...
Genetic Biocontrol for Invasive Species
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Invasive species, Sex distorterJ. L. Teem, L. Alphey, S. Descamps, M. P. Edgington, O. Edwards, N. Gemmell, T. Harvey-Samuel, R. L. Melnick, K. P. Oh, A. J. Piaggio, J. R. Saah, D. Schill, P. Thomas, T. Smith and A. Roberts, Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology, 8:452. 2020.
Invasive species are increasingly affecting agriculture, food, fisheries, and forestry resources throughout the world. As a result of global trade, invasive species are often introduced into new environments where they become established and cause harm to human health, ...
Gene Drives: Pursuing opportunities, minimizing risk
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Policy, Regulation, Risk and safety, Risk assessmentK. L. Warmbrod, A. Kobokovich, R. West, G. Ray, M. Trotochaud and M. Montague, Center for Health Security, 2020.
This study analyzed the current state of gene drive technologies, the ways in which they might be deployed in the field, and the state of regulatory policy governing their development.
Le forçage génétique (gène drive) et ses applications
Tags: Agriculture, Biodiversity/Conservation, CRISPR, Gene drive syntheticV. Courtier-Orgogozo, Bulletin de l'Académie Vétérinaire de France, 172:94-98. 2020.
Gene drive is a new genetic engineering technology that has been developed over the past five years and that allows genetic modifications to spread rapidly in natural populations. Potential applications are numerous, for public health issues, agriculture and conservation biology. ...
Hope rises as scientists eliminate malaria mosquitoes
Tags: Anopheles, Gene drive synthetic, Population suppression, Sex distorterA. Adeyemi, New Telegraph, 2020.
A team of researchers led by Imperial College London have spread a genetic modification that distorted the sex ratio through a population of caged Anopheles gambiae mosquitoes using ‘gene drive’ technology. According to the results of their study published yesterday in ...
Malaria mosquitoes eliminated in lab by creating all-male offsprings
Tags: Anopheles, Gene drive synthetic, Population suppression, Sex distorterAishwarya, Inshorts, 2020.
Imperial College London-led team used 'gene drive' technology to spread genetic modification that distorted sex ratio through caged breed of malaria mosquitoes. This caused mosquitoes to produce more male offspring, eventually leading to no female birth. The study suggested such ...
Researchers use “gene drive” technology to eliminate malaria mosquitoes in lab experiments
Tags: Anopheles, Gene drive synthetic, Population suppression, Sex distorterJ. Ives, News Medical Life Sciences, 2020.
A team led by Imperial College London spread a genetic modification that distorts the sex ratio through a population of caged Anopheles gambiae mosquitoes using 'gene drive' technology.
Genetically-manipulated male mosquitoes could eliminate females
Tags: Anopheles, Gene drive synthetic, Population suppression, Sex distorterB. Coxworth, New Atlas, 2020.
Several years ago, we heard how scientists were looking at eradicating malaria-carrying mosquitoes by making the females infertile. Now they're going a step further, by eliminating the females altogether.
Researchers discover way to eliminate malaria carrying mosquitoes
Tags: Anopheles, Gene drive synthetic, Population suppression, Sex distorterS. Digon, International Business Times, 2020.
Researchers from the Imperial College London have come up with a genetic modification that will pave the way for the elimination of malaria mosquitoes. Scientists say that the alteration distorts the sex ratio of caged Anopheles gambiae mosquitoes using what they call a ‘gene ...
Modeling confinement and reversibility of threshold-dependent gene drive systems in spatially-explicit Aedes aegypti populations
Tags: Containment, Gene drive synthetic, Mosquitoes, UnderdominanceH. M. Sánchez C, J. B. Bennett, S. L. Wu, G. Rašić, O. S. Akbari and J. M. Marshall, BMC Biology, 18:50. 2020.
Here, we model hypothetical releases of two recently engineered threshold-dependent gene drive systems—reciprocal chromosomal translocations and a form of toxin-antidote-based underdominance known as UDMEL—to explore their ability to be confined and remediated.
Public opinion on gene editing
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Stakeholder engagementP. Thomas, The Ecologist, 2020.
What does the public think of genetic engineering in food and farming? Is there more acceptance, or less, these days? Have the issues changed over time, or is it just more of the same? How well informed do you believe you are? Beyond GM like you to participate in our survey to ...
The malaria mosquito is eliminated in the lab by creating a population of all males
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Population suppression, Sex distorterNewsDesk, Instant, 2020.
A team led by Imperial College London disseminates genetic modification that distorts the sex ratio through the Anopheles gambiae mosquito population that is locked up using ‘gene drive’ technology.
Malaria mosquitoes eliminated in lab by creating all male populations
Tags: Anopheles, CRISPR, Gene drive mechanisms, Gene drive synthetic, Sex distorterH. Dunning, Imperial College London, 2020.
A team led by Imperial College London spread a genetic modification that distorts the sex ratio through a population of caged Anopheles gambiae mosquitoes using ‘gene drive’ technology.
A male-biased sex-distorter gene drive for the human malaria vector Anopheles gambiae
Tags: Anopheles, CRISPR, Gene drive synthetic, Malaria, Replicator/site directed nucleaseA. Simoni, A. M. Hammond, A. K. Beaghton, R. Galizi, C. Taxiarchi, K. Kyrou, D. Meacci, M. Gribble, G. Morselli, A. Burt, T. Nolan and A. Crisanti, Nature Biotechnology, 2020.
We report a male-biased sex-distorter gene drive (SDGD) in the human malaria vector Anopheles gambiae.
Converting endogenous genes of the malaria mosquito into simple non-autonomous gene drives for population replacement
Tags: Anopheles, CRISPR, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Malaria, Population modification/replacement, Replicator/site directed nucleaseA. Hoermann, S. Tapanelli, P. Capriotti, E. K. G. Masters, T. Habtewold, G. K. Christophides and N. Windbichler, bioRxiv, 2020.
Here we explore how minimal genetic modifications of endogenous mosquito genes can convert them directly into non-autonomous gene drives without disrupting their expression.
Gene drive dynamics in natural populations: The importance of density-dependence, space and sex
Tags: Gene drive syntheticS. Dhole, A. L. Lloyd and F. Gould, arXiv, arXiv:2005.01838. 2020.
Here we review how different forms of density-dependence, spatial heterogeneity and mating behaviors can impact the spread of self-sustaining gene drives. We highlight specific aspects of gene drive dynamics and the target populations that need further research.
The EU not ready for the release of Gene drive organisms into the environment.
Tags: Biodiversity/Conservation, Europe, Gene drive synthetic, Policy, Regulation, Risk assessmentPensoft Publishers, ScienceDaily, 2020.
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.
Beyond limits – the pitfalls of global gene drives for environmental risk assessment in the European Union
Tags: Europe, Gene drive synthetic, Genetically modified organisms, Regulation, Risk and safety, Risk assessmentM. Dolezel, C. Lüthi and H. Gaugitsch, BioRisk, 15:1-29. 2020.
We evaluate the novel features of GDOs and outline the resulting challenges for the environmental risk assessment.
The development of complex and controversial innovations. Genetically modified mosquitoes for malaria eradication
Tags: Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Genetically modified mosquitoes, Malaria, Policy, Risk and safety, Target malariaV. Cisnetto and J. Barlow, Research Policy, 49:103917. 2020.
e use a longitudinal process approach and qualitative system dynamics modelling to study the development of genetically modified (GM) mosquitoes for malaria eradication in an African country.
EFSA discusses risk assessment of gene drives
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Policy, Regulation, Risk assessmentC. Then, Testbiotech, 2020.
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) carried out a public consultation on guidance for the risk assessment of so-called gene drives at the request of the EU Commission. At the same time, a new Testbiotech scientific paper was accepted after peer review. The paper shows that ...
Gene drive outcomes not determined by genetic variation – A Podcast
Tags: CRISPR, Gene drive synthetic, Replicator/site directed nucleaseThomas Locke, Malaria Minute, 2020.
Gene drives are a system of genetic modification that use ‘molecular scissors’ to edit DNA sequences that self-perpetuate to ensure the rapid spread of mutation in a population. They offer new avenues for eradicating vector-borne diseases like malaria. They rely on the Cas9 ...
Alternative Techniques and Options for Risk Reduction of Gene Drives
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Policy, Regulation, Risk assessmentBernd Giese, Arnim von Gleich and Johannes L. Frieß, Gene Drives at Tipping Points, 2020.
In this chapter, we analyse and compare different types of gene drives as well as promising alternative approaches that may provide a reduced risk.
Limits of Knowledge and Tipping Points in the Risk Assessment of Gene Drive Organisms
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Risk assessmentArnim von Gleich and Winfried Schröder, Gene Drives at Tipping Points, 2020.
New challengesTipping point in the risk assessment of genetically engineered (GE) organisms are expected to emerge in the context of so-called ‘gene drives’. Based on a review of findings from current knowledge of GE organisms, it is concluded that the risk assessment of gene ...
Steps Towards a Precautionary Risk Governance of SPAGE Technologies Including Gene-Drives
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Risk assessmentArnim von Gleich, Gene Drives at Tipping Points, 2020.
In view of the rapid dynamics of genetic engineering development (in particular regarding the ‘new gene-technologies’ gene editing, self-propagating artificial genetic elements (SPAGESelf-Propagating Artificial Genetic Elements (SPAGE)) and synthetic biology), the question is ...
Model Concepts for Gene Drive Dynamics
Tags: Gene drive syntheticJohnannes L. Frieß, Merle Preu and Broder Breckling, Gene Drives at Tipping Points, 2020.
The GeneTip project works on the conception and design modeling of population dynamics influenced by gene drives. In this pursuit, multiple different approaches and concepts have been developed to on one hand, be able to cover a broad perspective on the topic but on the other ...
Case Study 2: Oilseed Rape (Brassica napus L.)
Tags: Agriculture, Gene drive synthetic, Risk assessmentJohnannes L. Frieß, Broder Breckling, Kathrin Pascher and Windfried Schröder, Gene Drives at Tipping Points, 2020.
SPAGESelf-Propagating Artificial Genetic Elements (SPAGE) (Self-Propagating Artificial Genetic Element) technologies allow for a proliferation of genetic information on the populationPopulation level at a higher rate than usual Mendelian inheritanceMendelian inheritance. ...
Case Study 1: Olive Fruit Fly (Bactrocera oleae)
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Population genetics/dynamicsMerle Preu, Johannes L. Frieß, Broder Breckling and Winfried Schröder, Gene Drives at Tipping Points, 2020.
The olive fruit fly Bactrocera oleae is a phytophagous insect associated to olive trees (Olea europaea, Oleaceae). Its larvae monophagously feed on olive fruits, the fly is therefore considered the most severe pest of olive cultivation causing tremendous economic losses. The ...
Vulnerability Analysis of Ecological Systems
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Policy, Regulation, Risk assessmentCarina R. Lalyer, Arnim von gleich, Bernd Giese, Gene Drives at Tipping Points, 2020.
Vulnerability analysis can be seen as the counterpart to technology characterization. Technology characterisation scrutinises the intervening technology. Vulnerability analyses potentially affected systems. That may be socio-ecological, socio-technical, socio-economic or other ...
Gene Drives Touching Tipping Points
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Regulation, Risk assessmentBrodee Breckling, Arnim von Gleich,, Gene Drives at Tipping Points, 2020.
Tipping points and tipping elements, phase transitions and similar critical phenomena are widely discussed in scientific as well as socio-economic contexts as components to understand unforeseen far reaching changes and critical transitions from one stage into another in complex ...
Technology Characterisation
Tags: Gene drive syntheticJohannes L. Frieß, Bernd Giese, Arnim von Gleich, Gene Drives at Tipping Point, 2020.
In recent years, innovation in genetic engineering brought forth a number of technologies to manipulate the fate of entire wild typeWild type populations. These technologies rely on the dissemination of synthetic genetic elements within a population of sexually reproducing ...
Gene Drives at Tipping Points
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Policy, Regulation, Risk assessmentAmin von Gleich and Winfried Schroder, Gene Drives at Tipping Points, 2020.
This open access book reports on a pilot project aiming at collecting information on the socio-ecological risks that could arise in the event of an uncontrolled spread of genetically engineered organisms into the environment. The researchers will, for instance, be taking a closer ...
GeneTip project results published in full
Tags: Gene drive syntheticC. Then, Testbiotech, 2020.
The GeneTip research project was a joint enterprise carried out from 2017 until 2019 by the Universities of Bremen and Vechta, the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna and Testbiotech, Munich. The researchers focused on risks associated with the spread of ...
Genetic Biocontrol – An Overview (video 13.13 min)
Tags: Cytoplasmic incompatibility, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Incompatible insect technique, Sterile insect technique (SIT), Toxin-antidote, Underdominance, Wolbachia, X chromosomeGeneConvene Global Collaborative, 2020.
This video explains what genetic biocontrol is and surveys various technologies that can be consider genetic biocontrol technologies. It offers a conceptual organization of the various technologies based on the potential of genetic biocontrol organisms to persist and spread in ...
Opinions of key stakeholders on alternative interventions for malaria control and elimination in Tanzania
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Malaria, Mosquitoes, Stakeholder engagement, Vector controlM. F. Finda, N. Christofides, J. Lezaun, B. Tarimo, P. Chaki, A. H. Kelly, N. Kapologwe, P. Kazyoba, B. Emidi and F. O. Okumu, Malaria Journal, 19:164. 2020.
Malaria control in Tanzania currently relies primarily on long-lasting insecticidal nets and indoor residual spraying, alongside effective case management and behaviour change communication. This study explored opinions of key stakeholders on the national progress towards malaria ...
Pest control with genetically modified insects
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Risk and safetymyScience, myScience, 2020.
To control pests without pesticides, genetically modified organisms of the same species could be used. The latter carry a gene that is passed on with above-average frequency via sexual reproduction. This gene possesses traits that directly weaken the pest, or prevent pathogens ...
Can we kill the dreaded mosquito? Do we even want to?
Tags: Dengue, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Incompatible insect technique, Malaria, Mosquitoes, Sterile insect technique (SIT), WolbachiaStacey McKenna, Sierra, 2020.
As a major vector for disease, the mosquito has harmed more human beings than just about any other animal, and a changing climate is only boosting those numbers. As the range of disease-carrying species of mosquitoes expands, so does their ability to transmit the parasites and ...
Gene drives as a gene modification tool. A scientific overview.
Tags: Gene drive syntheticAshan Ali, TechnologyTimes, 2020.
We have heard a lot of genes and chromosomes. But we have not heard about gene drives. In this article, we are going to get an overview of gene drives. Gene Drive is basically a genetic engineering technique that helps in the accumulation and propagation of a particular set of ...
Controversial ‘gene drive’ could disarm deadly wheat pathogen
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Yeast and FungiElizabeth Pennisi, Science, 2020.
The Fusarium fungus is the bane of every wheat farmer’s existence. Causing wheat scab—also known as head blight—it decimates harvests and contaminates grains with a toxin harmful to people and animals. Now, Australian researchers have come up with a new strategy to combat ...
Genetic variation not an obstacle to gene drive strategy to control mosquitoes
Tags: Gene drive mechanisms, Gene drive syntheticUniversity of California Davis, ScienceDaily, 2020.
New research from entomologists at UC Davis clears a potential obstacle to using CRISPR-Cas9 "gene drive" technology to control mosquito-borne diseases such as malaria, dengue fever, yellow fever and Zika.
Gene editing and the war against malaria
Tags: Africa, Gene drive synthetic, Malaria, Population modification/replacement, Population suppressionE. Bier and E. Sobber, American Scientist, 102:162. 2020.
Malaria is a devastating disease transmitted from person to person by mosquitoes. It kills more than 400,000 people per year, more than half of those deaths being children 5 years old or younger. CRISPR (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats) is a new ...
Report of the ad hoc technical expert group on risk assessment
Tags: Fish, Gene drive synthetic, Genetically modified organisms, Policy, Regulation, Risk and safety, Risk assessmentAd Hoc Technical Expert Group on Risk Assessment, Convention on Biological Diversity, 2020.
The Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Cartagena Protocol further decided to extend the Online Forum on Risk Assessment and Risk Management to assist the AHTEG and invited submissions of information relevant to the work of the online forum and ...
Development and testing of a novel killer–rescue self-limiting gene drive system in Drosophila melanogaster
Tags: Fruit fly, Gene drive synthetic, Toxin-antidoteS. H. Webster, M. R. Vella and M. J. Scott, Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 287:20192994. 2020.
Here we report the development and testing of a novel self-limiting gene drive system, Killer–Rescue (K–R), in Drosophila melanogaster. This system is composed of an autoregulated Gal4 Killer (K) and a Gal4-activated Gal80 Rescue (R). Overexpression of Gal4 is lethal, but in ...
Gene Drive Basics – Characteristics and Properties
Tags: Gene drive syntheticGeneConvene Global Collaborative, 2020.
This short video covers the concept of 'drive strength', 'drive thresholds', 'spreading', 'resistance' and describes two strategies by which transmission advantages can be achieved. The video is intended to provide additional insights into the technology to enable and encourage ...
Gene editing could fight malaria by causing only male mosquitos to be born
Tags: Anopheles, Gene drive synthetic, Population suppression, Sex distorterL. Dormehl, Digital Trends, 2020.
What’s the theoretically easiest way to ensure that a population of mosquitos is not able to sustain itself through breeding? Make sure that there aren’t enough females, of course. That’s the exploratory approach being pioneered by researchers at the U.K.’s Imperial ...
GENE DRIVE ORGANISMS: Implications for the environment and nature conservation
Tags: Biodiversity/Conservation, Gene drive synthetic, Policy, Regulation, Risk and safetyM. Dolezel, S. Simon, M. Otto, M. Engelhard and W. Zughart, Umweltbundesamt, 2020.
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 ...
Spatio-temporal controllability and environmental risk assessment of genetically engineered gene drive organisms from the perspective of EU GMO Regulation
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Policy, Regulation, Risk assessmentC. Then, K. Kawall and N. Valenzuela, Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management, 2020.
Gene drive organisms are a recent development created by using methods of genetic engineering; they inherit genetic constructs that are passed on to future generations with a higher probability than with Mendelian inheritance. There are some specific challenges inherent to the ...
Natural gene drives offer potential pathogen control strategies in plants
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Yeast and FungiD. M. Gardiner, A. Rusu, L. Barrett, G. C. Hunter and K. Kazan, bioRxiv, 2020.
Globally, fungal pathogens cause enormous crop losses and current control practices are not always effective, economical or environmentally sustainable. Tools enabling genetic management of wild pathogen populations could potentially solve many problems associated with plant ...
Engineering multiple species-like genetic incompatibilities in insects
Tags: Fruit fly, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic incompatibilities, Regulation, Toxin-antidote, UnderdominanceM. Maselko, N. Feltman, A. Upadhyay, A. Hayward, S. Das, N. Myslicki, A. J. Peterson, M. B. O’Connor and M. J. Smanski, bioRxiv, 2020.
Speciation constrains the flow of genetic information between populations of sexually reproducing organisms. Gaining control over mechanisms of speciation would enable new strategies to manage wild populations of disease vectors, agricultural pests, and invasive species. ...
Gene drives could stop the world’s oldest problems
Tags: Gene drive syntheticChloe Willianms, Inverse, 2020.
Kevin Esvelt worries more than the average scientist. It’s a consequence of having invented a technology powerful enough to alter an entire species. In 2013, Esvelt came up with the concept of CRISPR-based gene drive. The technology uses CRISPR, a gene editing tool, to hack ...
Auditing preparedness for vector control field studies
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Gene editing, Risk assessmentC. M. Collins and M. M. Quinlan, American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, 102:707-710. 2020.
The value of baseline entomological data to any future area-wide release campaign relies on the application of consistent methods to produce results comparable across different times and places in a stepwise progression to larger releases. Traditionally, standard operating ...
Underdominance
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, UnderdominanceGeneConvene Global Collaborative, 2020.
This video graphically explains the genetic concept of underdominance and illustrates how it can result in one allele replacing another allele in a population. While 'gene drive', underdominance is a genetic phenomenon that can be recreated using genetic technologies and might ...
Engineering a minimal gene drive system for integral replacement in Drosophila melanogaster
Tags: Fruit fly, Gene drive synthetic, Population modification/replacementA. Nash, Imperial College London, 2020.
Gene drives represent a powerful tool for the control of vector-borne diseases. By suppressing or replacing vector populations, laboratory studies have highlighted the potential for this group of tools to make a powerful impact on the burden of zoonotic disease. Current genetic ...
Development of control and sterilization technology for bluegill by genome editing
Tags: Fish, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Invasive species, Sterile insect technique (SIT)M. A. Madsen, Nippon Suisan Gakkaishi, 86:100-100. 2020.
This article is in Japanese
The value of existing regulatory frameworks for the environmental risk assessment of agricultural pest control using gene drive
Tags: Biological control, Gene drive synthetic, Genetically modified organisms, Incompatible insect technique, Regulation, Risk assessment, Sterile insect technique (SIT)J. Romeis, J. Collatz, D. C. M. Glandorf and M. B. Bonsall, Environmental Science & Policy, 108:19-36. 2020.
The application of (synthetic) gene drives is a powerful tool to control populations of insects that are agricultural pests, vectors of diseases, or a threat to biodiversity potentially leading to the local or global eradication of a species. The potential use of gene drive ...
Strategies for Achieving Gene Drive – Gonotaxis
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Transmission distortionGeneConvene Global Collaborative, 2020.
This video explains how there are three strategies for achieving gene drive and focuses on one, gonotaxis. Gonotaxis is explained and illustrated. While well-described in various plants and animals, gene drive researchers and technology developers have not recreated gonotaxis ...
‘Gene Drive’ to curb malaria raises ethical questions as well
Tags: Ethics, Gene drive synthetic, MosquitoesGyanedra Nath Mitra, The Pioneer, 2020.
A new technology ‘Gene Drive’ for mosquito control is currently confined to the laboratory since it raises an ethical question, if such a technology could in future be misused to the detriment of humanity.
Strategies for Achieving Gene Drive – Interference
Tags: Gene drive syntheticGeneConvene Global Collaborative, 2020.
This short video explains how there are essentially three genetic strategies for achieve 'drive' or 'gene drive'. This video focuses on the strategy of interference in which a genetic element achieves a transmission advantage or drives by disrupting the development of cells ...
Strategies for Achieving Gene Drive – Over-Replication
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Replicator/site directed nucleaseGeneConvene Global Collaborative, 2020.
This short video explains how there are essentially three genetic strategies for achieve 'drive' or 'gene drive'. This video focuses on Over-Replication, a very common strategy associated wtih different types of genetic elements found in nature that 'drive'. This strategy is ...
Can a population targeted by a CRISPR-based homing gene drive be rescued?
Tags: CRISPR, Gene drive synthetic, Replicator/site directed nuclease, Risk assessmentN. O. Rode, V. Courtier-Orgogozo and F. Débarre, bioRxiv, 2020.03.17.995829. 2020.
CRISPR-based homing gene drive is a genetic control technique aiming to modify or eradicate natural populations through the release of individuals carrying an engineered piece of DNA that can be inherited by all their progeny. Developing countermeasures is important to control ...
Computational and experimental performance of CRISPR homing gene drive strategies with multiplexed gRNAs
Tags: CRISPR, Gene drive synthetic, Replicator/site directed nuclease, ResistanceS. E. Champer, S. Y. Oh, C. Liu, Z. Wen, A. G. Clark, P. W. Messer and J. Champer, Science Advances, 6:eaaz0525. 2020.
The rapid evolution of resistance alleles poses a major obstacle for genetic manipulation of populations with CRISPR homing gene drives. One proposed solution is using multiple guide RNAs (gRNAs), allowing a drive to function even if some resistant target sites are present. Here, ...
Anti-CRISPR protein applications: natural brakes for CRISPR-Cas technologies
Tags: CRISPR, Gene drive mechanisms, Gene drive syntheticMarino, N. D., Pinilla-Redondo, R. , Csorgo, B., Bondy-Denomy, J., Nature Methods, 2020.
Clustered, regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) and CRISPR-associated (Cas) genes, a diverse family of prokaryotic adaptive immune systems, have emerged as a biotechnological tool and therapeutic. The discovery of protein inhibitors of CRISPR-Cas systems, ...
Abundance of conserved CRISPR-Cas9 target sites within the highly polymorphic genomes of Anopheles and Aedes mosquitoes
Tags: Anopheles, Gene drive synthetic, Genetics, Population genetics/dynamics, ResistanceH. Schmidt, T. C. Collier, M. J. Hanemaaijer, P. D. Houston, Y. Lee and G. C. Lanzaro, Nature Communications, 11. 2020.
ere we report the results of a survey of 1280 genomes of the mosquitoes Anopheles gambiae, An. coluzzii, and Aedes aegypti in which we determine that similar to 90% of all protein-encoding CGD target genes in natural populations include at least one target site with no DRAs at a ...
The risks of using gene drives to get rid of ‘pesky species’
Tags: Biodiversity/Conservation, Gene drive syntheticR. Lewis, Genetic Literacy Project, 2020.
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 ...
A fly model establishes distinct mechanisms for synthetic CRISPR/Cas9 sex distorters
Tags: Fruit fly, Gene drive synthetic, Other arthropods, Y-chromosomeB. Fasulo, A. Meccariello, M. Morgan, C. Borufka, P. A. Papathanos and N. Windbichler, PLOS Genetics, 16:e1008647. 2020.
Author summary Harmful insect populations can be eliminated for a lack of females if they are made to produce mostly male offspring. There are genes that occur naturally that make males produce mostly sons and, although we don’t know exactly how they work, this appears to ...
Performance analysis of novel toxin-antidote CRISPR gene drive systems
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Replicator/site directed nuclease, Resistance, Toxin-antidoteJ. Champer, I. K. Kim, S. E. Champer, A. G. Clark and P. W. Messer, BMC Biology, 18:27. 2020.
CRISPR gene drive systems allow the rapid spread of a genetic construct throughout a population. Such systems promise novel strategies for the management of vector-borne diseases and invasive species by suppressing a target population or modifying it with a desired trait. ...
Stakeholder workshop “Problem formulation for the environmental risk assessment of gene drive modified insects” (15 May 2019, Brussels)
Tags: Biodiversity/Conservation, Gene drive synthetic, PolicyEuropean 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.
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 ...
NZ’s great pest-free quest: can we get there?
Tags: Biodiversity/Conservation, Gene drive synthetic, OceaniaJ. Morton, NZ Herald, 2020.
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 ...
Toward the definition of efficacy and safety criteria for advancing gene drive-modified mosquitoes to field testing
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Policy, Risk and safetyS. L. James, J. M. Marshall, G. K. Christophides, F. O. Okumu and T. Nolan, Vector Borne and Zoonotic Diseases, 20:237. 2020.
Mosquitoes containing gene drive systems are being developed as complementary tools to prevent transmission of malaria and other mosquito-borne diseases. As with any new tool, decision makers and other stakeholders will need to balance risks (safety) and benefits (efficacy) when ...
Population-level multiplexing: A promising strategy to manage the evolution of resistance against gene drives targeting a neutral locus
Tags: CRISPR, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic engineering, Population genetics/dynamicsM. P. Edgington, T. Harvey-Samuel and L. Alphey, Evolutionary Applications, 10. 2020.
CRISPR-based gene drives bias inheritance in their favour by inducing double-stranded breaks (DSBs) at wild-type homologous loci and using the drive transgene as a repair template-converting drive heterozygotes into homozygotes. Recent studies have shown that alternate ...
What squirrels can teach us about why, when, and how to use gene drives
Tags: Biodiversity/Conservation, Gene drive synthetic, Invasive species, RodentsRebecca Nesbit, synbiobeta, 2020.
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 ...
A unifying approach to gene drive
Tags: Gene drive syntheticP. Verma, R. Reeves and C. S. Gokhale, bioRxiv, 2020.02.28.970103. 2020.
Synthetic gene drive technologies aim to spread transgenic constructs into wild populations even when they impose organismal fitness disadvantages. The properties of gene drive constructs are diverse and depend on their molecular construction, and differential selection pressure ...
Risk assessment challenges of synthetic gene drive organisms
Tags: Biodiversity/Conservation, Gene drive synthetic, Policy, Regulation, Risk and safetyE. Sirinathsinghji, TWN Biosafety Briefing, 2020.
Public health concerns over gene-drive mosquitoes: will future use of gene-drive snails for schistosomiasis control gain increased level of community acceptance?
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Mosquitoes, Other invertebratesD. O. Famakinde, Pathogens and Global Health, 2020.
With the advent of CRISPR (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat)-based gene drive, present genetic research in schistosomiasis vector control envisages the breeding and release of transgenic schistosome-resistant (TSR) snail vectors to curb the spread of the ...
The Buzz About Genetically Modified Mosquitoes – a podcast
Tags: Gene drive mechanisms, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Mosquitoes, Sterile insect technique (SIT)The Scientist Creative Services Team, The Scientist, podcast. 2020.
Mosquito-borne diseases afflict a large portion of the world. In this month’s episode, we consider genetic methods to eradicate diseases such as Zika fever, Dengue fever, and malaria. We spoke with Omar Akbari, professor of Cell and Developmental Biology at the University of ...
Understanding the Science of Gene Drive and the Potential for an Improved Crop Pest Control System in Nigeria
Tags: Africa, Agriculture, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Pest managementA. Isah and R. S. M. Gidado, OFAB Nigeria, 2020.
Several studies have shown that the Cas9-mediated gene drive technology is cheaper and will be easily affordable by the efficient Nigerian scientists to explore. The application of the gene drive technologies have many more controls over several other devastating insects in ...
Gene Drives: New and Improved
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Policy, RegulationR. M. Friedman, J. M. Marshall and O. S. Akbari, Issues in Science and Technology, 36:1-7. 2020.
Our goal here is to describe the various options under development in nontechnical terms for a policy-making audience, review how far along each is, and examine the broader context of how this new suite of technologies compares with other available alternatives. Early engagement ...
Genome engineering in insects: focus on the CRISPR/Cas9 system
Tags: CRISPR, Gene drive synthetic, Gene editingHillary, V. Edwin Ceasar, Stanislaus Antony Ignacimuthu, S., Genome Engineering via CRISPR-Cas9 System, 2020.
Genome engineering is a precise tool used to alter the genome of desired organism. Zinc finger nuclease (ZFN), transcription activator-like effector nucleases (TALENs) and clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR), and the CRISPR-associated RNA guided ...
Modeling the impacts of a simple meiotic gene drive on small, homeostatic populations
Tags: Evolution, Gene drive synthetic, Transmission distortionK. R. Pilkiewicz and M. L. Mayo, Physical Review E, 101:11. 2020.
Gene drives offer unprecedented control over the fate of natural ecosystems by leveraging non-Mendelian inheritance mechanisms to proliferate synthetic genes across wild populations. However, these benefits are offset by a need to avoid the potentially disastrous consequences of ...
What are gene drives about?
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Risk and safety, VideoEFSAchannel, 2020.
EFSA expert Les Firbank, specialised in sustainable agriculture, talks about gene drives. Recent development in molecular biology are allowing scientists to engineer gene drives and use them to push desirable genes into target populations. How does that work? Learn more about ...
Genetically engineered moths may save kale chips
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Moths, Oxitec, Self limiting, Sterile insect technique (SIT)C. Poku, BIOtechNOW, 2020.
Sea salt kale chips, bacon brussels sprouts, and buffalo cauliflower wings are under threat. Environmental activists will have you believe the biggest threat to our food system is pesticides. That’s not true, in fact, it’s insects—the very reason most pesticides are ...
Progress towards engineering gene drives for population control
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Transmission distortion, UnderdominanceR. R. Raban, J. M. Marshall and O. S. Akbari, The Journal of Experimental Biology, 223:jeb208181. 2020.
Vector-borne diseases, such as dengue, Zika and malaria, are a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. These diseases have proven difficult to control and currently available management tools are insufficient to eliminate them in many regions. Gene drives have the ...
Vector genetics, insecticide resistance and gene drives: an agent-based modeling approach to evaluate malaria transmission and elimination
Tags: Africa, Evolution, Gene drive mechanisms, Gene drive synthetic, Malaria, Modeling, MosquitoesP. Selvaraj, E. A. Wenger, D. Bridenbecker, N. Windbichler, J. R. Russell, J. Gerardin, C. A. Bever and M. Nikolov, bioRxiv, 2020.01.27.920421. 2020.
Vector control has been a key component in the fight against malaria for decades, and chemical insecticides are critical to the success of vector control programs worldwide. However, increasing resistance to insecticides threatens to undermine these efforts. Understanding the ...
Genetically engineered moths have been released into the wild to wipe out pests
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Moths, Oxitec, Self limiting, Sterile insect technique (SIT)K. Rogers, CNN, 2020.
Genetically modified diamondback moths designed to wipe out wild pest populations were released in fields for the first time in New York state. Diamondback moths are migratory pests found in the Americas, Europe, New Zealand and Southeast Asia, but especially in areas where ...
Engineering Bugs, Resurrecting Species: The Wild World of Synthetic Biology for Conservation
Tags: Biodiversity/Conservation, Dengue, Gene drive synthetic, Gene editing, MalariaP. Rejcek, Singularity Hub, 2020.
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 ...
Gene technologies in weed management: a technical feasibility analysis
Tags: Agriculture, Gene drive synthetic, Replicator/site directed nuclease, ResistanceN. Kumaran, A. Choudhary, M. Legros, A. W. Sheppard, L. G. Barrett, D. M. Gardiner and S. Raghu, Current Opinion in Insect Science, 38:6-14. 2020.
With the advent of new genetic technologies such as gene silencing and gene drive, efforts to develop additional management tools for weed management is gaining significant momentum. These technologies promise novel ways to develop sustainable weed control options because gene ...
GMO diamondback moth shows promise as sustainable pest control tool in first ever open-field release
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Moths, Oxitec, Self limiting, Sterile insect technique (SIT)Cornell University, Genetic Literacy Project, 2020.
A newly published study reports a successful, first-ever open-field release of a self-limiting, genetically engineered diamondback moth, stating that it paves the way for an effective and sustainable approach to pest control. The diamondback moth, also known as Plutella ...
Male moths genetically modified to kill females released in the wild
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Moths, Oxitec, Self limiting, Sterile insect technique (SIT)M. Le Page, New Scientist, 2020.
Genetically modified male diamondback moths designed to wipe out pest populations have been released in New York state. The field trial shows that these GM moths, whose female offspring die soon after hatching, could help control this major crop pest. Oxitec, the British ...
First Field Release of a Genetically Engineered, Self-Limiting Agricultural Pest Insect: Evaluating Its Potential for Future Crop Protection
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Moths, Oxitec, Self limiting, Sterile insect technique (SIT)A. M. Shelton, S. J. Long, A. S. Walker, M. Bolton, H. L. Collins, L. Revuelta, L. M. Johnson and N. I. Morrison, Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology, 7:1-15. 2020.
Alternative, biologically-based approaches for pest management are sorely needed and one approach is to use genetically engineered insects. Herein we describe a series of integrated field, laboratory and modeling studies with the diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella, a serious ...
Public Opinion Towards Gene Drive as a Pest Control Approach for Biodiversity Conservation and the Association of Underlying Worldviews
Tags: CRISPR, Ecology, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Invasive species, Oceania, Policy, Stakeholder engagement, Synthetic biologyE. A. MacDonald, J. Balanovic, E. D. Edwards, W. Abrahamse, B. Frame, A. Greenaway, R. Kannemeyer, N. Kirk, F. Medvecky, T. L. Milfont, J. C. Russell and D. M. Tompkins, Environmental Communication-a Journal of Nature and Culture, 15:1-16. 2020.
Synthetic gene drive approaches are nascent technologies with potential applicability for pest control for conservation purposes. Responsible science mandates that society be engaged in a dialogue over new technology, particularly where there exist global ramifications as with ...
Can CRISPR Save Tufty Fluffytail?
Tags: Biodiversity/Conservation, Gene drive synthetic, RodentsL. Tracey, JSTOR Daily, 2020.
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
Tags: Biodiversity/Conservation, Gene drive synthetic, RodentsR. Bailey, reason, 2020.
Gene drives could spread this beneficial trait through wild mosquito populations.
Synthetically engineered mosquitos could neutralize dengue virus infection
Tags: Aedes, Dengue, Gene drive synthetic, Population modification/replacementL. Woolfe, Biotechniques, 2020.
Dengue virus infection can be severe and life threatening. New research has developed an improved approach to controlling this deadly infection.
Regulation of GM Organisms for Invasive Species Control
Tags: Biodiversity/Conservation, Ethics, Gene drive synthetic, Gene editing, Invasive species, Policy, Regulation, Risk and safety, Risk assessmentH. J. Mitchell and D. Bartsch, Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology, 7:1-11. 2020.
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 ...
Davos 2020 World Economic Forum | When Humankind Overrides Evolution
Tags: Evolution, Gene drive synthetic, VideoM. Skipper, World Economic Forum, Davos 2020. 2020.
Advances in synthetic biology and other novel genetic procedures could resurrect extinct species or eliminate dangerous pests. What actions are needed now to ensure the ethical and responsible application of new genetic techniques?
Mosquitoes genetically modified to combat dengue
Tags: Aedes, Dengue, Gene drive synthetic, Population modification/replacementDowntoearth, Down To Earth, 2020.
For the first time mosquitoes have been engineered to fight all 4 known types of dengue
Genetically Modified Mosquitos Neutralize Dengue Virus
Tags: Aedes, Dengue, Gene drive synthetic, Population modification/replacementN. P. Dyal, Infectious Disease Advisor, 2020.
Researchers at the University of California San Diego have identified a target gene in mosquitos that renders the insects completely refractory to all 4 serotypes of the dengue virus and thus, incapable of transmitting the virus to humans, according to study results published in ...
Irreversible ecosystem engineering with Gene Drive Organisms
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, PolicySave Our Seeds, Save Our Seeds, 2020.
Gene drive technology is a particular application of the new genetic engineering tool CRISPR/Cas9. It is designed to genetically modify, replace or eradicate wild populations or entire species. So far it works in mosquitos, mice, flies, yeast and nematodes. But in principle it ...
Genetically modified mosquitoes resist all dengue viruses, researchers find
Tags: Aedes, Dengue, Gene drive synthetic, Population modification/replacementB. Burton, C|NET, 2020.
This new kind of mosquito can't spread any form of the deadly disease.
A transcomplementing gene drive provides a flexible platform for laboratory investigation and potential field deployment
Tags: Gene drive mechanisms, Gene drive synthetic, Replicator/site directed nucleaseV. López Del Amo, A. L. Bishop, H. M. Sánchez C, J. B. Bennett, X. Feng, J. M. Marshall, E. Bier and V. M. Gantz, Nature Communications, 11:352. 2020.
CRISPR-based gene drives can spread through wild populations by biasing their own transmission above the 50% value predicted by Mendelian inheritance. These technologies offer population-engineering solutions for combating vector-borne diseases, managing crop pests, and ...
Genetically engineered mosquitoes resist spreading any form of dengue
Tags: Aedes, Dengue, Gene drive synthetic, Population modification/replacementK. Servick, Science, 2020.
Recover from dengue once, and you’re not necessarily free and clear. The mosquito-borne disease marked by fever, rash, and debilitating pain results from any of four genetically distinct versions of the dengue virus. Previously infected people who get hit with a second of these ...
Genetically engineered mosquitoes halt Dengue spread
Tags: Aedes, Dengue, Gene drive synthetic, Population modification/replacementL. Thomas, New Medical Life Sciences, 2020.
A new study published in the journal PLOS Pathogens in January 2020 reports the development of mosquitoes that have been genetically modified to resist infection by several types of the dengue virus. This is the first time ever that all types of the virus have been targeted by ...
Researchers Genetically Modify First Batch Of Mosquitoes Resistant To All Four Types Of Dengue
Tags: Aedes, Dengue, Gene drive synthetic, Population modification/replacementM. Dapcevich, IFL Science, 2020.
An international team of researchers have synthetically engineered a breed of mosquitos that are resistant to all four types of the dengue virus for the first time, a feat they say may someday suppress the disease and stop its transmission to humans.
Genetically engineered mosquitoes are immune to all strains of dengue virus for first time
Tags: Aedes, Dengue, Gene drive synthetic, Population modification/replacementG. Weule, ABC News Online, 2020.
Locked in a secure lab near Melbourne is the newest addition in the fight against dengue: genetically engineered mosquitoes that are resistant to all strains of the potentially deadly virus.
Mosquitoes resistant to all types of dengue virus engineered
Tags: Aedes, Dengue, Gene drive synthetic, Population modification/replacementN. Lavars, New Atlas, 2020.
Last year, scientists at Australia's Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) made a big breakthrough, engineering mosquitoes that break the chain of Zika virus transmission. But they did so with multiple targets in mind, with the mosquito in question, ...
Broad dengue neutralization in mosquitoes expressing an engineered antibody
Tags: Aedes, Dengue, Gene drive synthetic, Population modification/replacementA. Buchman, S. Gamez, M. Li, I. Antoshechkin, H.-H. Li, H.-W. Wang, C.-H. Chen, M. J. Klein, J.-B. Duchemin, J. E. Crowe, Jr., P. N. Paradkar and O. S. Akbari, PLOS Pathogens, 16:e1008103. 2020.
Author summary With limited success of traditional vector control methods to curb dengue infections and more than half of the world’s population still at risk, there is a need for novel strategies to reduce its impact on public health. Recent advances in genetic technologies ...
Development of a confinable gene drive system in the human disease vector Aedes aegypti
Tags: Aedes, CRISPR, Dengue, Gene drive syntheticM. Li, T. Yang, N. P. Kandul, M. Bui, S. Gamez, R. Raban, J. Bennett, H. M. Sánchez C, G. C. Lanzaro, H. Schmidt, Y. Lee, J. M. Marshall and O. S. Akbari, eLife, 9:e51701. 2020.
Aedes aegypti is the principal mosquito vector for many arboviruses that increasingly infect millions of people every year. With an escalating burden of infections and the relative failure of traditional control methods, the development of innovative control measures has become ...
The kill-switch for CRISPR that could make gene-editing safer
Tags: CRISPR, Gene drive syntheticE. Dolgin, Nature, 577:308-310. 2020.
How anti-CRISPR proteins and other molecules could bolster biosecurity and improve medical treatments.
Antiviral effectors and gene drive strategies for mosquito population suppression or replacement to mitigate arbovirus transmission by Aedes aegypti
Tags: Aedes, Arbovirus, Gene drive synthetic, Population modification/replacement, Population suppressionA. E. Williams, A. W. E. Franz, W. R. Reid and K. E. Olson, Insects, 11:1-18. 2020.
The mosquito vector Aedes aegypti transmits arthropod-borne viruses (arboviruses) of medical importance, including Zika, dengue, and yellow fever viruses. Controlling mosquito populations remains the method of choice to prevent disease transmission. Novel mosquito control ...
The gene drive dilemma: We can alter entire species but should we?
Tags: Ethics, Gene drive synthetic, PolicyJ. Kahn, New York Times Magazine, 2020.
One early summer evening in 2018, the biologist Anthony James drove from his office at the University of California, Irvine, to the headquarters of the Creative Artists Agency, a sleek glass-and-steel high-rise in Los Angeles. There, roughly 200 writers, directors and producers ...
DNA ‘edit’ that could wipe out grey invaders
Tags: Biodiversity/Conservation, Gene drive synthetic, RodentsLevy, A., Scottish Daily Mail, 2020.
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.
Scenario analysis on the use of rodenticides and sex-biasing gene drives for the removal of invasive house mice on islands
Tags: Biodiversity/Conservation, Ethics, Gene drive synthetic, Policy, RodentsM. E. Serr, R. X. Valdez, K. S. Barnhill-Dilling, J. Godwin, T. Kuiken and M. Booker, Biological Invasions, 2020.
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 ...
Red squirrels to thrive again in Britain as new plan considered to eradicate grey breed
Tags: Biodiversity/Conservation, Gene drive synthetic, RodentsHudson, W., Express, 2020.
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 ...
Scientists want to hack grey squirrels to death
Tags: Biodiversity/Conservation, Gene drive synthetic, RodentsCutlack, C., Gizmodo, 2020.
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
Tags: Biodiversity/Conservation, Gene drive synthetic, RodentsBedoya, D., Inforsurhoy, 2020.
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
Tags: Biodiversity/Conservation, Gene drive synthetic, Other mammals, RodentsLeake, J., The Times, 2020.
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 ...
Dolly the sheep scientists hope DNA editing can wipe out grey squirrels
Tags: Biodiversity/Conservation, Gene drive synthetic, Other mammals, RodentsMcLaughlin, M., The Scotsman, 2020.
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 ...
Beyond Mendelian genetics: Anticipatory biomedical ethics and policy implications for the use of CRISPR together with gene drive in humans.
Tags: Ethics, Gene drive synthetic, Gene editing, Policy, RegulationM. W. Nestor and R. L. Wilson, Journal of Bioethical Inquiry, 2020:1-12. 2020.
Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) genome editing has already reinvented the direction of genetic and stem cell research. For more complex diseases it allows scientists to simultaneously create multiple genetic changes to a single cell. ...
Gene drives : equity demands civility
Tags: Biodiversity/Conservation, Gene drive syntheticN. Kofler, Nature, 565:25. 2020.
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 ...
Technology Factsheet: Gene Drives
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Policy, RegulationJ. Lunshof, C. Shachar, R. Edison, A. Jayanti, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, 2020.
Gene drives can be defined as genetic elements that pass from parents to unusually high numbers of their offspring due to biased inheritance (sometimes referred to as the possession of “selfish” genetic elements).1,2 There are different ways of achieving this biased ...
A typology of community and stakeholder engagement based on documented examples in the field of novel vector control
Tags: Ethics, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Policy, Risk and safety, Stakeholder engagementC. E. Schairer, R. Taitingfong, O. S. Akbari and C. S. Bloss, PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, 13:e0007863. 2019.
Background Despite broad consensus on the importance of community and stakeholder engagement (CSE) for guiding the development, regulation, field testing, and deployment of emerging vector control technologies (such as genetically engineered insects), the types of activities ...
These are the 5 most dystopian technologies of 2020 and beyond
Tags: CRISPR, Gene drive syntheticM. Sullivan, FastCompany, 2019.
Tech is always both good and bad. But we live in a time when everything gets weaponized—ideas, images, ancient texts, biases, and even people. And technology provides the tools to do it easier, faster, and with less resources.
Biomphalaria glabrata Granulin Increases Resistance to Schistosoma mansoni Infection in Several Biomphalaria Species and Induces the Production of Reactive Oxygen Species by Haemocytes
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Population modification/replacementJ. R. Hambrook, A. A. Gharamah, E. A. Pila, S. Hussein and P. C. Hanington, Genes, 11:12. 2019.
In this study, we demonstrate that in vivo addition of Biomphalaria glabrata pro-granulin (BgGRN) can reduce Schistosoma mansoni infection success in numerous Biomphalaria sp. when challenged with different S. mansoni strains. We also demonstrate that cleavage of BgGRN into ...
Mathematical modeling of self-contained CRISPR gene drive reversal systems
Tags: Gene drive mechanisms, Gene drive syntheticM. G. Heffel and G. C. Finnigan, Scientific Reports, 9:20050. 2019.
There is a critical need for further research into methods to control biological populations. Numerous challenges to agriculture, ecological systems, and human health could be mitigated by the targeted reduction and management of key species (e.g. pests, parasites, and vectors ...
CRISPR-based gene-drives: from eukaryotes to prokaryotes
Tags: Gene drive syntheticNizet, V., Bioengineering Community, 2019.
Active genetics technology greatly biases transmission of genetic traits, bypassing traditional constraints of Mendelian inheritance and spreading rapidly through wild populations (1). Molecularly defined gene drive constructs in Saccharomyces cerevisiae were copied at ...
Experimental population modification of the malaria vector mosquito, Anopheles stephensi
Tags: Gene drive mechanisms, Gene drive syntheticT. B. Pham, C. H. Phong, J. B. Bennett, K. Hwang, N. Jasinskiene, K. Parker, D. Stillinger, J. M. Marshall, R. Carballar-Lejarazú and A. A. James, PLOS Genetics, 15:e1008440. 2019.
The experimental introduction of manipulated genes into insect species has a long history in basic genetics. Recent advances in genome editing technologies have spurred considerable effort to exploit these methodologies to provide genetic solutions to some of the worst medical ...
Gene drives for schistosomiasis transmission control
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Other invertebrates, Risk and safetyT. Maier, N. J. Wheeler, E. K. O. Namigai, J. Tycko, R. E. Grewelle, Y. Woldeamanuel, K. Klohe, J. Perez-Saez, S. H. Sokolow, G. A. De Leo, T. P. Yoshino, M. Zamanian and J. Reinhard-Rupp, PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, 13:e0007833. 2019.
Schistosomiasis is one of the most important and widespread neglected tropical diseases (NTD), with over 200 million people infected in more than 70 countries; the disease has nearly 800 million people at risk in endemic areas. Although mass drug administration is a ...
Gene drive: progress and prospects
Tags: Evolution, Gene drive mechanisms, Gene drive syntheticWedell, N., T. A. R. Price and A. K. Lindholm, Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 286:20192709. 2019.
Gene drive is a naturally occurring phenomenon in which selfish genetic elements manipulate gametogenesis and reproduction to increase their own transmission to the next generation. Currently, there is great excitement about the potential of harnessing such systems to control ...
Transcontinental dispersal of Anopheles gambiae occurred from West African origin via serial founder events
Tags: Anopheles, Gene drive synthetic, Malaria, Population genetics/dynamics, ResistanceH. Schmidt, Y. Lee, T. C. Collier, M. J. Hanemaaijer, O. D. Kirstein, A. Ouledi, M. Muleba, D. E. Norris, M. Slatkin, A. J. Cornel and G. C. Lanzaro, Communications Biology, 2. 2019.
Here we present population genomic analyses of 111 specimens sampled from west to east Africa, including the first whole genome sequences from oceanic islands, the Comoros.
The potential for a released autosomal X-shredder becoming a driving-Y chromosome and invasively suppressing wild populations of malaria mosquitoes
Tags: Gene drive mechanisms, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Malaria, Other arthropods, Replicator/site directed nuclease, Risk and safety, Sex distorter, X chromosome, Y-chromosomeAlcalay, Y., S. Fuchs, R. Galizi, F. Bernardini, R. E. Haghighat-Khah, D. B. Rusch, J. R. Adrion, M. W. Hahn, P. Tortosa and P. A. Papathanos, bioRxiv, 2019:860551. 2019.
Synthetic sex-ratio distorters based on X-chromosome shredding are predicted to be more efficient than sterile males for population suppression of malaria mosquitoes using genetic control. X chromosome shredding operates through the targeted elimination of X-chromosome-bearing ...
Plasmodium falciparum (Haemosporodia: Plasmodiidae) and O’nyong-nyong virus development in a transgenic Anopheles gambiae (Diptera: Culicidae) strain
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Regulation, Replicator/site directed nuclease, Risk and safety, Y-chromosomeMumford, J. D., C. A. Long, S. C. Weaver, K. Miura, E. Wang, R. Rotenberry, E. M. Dotson and M. Q. Benedict, " Journal of Medical Entomology, 56:936-941. 2019.
ransgenic Anopheles gambiae Giles (Diptera: Culicidae) mosquitoes have been developed that confer sexual sterility on males that carry a transgene encoding a protein which cuts ribosomal DNA. A relevant risk concern with transgenic mosquitoes is that their capacity to transmit ...
Genetically engineering wild mice to combat Lyme disease: An ecological perspective
Tags: Evolution, Gene drive synthetic, Other mammals, RodentsSnow, A. A., BioScience, 69:746-756. 2019.
Genetic engineering of wild populations has been proposed for reducing human diseases by altering pathogens’ hosts. For example, CRISPR- based genome editing may be used to create white-footed mice (Peromyscus leucopus) that are resistant to the Lyme disease ...
Design and analysis of CRISPR-based underdominance toxin-antidote gene drives
Tags: CRISPR, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic engineering, Modeling, Population modification/replacement, Population suppression, Toxin-antidote, UnderdominanceChamper, J., S. E. Champer, I. Kim, A. G. Clark and P. W. Messer, bioRxiv, 861435:861435. 2019.
CRISPR gene drive systems offer a mechanism for transmitting a desirable transgene throughout a population for purposes ranging from vector-borne disease control to invasive species suppression. In this simulation study, we model and assess the performance of several CRISPR-based ...
Disrupting female flight in the vector Aedes aegypti
Tags: Gene drive mechanisms, Gene drive synthetic, MosquitoesO'Leary, S. and Z. N. Adelman, bioRxiv, 862300:862300. 2019.
Aedes aegypti is a vector of dengue, chikungunya, and Zika viruses. Current vector control strategies such as community engagement, source reduction, and insecticides have not been sufficient to prevent viral outbreaks. Thus, interest in novel strategies involving genetic ...
The analytical review on futuristic use of CRISPR-Cpf1 aided gene drive technology
Tags: Gene drive syntheticSatyam, R., N. Singh and T. Bhardwaj, International Journal of Trend in Scientific Research and Development, 2:525-530. 2019.
Organisms edited by gene editing or traditional selective breeding are typically less able to survive and reproduce which effectively prevents those alterations from spreading in the wild populations. This paper focuses on how the CRISPR-Cpf1 system can be used to build a Gene ...
Invasive insects: Management methods explored
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Other arthropodsMcLaughlin, G. M. and P. K. Dearden, Journal of Insect Science, 19:1-9. 2019.
Invasive insect species can act as a plague across the globe, capable of vast expansion and rapid, proliferate reproduction. The spread of pathogens of serious diseases such as malaria and Zika virus and damages to agricultural crops number some of the afflictions invasive ...
Winning the tug-of-war between effector gene design and pathogen evolution in vector population replacement strategies
Tags: Evolution, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Vector controlMarshall, J. M., R. R. Raban, N. P. Kandul, J. R. Edula, T. M. León and O. S. Akbari, Frontiers in Genetics, 10:1072. 2019.
While efforts to control malaria with available tools have stagnated, and arbovirus outbreaks persist around the globe, the advent of clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR)-based gene editing has provided exciting new opportunities for genetics-based ...
Identification and characterisation of a Masculinizer homolog in the diamondback moth Plutella xylostella
Tags: Gene drive, Gene drive mechanisms, Gene drive synthetic, Moths, Other arthropods, Population suppressionHarvey-Samuel, T., V. C. Norman, R. Carter, E. Lovett and L. Alphey, Insect Molecular Biology, 2019:2019. 2019.
Recently, a novel sex-determination system was identified in the silkworm (Bombyx mori) in which a piRNA encoded on the female-specific W chromosome silences a Z-linked gene (Masculinizer) which would otherwise initiate male sex-determination and dosage compensation. ...
A novel drug-inducible sex separation technique for insects
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Other arthropodsKandul, N. P., J. Liu, A. D. Hsu, B. A. Hay and O. S. Akbari, bioRxiv, 2019:2019.12.13.875716. 2019.
Large sterile male releases are the gold standard for most insect population control methods and thus precise sex sorting is essential to the success of these technologies. Sex sorting is especially important for mosquito control because female mosquitoes bite and transmit ...
Gene drive and resilience through renewal with next generation Cleave and Rescue selfish genetic elements
Tags: CRISPR, Fruit fly, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Selfish genetic elements, Toxin-antidote, UnderdominanceOberhofer, G., T. Ivy and B. A. Hay, bioRxiv, 2019:2019.2012.2013.876169. 2019.
Gene drive-based strategies for modifying populations face the problem that genes encoding cargo and the drive mechanism are subject to separation, mutational inactivation, and loss of efficacy. Resilience, an ability to respond to these eventualities in ways that restore ...
A bacterial gene-drive system efficiently edits and inactivates a high copy number antibiotic resistance locus
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Other SymbiontsValderrama, J. A., S. S. Kulkarni, V. Nizet and E. Bier, Nature Communications, 10:5726. 2019.
Gene-drive systems in diploid organisms bias the inheritance of one allele over another. CRISPR-based gene-drive expresses a guide RNA (gRNA) into the genome at the site where the gRNA directs Cas9-mediated cleavage. In the presence of Cas9, the gRNA cassette and any linked cargo ...
Development of genetic control strategies for insect pests using CRISPR/Cas9 Développement de méthodes de lutte génétique contre de l’insecte nuisible basé sur le system CRISPR/Cas9
Tags: Anopheles, CRISPR, Gene drive synthetic, Gene editingE. Green, Université de Strasbourg, 2019.
nsect pest control remains an important economic, environmental, and public health challenge. CRISPR/Cas9 gene drive (GD) is a novel genetic control strategy. GDs are genetic systems that can rapidly invade a population. This manuscript presents my efforts to develop gene drives ...
Gene drives in Africa – A Podcast
Tags: Ethics, Gene drive synthetic, Policy, Risk and safetyWakeford, T., etc Group, 2019.
In Episode #1 ETC's Tom Wakeford speaks with Ugandan lawyer and advocate Barbara Ntambirweki about gene drives, a powerful new genetic technology that can change species in the wild and make species go extinct.
New CRISPR system efficiently battles antibiotic resistance
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Other SymbiontsBlack, Samantha, The Science Advisory Board, 2019.
Researchers from the University of California San Diego have developed a brand new CRISPR-based gene-drive system that dramatically increases the efficiency of inactivation of genes responsible for antibiotic resistance. The new system is detailed on December 16 in Nature ...
Genetic Control of Mosquitoes
Tags: Gene drive mechanisms, Gene drive synthetic, Mosquitoes, Oxitec, Sterile insect technique (SIT), Toxin-antidote, Transmission distortion, Underdominance, X chromosome, Y-chromosomeAlphey, L., Annual Review of Entomology, 59:205-224. 2019.
Genetics can potentially provide new, species-specific, environmentally friendly methods for mosquito control. Genetic control strategies aim either to suppress target populations or to introduce a harm-reducing novel trait. Different approaches differ considerably in their ...
Antibiotic resistance hoops countered by gene drive feedback loops
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Other SymbiontsGEN, Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News, 2019.
Where a gene drive that cuts and destroys plasmids may fail, a gene drive that cuts, pastes, and copies plasmids may succeed. The “where,” in this case, is an antibiotic-resistant bacterium that carries multiple copies of an antibiotic-resistance gene. That is, the target ...
Tackling antibiotic resistance head-on with CRISPR
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Other SymbiontsThomas, L., News Medical Life Sciences, 2019.
With modern advances in genetic engineering occurring almost every day, the latest discovery concerns antibiotic resistance. Using the powerful gene editor CRISPR, scientists reported the development of a gene-drive system that is 100 times as efficient as other current systems ...
The bold plan to end malaria with a gene drive
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Malaria, Other arthropodsVOX, 2019.
How genetically engineered mosquitoes might defeat a disease that kills millions of children. This describes gene drive and features work from a group (Target Malaria) that is developing this technology for use against malaria
Gene Drives: Assessing the benefits & risks
Tags: Gene drive syntheticCreighton, J., Future of Life, 2019.
Most people seem to understand that malaria is a pressing problem, one that continues to menace a number of areas around the world. However, most would likely be shocked to learn the true scale of the tragedy. To illustrate this point, in 2017, more than 200 million people were ...
An Initial Framework for the Environmental Risk Assessment of Synthetic Biology-Derived Organisms with a Focus on Gene Drives.
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Policy, Regulation, Risk and safety, Risk assessmentW. G. Landis, E. A. Brown and S. Eikenbary, Synthetic Biology 2020: Frontiers in Risk Analysis and Governance. Risk, Systems and Decisions., 2019.
We apply the structure of source-stressor-habitat-effect-impact pathway derived from the relative risk model (Landis and Wiegers 2005) and as was demonstrated to be applicable in the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine (NASEM) 2016 report Gene Drives on the ...
Wiping out the daughters: Burkina Faso’s controversial mosquito experiment
Tags: Gene drive syntheticBoersma, H. and J. Bastmeijer, The Guardian, 2019.
A radical experiment to genetically modify a strain of mosquito in order to stop them breeding malaria-carrying daughters is one of the latest efforts to tackle the deadly scourge of malaria
Rodent gene drives for conservation: opportunities and data needs
Tags: Biodiversity/Conservation, Gene drive synthetic, RodentsJ. 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.
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 ...
The impact of local population genetic background on the spread of the selfish element Medea-1 in red flour beetles
Tags: Evolution, Gene drive mechanisms, Gene drive synthetic, Selfish genetic elements, Toxin-antidoteS. A. Cash, M. A. Robert, M. D. Lorenzen and F. Gould, Ecology and Evolution, 12:1-12. 2019.
Selfish genetic elements have been found in the genomes of many species, yet our understanding of their evolutionary dynamics is only partially understood. A number of distinct selfish Medea elements are naturally present in many populations of the red flour beetle (Tribolium ...
Gene Drive and Thinking Animals
Tags: Biodiversity/Conservation, Gene drive synthetic, RodentsIsland Conservation, 2019.
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 ...
Gene Drives and new genetic manipulation in agriculture
Tags: Ethics, Gene drive synthetic, Risk and safetyTerra de Direitos, 2019.
Gene drives are forms of genetic editing or manipulation of live organisms. They are the most dangerous forms of transgenics which edit genetic characteristics without necessarily including a new gene, but rather manipulating existing genes of live organisms, i.e. live organism ...
A Controversial Swarm Of Genetically Modified Mosquitoes In A Lab In Italy
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Malaria, Mosquitoes, Risk and safetyNPR, 2019.
An international team of scientists is conducting a controversial experiment in Italy. The experiment is designed to test genetically modified mosquitoes that researchers hope could provide a powerful new weapon to fight malaria, which remains one of the world's greatest ...
Evolutionary simulations of Z-linked suppression gene drives
Tags: Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Other arthropods, Resistance, Selfish genetic elementsL. Holman, Proceedings of the Royal Society B-Biological Sciences, 286:1-9. 2019.
Synthetic gene drives may soon be used to suppress or eliminate populations of disease vectors, pathogens, invasive species, and agricultural pests. Recent proposals have focused on using Z-linked gene drives to control species with ZW sex determination, which include ...
‘We don’t want to be guinea pigs’: how one African community is fighting genetically modified mosquitoes
Tags: Africa, Gene drive synthetic, Self limiting, Target malariaA. Pujol-Mazzini, The Telegraph, 2019.
Researchers from the Target Malaria consortium, a not-for-profit research group funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and various research institutions, have developed a mosquito in their laboratory that can kill off its own species by spreading a faulty gene. If it ...
Threshold-Dependent Gene Drives in Wild Populations – A Podcast
Tags: Ecology, Gene drive synthetic, Risk and safetyG. A. Backus and J. A. Delborne, BioScience Talks, 2019.
By altering the heritability of certain traits, gene drive technologies have the potential to spread desired genes through wild populations. In practice, this could lead to mosquito populations that, for example, bear traits making them resistant to the spread of malaria. Despite ...
Efforts to enhance safety measures for CRISPR/Cas-based gene drive technology in Japan
Tags: Ethics, Gene drive synthetic, Policy, Risk and safetyT. Tanaka, N. Tanaka, Y. Nagano, H. Kanuka, D. S. Yamamoto, N. Yamamoto, E. Nanba and T. Nishiuch, Journal of Environment and Safety, 2019.
Gene drive is a powerful system that can spread a desirable genetic trait into an entire species and/or population of a certain region, bypassing Mendelian rules of inheritance. Recently, one of the genome editing technologies, CRISPR/Cas, has been developed, making it easier to ...
Gene drives in Wisconsin agriculture: What are they, and should you support it?
Tags: Agriculture, Gene drive syntheticJones, M. and Mitchell, P. D., Renk Agribusiness Institute, 2019.
Spotted wing drosophila and citrus psyllid are not serious economic problems for Wisconsin agriculture. However, these and other smaller, geographically limited applications of gene drives are excellent ways to prove the concept and refine the methods. Pending the outcome of ...
Gene Drive Mosquitoes: Ethics, Environment and Efficacy
Tags: Ethics, Gene drive synthetic, Malaria, Regulation, Risk and safetyL. Wilburn, ScienceInnovationUnion, 2019.
The Bill and Melinda Gates foundation has recently donated over $75 million to fund gene drive mosquito research by Target Malaria , a consortium that aims to develop technology for malaria control. The first planned release of gene drive mosquitoes is set to happen over the next ...
Threshold-Dependent Gene Drives in the Wild: Spread, Controllability, and Ecological Uncertainty
Tags: Gene drive mechanisms, Gene drive synthetic, Toxin-antidoteG. A. Backus and J. A. Delborne, BioScience, 69:900-907. 2019.
Gene drive technology could allow the intentional spread of a desired gene throughout an entire wild population in relatively few generations. However, there are major concerns that gene drives could either fail to spread or spread without restraint beyond the targeted ...
Scientists release sterile mosquitoes in Burkina to fight malaria
Tags: Africa, Field trials, Gene drive synthetic, Population suppression, Target malariaT. Ndiaga, Reuters, 2019.
Scientists in Burkina Faso have deployed a new weapon in the fight against malaria, and waded into a thorny bioethics debate, by letting loose thousands of genetically sterilized mosquitoes.Their experiment is the first outside the lab to release genetically altered mosquitoes in ...
Gene Drive Technologies: Powerful and destructive
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Policy, Regulation, Risk and safetySWISSAID, 2019.
Gene drive organisms can put our environment, food and health in danger: this is made clear by the video from SWISSAID, the Alliance for GMO-free Switzerland and the ETC Group.
Malaria eradication within a generation: ambitious, achievable, and necessary
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, MalariaR. G. A. Feachem, I. Chen, O. Akbari, A. Bertozzi-Villa, S. Bhatt, F. Binka, M. F. Boni, C. Buckee, J. Dieleman, A. Dondorp, A. Eapen, N. Sekhri Feachem, S. Filler, P. Gething, R. Gosling, A. Haakenstad, K. Harvard, A. Hatefi, D. Jamison, K. E. Jones, C., Lancet, 394:1056-1112. 2019.
50 years after a noble but flawed attempt to eradicate malaria in the mid-20th century, the global malaria community is once again seriously considering eradication. Momentum towards eradication has been building for decades, and more than half of the world’s countries are now ...
Genetically engineered mosquitoes out of control
Tags: Ecology, Gene drive synthetic, Risk and safetyGM Watch, GM Watch, 2019.
According to a new scientific publication, genetically engineered mosquitoes produced by the biotech company Oxitec (Intrexon) have escaped human control after trials in Brazil. They are now spreading in the environment. The yellow fever mosquitoes (Aedes aegypti) are genetically ...
Dit Afrikaanse dorp krijgt, als eerste plek ter wereld, gentechmuggen tegen malaria
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, MosquitoesBoersma, Hidde, de Volkskrant, 2019.
Dit Afrikaanse dorp krijgt, als eerste plek ter wereld, gentechmuggen tegen malaria
A 2017 horizon scan of emerging issues for global conservation and biological diversity
Tags: Agriculture, Ecology, Evolution, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, GeneticsSutherland, WJB, P.; Broad, S.; Clout, M.; Connor, B.; Cote, I. M.; Dicks, L. V.; Doran, H.; Entwistle, A. C.; Fleishman, E.; Fox, M.; Gaston, K. J.; Gibbons, D. W.; Jiang, Z.; Keim, B.; Lickorish, F. A.; Markillie, P.; Monk, K. A.; Pearce-Higgins, J. W.; Peck, L. S.; Pretty, J.; Spalding, M. D.; Tonneijck, F. H.; Wintle, B. C.; Ockendon, N., Trends in Ecology & Evolution, 32:31-40. 2019.
We present the results of our eighth annual horizon scan of emerging issues likely to affect global biological diversity, the environment, and conservation efforts in the future. The potential effects of these novel issues might not yet be fully recognized or understood by the ...
Herbicide resistant weeds: A call to integrate conventional agricultural practices, molecular biology knowledge and new technologies
Tags: Agriculture, Biodiversity/Conservation, Ecology, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic engineeringV. E. Perotti, A. S. Larran, V. E. Palmieri, A. K. Martinatto and H. R. Permingeat, Plant Science, 290:110255. 2019.
Herbicide resistant (HR) weeds are of major concern in modern agriculture. This situation is exacerbated by the massive adoption of herbicide-based technologies along with the overuse of a few active ingredients to control weeds over vast areas year after year. Also, many other ...
Gene Drives: Experience with gene drive systems that may inform an environmental risk assessment
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Policy, Regulation, Risk and safetyRüdelsheim, PKJS, G., COGEM, 2019.
Gene drives are genetic mechanisms that allow for a trait to be propagated throughout a population; beyond Mendelian inheritance. Active in sexually-reproducing species, they are powerful tools to “drive”; a gene, i.e. increase its frequency, independent of external selection ...
Guidance for IBCs: Regulatory requirements for contained research with GMOs containing engineered gene drives
Tags: Containment, Gene drive synthetic, Genetically modified organisms, Oceania, Policy, RegulationOffice of the Gene Technology Regulator, Australian Government, Department of Health, 2019.
This document provides guidance for Institutional Biosafety Committees (IBCs) and researchers on the regulatory requirements for organisms containing engineered ‘gene drives’, including the physical containment (PC) level of facilities for notifiable low risk dealings ...
Autonomy of Nations and Indigenous Peoples and the Environmental Release of Genetically Engineered Animals with Gene Drives
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Policy, Regulation, Risk and safety, Stakeholder engagementZ. Meghani, Global Policy, 10:554-568. 2019.
This article contends that the environmental release of genetically engineered (GE) animals with heritable traits that are patented will present a challenge to the efforts of nations and indigenous peoples to engage in self-determination. The environmental release of such animals ...
Transforming insect population control with precision guided sterile males with demonstration in flies
Tags: Gene drive syntheticKandul, N. P., J. Liu, H. M. Sanchez C, S. L. Wu, J. M. Marshall and O. S. Akbari, Nature Communications, 10:84. 2019.
The sterile insect technique (SIT) is an environmentally safe and proven technology to suppress wild populations. To further advance its utility, a novel CRISPR-based technology termed precision guided SIT (pgSIT) is described. PgSIT mechanistically relies on a dominant genetic ...
Viral gene drive in herpesviruses
Tags: Arbovirus, Gene drive synthetic, Genetics, Population modification/replacement, Population suppression, Replicator/site directed nucleaseWalter, M. and E. Verdin, bioRxiv, 2019:717017. 2019.
Herpesviruses are ubiquitous pathogens in need of novel therapeutic solutions. Current engineered gene drive strategies rely on sexual reproduction, and are thought to be restricted to sexual organisms. Here, we report on the design of a novel gene drive system that allows the ...
Combinations of Spok genes create multiple meiotic drivers in Podospora
Tags: Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Selfish genetic elements, Transmission distortion, Yeast and FungiA. A. Vogan, S. L. Ament-Velásquez, A. Granger-Farbos, J. Svedberg, E. Bastiaans, A. J. M. Debets, V. Coustou, H. Yvanne, C. Clavé, S. J. Saupe and H. Johannesson, eLife, 8:e46454. 2019.
Meiotic drive is the preferential transmission of a particular allele during sexual reproduction. The phenomenon is observed as spore killing in multiple fungi. In natural populations of Podospora anserina, seven spore killer types (Psks) have been identified through classical ...
A family of killers
Tags: Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Selfish genetic elements, Transmission distortion, Yeast and FungiM. De Carvalho and S. E. Zanders, eLife, 8:e49211. 2019.
Spok genes are meiotic drivers that increase their own chances of transmission by killing gametes that do not inherit them.
Gene Drives in Africa: Civil Society Speaks Out
Tags: Africa, Gene drive synthetic, Policy, Regulation, Stakeholder engagement, Target malariaAfrican Centre for Biodiversity, 2019.
On Monday 1st July 2019, Target Malaria announced the release of genetically modified (GM) sterile male mosquitoes in Bana, a village in Burkina Faso – the first GM insect to be released in Africa. This is Phase I – by Phase III, Target Malaria aims to release gene drive ...
Assessment of a split homing based gene drive for efficient knockout of multiple genes
Tags: Gene drive mechanisms, Gene drive synthetic, Other arthropods, Replicator/site directed nuclease, Self limitingKandul, N. P., J. Liu, A. Buchman, V. M. Gantz, E. Bier and O. S. Akbari, bioRxiv, 2019:706929. 2019.
Homing based gene drives (HGD) possess the potential to spread linked cargo genes into natural populations and are poised to revolutionize population control of animals. Given that host-encoded genes have been identified that are important for pathogen transmission, targeting ...
The potential of genomics for restoring ecosystems and biodiversity
Tags: Biodiversity/Conservation, Gene drive syntheticM. 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.
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 ...
Self-destructing mosquitoes and sterilized rodents: the promise of gene drives
Tags: Biodiversity/Conservation, Gene drive mechanisms, Gene drive synthetic, RodentsM. Scudellari, Nature, 571:160-162. 2019.
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
Tags: Biodiversity/Conservation, Gene drive synthetic, Policy, Regulation, Synthetic biologyH.-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.
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 ...
Split-gene drive system provides flexible application for safe laboratory investigation and potential field deployment
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Genetics, Self limitingV. L. Del Amo, A. L. Bishop, H. M. Sánchez C, J. B. Bennett, X. Feng, J. M. Marshall, E. Bier and V. M. Gantz, bioRxiv, 684597. 2019.
CRISPR-based gene drives spread through populations bypassing the dictates of Mendelian genetics, offering a population-engineering tool for tackling vector-borne diseases, managing crop pests, and helping island conservation efforts; unfortunately, current technologies raise ...
Biological control of pests and a social model of animal welfare
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Invasive species, Policy, Stakeholder engagement, Synthetic biologyA. Mankad, U. Kennedy and L. Carter, Journal of Environmental Management, 247:313-322. 2019.
We consider the role of perceived humaneness or, more accurately, animal welfare as it relates to managing invasive species from a scientific and social perspective. In order to highlight and articulate particular nuances and standards across different pest control contexts, we ...
Exploring Stakeholder Perspectives on the Development of a Gene Drive Mouse for Biodiversity Protection on Islands: Workshop Report
Tags: Biodiversity/Conservation, Gene drive synthetic, Invasive species, Rodents, Sex distorter, Transmission distortionM. Farooque, S. K. Barnhill-Dilling, J. Shapiro and J. Delborne, North Carolina State University, 2019.
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, ...
Vereinigung Deutscher Wissenschaftler e.V. | Gene Drive Symposium-Critical Science Switzerland
Tags: Ecology, Ethics, Gene drive synthetic, Policy, Video, WebinarCritical Scientists Switzerland; European Network of Scientists for Social and Environmental Responsibility; Vereinigung Deutscher Wissenschaftler, 2019.
Gene Drives: A report on their science, applications, social aspects, ethics and regulations
Tags: Ecology, Ethics, Gene drive synthetic, PolicyH. Dressel, Critical Scientists Switzerland; European Network of Scientists for Social and Environmental Responsibility; Vereinigung Deutscher Wissenschaftler, 2019.
Engineered Gene Drives are a new form of genetic modification that provides the tools for permanently modifying or potentially even eradicating species or populations in the wild. Unlike the previous genetically modified organisms (GMOs), gene drive organisms (GDOs) are not meant ...
Gene drive organisms: What Africa should know about actors, motives and threats to biodiversity and food systems
Tags: Ethics, Gene drive synthetic, Policy, Risk and safetySirinathsinghji, E., African Centre for Biodiversity., 2019.
In this briefing paper, we set out the key issues that our governments should have addressed with African civil society before endorsing positions and setting the benchmark for Africa-wide policy. In this regard, we point out that, while the impetus for the AU position might well ...
Gene-drive-mediated extinction is thwarted by population structure and evolution of sib mating
Tags: Ecology, Evolution, Gene drive synthetic, Mosquito husbandry, Population genetics/dynamics, Transmission distortionJ. J. Bull, C. H. Remien and S. M. Krone, Evolution Medicine and Public Health, 2019:66-81. 2019.
Genetic engineering combined with CRISPR technology has developed to the point that gene drives can, in theory, be engineered to cause extinction in countless species. Success of extinction programs now rests on the possibility of resistance evolution, which is largely unknown. ...
Improving plant-resistance to insect-pests and pathogens: The new opportunities through targeted genome editing
Tags: CRISPR, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Gene editingD. S. Bisht, V. Bhatia and R. Bhattacharya, Seminars in Cell & Developmental Biology, 96:65-76. 2019.
The advantages of high input agriculture are fading away due to degenerating soil health and adverse effects of climate change. Safeguarding crop yields in the changing environment and dynamics of pest and pathogens, has posed new challenges to global agriculture. Thus, ...
Daisy-chain gene drives
Tags: Gene drive mechanisms, Gene drive synthetic, Replicator/site directed nucleaseMIT Media Lab, 2019.
Who should decide whether, when, and how to alter the environment? These are hard questions, especially when the decisions will impact people in many different communities or nations. Daisy drive systems may help by empowering local communities to make decisions concerning their ...
RISCOS BIOTECNOLÓGICOS AMBIENTAIS E PARTICIPAÇÃO SOCIAL: POR UMA GESTÃO DEMOCRÁTICA DA BIOTECNOLOGIA GENE DRIVE NA ATUAÇÃO DA CTNBIO
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Policy, Risk assessment, Stakeholder engagementL. C. Rodrigues, Revista Jurídica (FURB), 22. 2019.
This research aims to study the way in which the environmental risks of Gene Drive biotechnology challenge forms of effective social participation, inserted in the management of biotechnological risks, whose responsibility lies with the organs ...
Genetic pest management technologies to control invasive rodents
Tags: Biodiversity/Conservation, CRISPR, Culex, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Invasive species, Pest management, Rodents, Sex distorter, Transmission distortionD. Kanavy and D. Threadgill, Island invasives: scaling up to meet the challenge, 2019.
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 ...
Trialling gene drives to control invasive species: what, where and how?
Tags: Biodiversity/Conservation, CRISPR, Culex, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Invasive species, Pest management, RodentsT. Harvey-Samuel, K. J. Campbell, M. Edgington and L. Alphey, Island invasives: scaling up to meet the challenge, 2019.
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 ...
Towards a genetic approach to invasive rodent eradications: assessing reproductive competitiveness between wild and laboratory mice
Tags: Biodiversity/Conservation, CRISPR, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Invasive species, Pest management, RodentsM. Serr, N. Heard and J. Godwin, Island invasives: scaling up to meet the challenge, 2019.
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 ...
A potential new tool for the toolbox: assessing gene drives for eradicating invasive rodent populations
Tags: Biodiversity/Conservation, CRISPR, Gene drive synthetic, Gene editing, Genetic biocontrol, Invasive species, Pest management, Risk assessment, Rodents, Stakeholder engagementK. 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.
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 ...
Modulating CRISPR gene drive activity through nucleocytoplasmic localization of Cas9 in S. cerevisiae
Tags: CRISPR, Gene drive synthetic, Yeast and FungiM. E. Goeckel, E. M. Basgall, I. C. Lewis, S. C. Goetting, Y. Yan, M. Halloran and G. C. Finnigan, Fungal Biology Biotechnology, 6:2. 2019.
In this study, we use artificial gene drives in budding yeast to explore mechanisms to modulate nuclease activity of Cas9 through its nucleocytoplasmic localization. We examine non-native nuclear localization sequences (both NLS and NES) on Cas9 fusion proteins in vivo through ...
Gene drive technology makes mouse offspring inherit specific traits from parents
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, RodentsCooper, KLG, Hannah A., The Conversation, 2019.
As mouse geneticists, we spend a lot of time waiting for mice to make more mice. Their small size, ease of care and willingness to mate have made mice the “mammal of choice” for scientists for more than a century. Indeed, these wriggly fur balls that strike fear in the hearts ...
Gene drive tested in mice – Expert Reaction
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, RodentsScience Media Centre, Science Media Centre, 2019.
Using CRISPR genome editing, the researchers developed a process to make a gene more likely to be inherited than by chance alone. Their attempts with male mice were unsuccessful, but when it was used in females they increased the inheritance of the desired gene from 50 per cent ...
Gene editing research highlights challenges in using CRISPR for pest control
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, RodentsDreaver, C, Radio New Zealand, 2019.
US researchers have had some success in using the gene editing technique CRISPR to test out a gene drive in mice, to modify their genes - highlighting the challenges researchers face if it were to be used in pest eradication.
Tool for controlling genetic inheritance tested in mice for the first time
Tags: Gene drive syntheticHays, B, UPI, 2019.
With further development we think it will be possible to make animal models of complex human genetic diseases, like arthritis and cancer, that are not currently possible, said researcher Kimberly Cooper.
Gene drive, a powerful way to speed genetic inheritance, shown for first time in mammals, UCSD researchers say
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, RodentsFikes, BJ, San Diego Union Tribune, 2019.
Gene drive -- the ability to shortcut genetic inheritance by propelling a gene throughout a population -- has been demonstrated in principle for the first time in mammals.; ; UC San Diego scientists reported this feat in mice in a study released Wednesday in the journal Nature. ...
Gene Drives Work in Mice (if They’re Female)
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, RodentsRennie, JC, Jordana, Quanta Magazine, 2019.
Conservationists and bioethicists often regard the packages of engineered DNA called “gene drives” with a mixture of wonder, excitement and dread. Gene drives violate the normal rules of inheritance by making sure they get passed down to all of their host organism’s ...
La reacción genética en cadena llega a los mamíferos
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, RodentsMediavilla, D, El Pais, 2019.
Un experimento muestra que la edición de los genes puede introducir cambios en especies completas que permitan incluso su extinción en un área geográfica
Researchers first to use CRISPR/Cas9 to control genetic inheritance in mice
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, RodentsUniversity of California, Phys Org, 2019.
Biologists at the University of California San Diego have developed the world's first CRISPR/Cas9-based approach to control genetic inheritance in a mammal.
Scientists rewrite mice DNA so genes can be spread through species
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, RodentsSample, I, The Guardian, 2019.
Controversial procedure has huge potential to combat diseases such as malaria
US scientists overturn genetic inheritance rules in lab mice
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, RodentsCookson, C, Financial Times, 2019.
New gene drive technology that could revolutionise biology research has been demonstrated for the first time in mammals, after US scientists overturned the normal rules of genetic inheritance in laboratory mice.; ; Scientists at the University of California San Diego employed the ...
Effective strategies for safeguarding CRISPR gene-drive experiments
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Other arthropodsScienceDaily, ScienceDaily, 2019.
Researchers have demonstrated for the first time how two molecular strategies can safeguard CRISPR gene-drive experiments in the lab, according to a new study.
Gene drive mosquitoes and the new era of medical colonialism
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, MosquitoesMayet, MC, L. I.; Sirinathsingji, E, GM Watch, 2019.
The highly contentious issue of gene drive technologies – a novel extreme form of genetic engineering designed to alter or even eradicate entire populations and species – was at the heart of the international negotiations at the biennial UN Biodiversity Conference held in ...
An overview of OECD activities related to modern techniques of biotechnology and genome editing
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Policy, Risk and safetyKearns, P, Transgenic Research, 28:41-44. 2019.
Since commercial use of genetically-engineered (genetically- modified) plants started in 1996, many agricultural products have been developed to improve crop traits. The foods and feeds derived from these commodities have drastically increased worldwide. However, answering health ...
Does the U.S. public support using gene drives in agriculture? And what do they want to know?
Tags: Ethics, Gene drive synthetic, PolicyJones, MSD, Jason A.; Elsensohn, Johanna; Mitchell, Paul D.; Brown, Zachary S., Science Advances, 5:eaau8462. 2019.
Gene drive development is progressing more rapidly than our understanding of public values toward these technologies. We analyze a statistically representative survey (n = 1018) of U.S. adult attitudes toward agricultural gene drives. When informed about potential risks, ...
On the road to a gene drive in mammals
Tags: Gene drive mechanisms, Gene drive synthetic, RodentsConklin, BR, Nature, 566:43-45. 2019.
A method for making a version of a gene more likely to be inherited than normal, generating what is called a gene drive, might be used to control insect populations. It has now been reported to work in mammals, too.
CRISPR gene drive efficiency and resistance rate is highly heritable with no common genetic loci of large effect
Tags: Biological control, CRISPR, Evolution, Fruit fly, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic engineering, Replicator/site directed nuclease, ResistanceChamper, JW, Z. X.; Luthra, A.; Reeves, R.; Chung, J.; Liu, C.; Lee, Y. L.; Liu, J. X.; Yang, E.; Messer, P. W.; Clark, A. G., Genetics, 212:333-341. 2019.
Gene drives could allow for control of vector-borne diseases by directly suppressing vector populations or spreading genetic payloads designed to reduce pathogen transmission. Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR) homing gene drives work by cleaving ...
Killing two bugs with one stone: a perspective for targeting multiple pest species by incorporating reproductive interference into sterile insect technique
Tags: Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Other arthropodsHonma, AK, N.; Noriyuki, S., Pest Management Science, 75:571-577. 2019.
The sterile insect technique is an environmentally friendly method to control and even eradicate agricultural and veterinary insect pests without using chemical pesticides in excess. However, the continuous production and release of sterile insects is economically costly and ...
MGDrivE: A modular simulation framework for the spread of gene drives through spatially-explicit mosquito populations
Tags: Aedes, Anopheles, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Population genetics/dynamics, ResistanceSánchez C, HMW, Sean L.; Bennett, Jared B.; Marshall, John M., Methods in Ecology and Evolution, 10:1-24. 2019.
Malaria, dengue, Zika, and other mosquito-borne diseases continue to pose a major global health burden through much of the world, despite the widespread distribution of insecticide-based tools and antimalarial drugs. The advent of CRISPR/Cas9-based gene editing and its ...
Molecular safeguarding of CRISPR gene drive experiments
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Risk and safetyChamper, JC, Joan; Lee, Yoo Lim; Liu, Chen; Yang, Emily; Wen, Zhaoxin; Clark, Andrew G.; Messer, Philipp W., eLife, 8:e41439. 2019.
CRISPR-based homing gene drives have sparked both enthusiasm and deep concerns due to their potential for genetically altering entire species. This raises the question about our ability to prevent the unintended spread of such drives from the laboratory into a natural population. ...
Population management using gene drive: molecular design, models ofspread dynamics and assessment of ecological risks
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Risk and safetyRode, NOE, A.; Bourguet, D.; Courtier-Orgogozo, V.; Debarre, F., Conservation Genetics, 20:671-690. 2019.
CRISPR gene drive has recently been proposed as a promising technology for population management, including in conservation genetics. The technique would consist in releasing genetically engineered individuals that are designed to rapidly propagate a desired mutation or transgene ...
Gene drives as a response to infection and resistance
Tags: Ethics, Gene drive synthetic, Malaria, Other arthropods, Risk and safetyHayirli, TCM, P.F., Infection and Drug Resistance, 12:229-234. 2019.
Vector-borne infectious diseases continue to be a major threat to public health. Although some prevention and treatment modalities exist for these diseases, resistance to such modalities, exacerbated by global climate change, remains a fundamental challenge. Developments in ...
Male competition and the evolution of mating and ire-history traits in experimental populations of Aedes aegypti
Tags: Ecology, Gene drive synthetic, MosquitoesQureshi, AA, A.; Hollis, B.; Ponlawat, A.; Cator, L. J., Proceedings of the Royal Society B-Biological Sciences, 286:20190591. 2019.
Aedes aegypti is an important disease vector and a major target of reproductive control efforts. We manipulated the opportunity for sexual selection in populations of Ae. aegypti by controlling the number of males competing for a single female. Populations exposed to higher ...
Variability in the durability of CRISPR-Cas immunity
Tags: Arbovirus, Evolution, Gene drive mechanisms, Gene drive syntheticChabas, HN, A.; Meaden, S.; Westra, E. R.; Tremblay, D. M.; Pradier, L.; Lion, S.; Moineau, S.; Gandon, S., Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B-Biological Sciences, 374:1-9. 2019.
The durability of host resistance is challenged by the ability of pathogens to escape the defence of their hosts. Understanding the variability in the durability of host resistance is of paramount importance for designing more effective control strategies against infectious ...
A Y-chromosome shredding gene drive for controlling pest vertebrate populations
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Rodents, Vector control, X chromosomeProwse, TAAA, F.; Cassey, P.; Thomas, P.; Ross, J. V., eLife, 8:19. 2019.
Self-replicating gene drives that modify sex ratios or infer a fitness cost could be used to control populations of invasive alien species. The targeted deletion of Y sex chromosomes using CRISPR technology offers a new approach for sex bias that could be incorporated within ...
Gene drive gone wild: exploring deliberative possibilities by developing One Health ethics
Tags: Ethics, Gene drive synthetic, Policy, RegulationCapps, B, Law, Innovation and Technology, 11:231-256. 2019.
Gene editing may be used to engineer organisms that are better or worse adapted to survival. Coupled with gene drives ? molecular genetic strategies that perpetuate specific phenotypes in a target species ? it would now be possible to edit wild animal populations that impact on ...
Knowledge engagement in gene drive research for malaria control
Tags: Ethics, Gene drive syntheticHartley, ST, D.; Ledingham, K.; Coulibaly, M.; Diabate, A.; Dicko, B.; Diop, S.; Kayondo, J.; Namukwaya, A.; Nourou, B.; Toe, L. P., PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases, 13:e0007233. 2019.
Scientists and funding bodies have made repeated calls for public engagement in gene drive. In 2016, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) published its report, Gene Drives on the Horizon: Advancing Science, Navigating Uncertainty, and Aligning ...
Dr. Kevin Esvelt, MIT | Gene Drive
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Replicator/site directed nuclease, WebinariBiology, 2019.
Dr. Kevin Esvelt explains how CRISPR-based gene drives can be used to spread genetic alterations through wild populations. He discusses strategies to maximize benefit and minimize risk.
Safe CRISPR: Challenges and Possible Solutions
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Policy, Risk and safetyPineda, ML, A.; Collins, J. P.; Kiani, S., Trends in Biotechnology, 37:389-401. 2019.
Applications of CRISPR in human health and in gene drives are at the forefront of biological research as tools. This technology will affect humankind and our environment, so as this technology pushes forward, the design and implementation of safety measures is imperative. Novel ...
Design, execution, and analysis of CRISPR-Cas9-based deletions and genetic interaction networks in the fungal pathogen Candida albicans
Tags: Gene drive mechanisms, Gene drive synthetic, Other SymbiontsHalder, VP, C. B. M.; Chavez, A.; Shapiro, R. S., Nature Protocols, 14:955-975. 2019.
The study of fungal pathogens is of immediate importance, yet progress is hindered by the technical challenges of genetic manipulation. For Candida species, their inability to maintain plasmids, unusual codon usage, and inefficient homologous recombination are among the obstacles ...
Population genetics of Anopheles funestus, the African malaria vector, Kenya
Tags: Ecology, Gene drive synthetic, MosquitoesOgola, EOO, J. O.; Mwangangi, J. M.; Masiga, D. K.; Tchouassi, D. P., Parasites & Vectors, 12:15. 2019.
Anopheles funestus is among the major malaria vectors in Kenya and sub-Saharan Africa and has been recently implicated in persistent malaria transmission. However, its ecology and genetic diversity remain poorly understood in Kenya.MethodsUsing 16 microsatellite loci, we examined ...
Spatial structure undermines parasite suppression by gene drive cargo
Tags: Ecology, Evolution, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic engineering, Selfish genetic elementsBull, JJR, Christopher H.; Gomulkiewicz, Richard; Krone, Stephen M., PeerJ, 7:e7921. 2019.
Gene drives may be used in two ways to curtail vectored diseases. Both involve engineering the drive to spread in the vector population. One approach uses the drive to directly depress vector numbers, possibly to extinction. The other approach leaves intact the vector population ...
CRISPR in sub-Saharan Africa: Applications and education
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, PolicyOgaugwu, CEA, S. O.; Adekoya, M. A., Trends in Biotechnology, 37:234-237. 2019.
Clustered regularly interspaced shortpalindromicrepeats (CRISPR) technology has enabled genetic engineering feats previously considered impracticable, offering great hopes for solutions to problems facing society. We consider it timely to highlight how CRISPR can benefit public ...
Efficient allelic-drive in Drosophila
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Other arthropodsGuichard, AH, T.; Bobik, M.; Xu, X. R. S.; Klanseck, C.; Kushwah, R. B. S.; Berni, M.; Kaduskar, B.; Gantz, V. M.; Bier, E., Nature Communications, 10:1640. 2019.
Gene-drive systems developed in several organisms result in super-Mendelian inheritance of transgenic insertions. Here, we generalize this "active genetic" approach to preferentially transmit allelic variants (allelic-drive) resulting from only a single or a few nucleotide ...
Engineered resistance to Zika virus in transgenic Aedes aegypti expressing a polycistronic cluster of synthetic small RNAs
Tags: Aedes, Arbovirus, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Population suppression, Resistance, Vector control, WolbachiaBuchman, AG, S.; Li, M.; Antoshechkin, I.; Li, H. H.; Wang, H. W.; Chen, C. H.; Klein, M. J.; Duchemin, J. B.; Paradkar, P. N.; Akbari, O. S., Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 116:3656-3661. 2019.
Recent Zika virus (ZIKV) outbreaks have highlighted the necessity for development of novel vector control strategies to combat arboviral transmission, including genetic versions of the sterile insect technique, artificial infection with Wolbachia to reduce population size and/or ...
Cleave and Rescue, a novel selfish genetic element and general strategy for gene drive
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Other arthropods, Toxin-antidoteOberhofer, GI, T.; Hay, B. A., Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 116:6250-6259. 2019.
There is great interest in being able to spread beneficial traits throughout wild populations in ways that are self-sustaining. Here, we describe a chromosomal selfish genetic element, CleaveR [Cleave and Rescue (ClvR)], able to achieve this goal. ClvR comprises two linked ...
Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated 9-mediated mutagenesis of the multiple edematous wings gene induces muscle weakness and flightlessness in Bactrocera dorsalis (Diptera: Tephritidae)
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Other arthropodsZheng, WL, Q.; Sun, H.; Ali, M. W.; Zhang, H., Insect Molecular Biology, 28:222-234. 2019.
The clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated 9 (Cas9) system is a versatile, efficient and heritable gene editing tool that can be useful for genome engineering. Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel) is a major pest of agriculture that causes ...
CRISPR in Parasitology: Not Exactly Cut and Dried!
Tags: Chromosomal drive, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Mosquitoes, Other SymbiontsBryant, JMB, S.; Glover, L.; Hutchinson, S.; Rachidi, N., Trends in Parasitology, 35:409-422. 2019.
CRISPR/Cas9 technology has been developing rapidly in the field of parasitology, allowing for the dissection of molecular processes with unprecedented efficiency. Optimization and implementation of a new technology like CRISPR, especially in nonmodel organisms, requires ...
Super-Mendelian inheritance mediated by CRISPR-Cas9 in the female mouse germline
Tags: Biodiversity/Conservation, CRISPR, Gene drive synthetic, Other mammals, Replicator/site directed nuclease, RodentsGrunwald, HAG, V. M.; Poplawski, G.; Xu, X. R. S.; Bier, E.; Cooper, K. L., Nature, 566:105-109. 2019.
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. The greatest advancement in genetic edition techniques requires an ethical reflection
Tags: CRISPR, Ethics, Gene drive synthetic, Gene editingGomez-Tatay, LA, J., Cuadernos De Bioetica, 30:171-185. 2019.
The adaptation of the CRISPR system as a genetic editing tool has led to a revolution in many fields of application, as this technique is considerably faster, easier to perform and more efficient than predecessor techniques. However, some of these applications raise objective ...
Efficient somatic and germline genome engineering of Bactrocera dorsalis by the CRISPR/Cas9 system
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Other arthropodsZhao, STX, Z. Z.; Liu, Z. G.; Liu, Y. H.; Liu, X. R.; Chen, Z.; Li, J. H.; Yan, R. H., Pest Management Science, 75:1921-1932. 2019.
Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel), a very destructive insect pest of many fruits and vegetables, is widespread in many Asian countries. To facilitate control of this pest, it is essential to investigate its genetics and gene function using targeted gene disruption. RESULTS Here, we ...
Modelling the potential of genetic control of malaria mosquitoes at national scale
Tags: Ecology, Gene drive synthetic, MosquitoesNorth, ARB, Austin; Godfray, H. Charles J., BMC Biology, 17:26. 2019.
The persistence of malaria in large parts of sub-Saharan Africa has motivated the development of novel tools to complement existing control programmes, including gene-drive technologies to modify mosquito vector populations. Here, we use a stochastic simulation model to explore ...
A genetic system for biasing the sex ratio in mice
Tags: Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Other mammals, Rodents, X chromosome, Y-chromosomeYosef, IEB, Liat; Globus, Rea; Shlomovitz, Inbar; Munitz, Ariel; Gerlic, Motti; Qimron, Udi, EMBO reports, 20:e48269. 2019.
Biasing the sex ratio of populations of different organisms, including plants, insects, crustacean, and fish, has been demonstrated by genetic and non-genetic approaches. However, biasing the sex ratio of mammalian populations has not been demonstrated genetically. Here, we ...
Daisy-chain gene drives for the alteration of local populations
Tags: Gene drive syntheticNoble, CM, J.; Olejarz, J.; Buchthal, J.; Chavez, A.; Smidler, A. L.; DeBenedictis, E. A.; Church, G. M.; Nowak, M. A.; Esvelt, K. M., Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 116:8275-8282. 2019.
If they are able to spread in wild populations, CRISPR-based gene-drive elements would provide new ways to address ecological problems by altering the traits of wild organisms, but the potential for uncontrolled spread tremendously complicates ethical development and use. Here, ...
Precision control of CRISPR-Cas9 using small molecules and light
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Risk and safetyGangopadhyay, SAC, K. J.; Manna, D.; Lim, D.; Maji, B.; Zhou, Q. X.; Choudhary, A., Biochemistry, 58:234-244. 2019.
The CRISPR (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat)-Cas system is an adaptive immune system of bacteria that has furnished several RNA-guided DNA endonucleases (e.g., Cas9) that are revolutionizing the field of genome engineering. Cas9 is being used to effect ...
CRISPR ethics: Moral considerations for applications of a powerful tool
Tags: Ethics, Gene drive synthetic, Risk and safetyBrokowski, C. and Adli, M., Journal of Molecular Biology, 431:88-101. 2019.
With the emergence of CRISPR technology, targeted editing of a wide variety of genomes is no longer an abstract hypothetical, but occurs regularly. As application areas of CRISPR are exceeding beyond research and biomedical therapies, new and existing ethical concerns abound ...
CRISPR-Clear: A fieldable detection procedure for potential CRISPR-Cas9 gene drive based bioweapons.
Tags: Gene drive mechanisms, Gene drive synthetic, Risk and safetyNieuwenweg, ACvG, Martijn M.; Horsting, Angelina; Hegge, Jorrit W; Velders, Aldrik; Saggiomo, Vittorio, ChemRxiv, 2019:1-11. 2019.
Rapid progression in genetic modification research has made gene editing increasingly cheaper and easier to use. CRISPR-Cas9 for example, allows for the specific alteration of the genome of an organism with relative simplicity and low costs. This raised a worrying question; can ...
Stakeholder attitudes towards the use of recombinant technology to manage the impact of an invasive species: Sea Lamprey in the North American Great Lakes
Tags: Biodiversity/Conservation, Ecology, Gene drive syntheticThresher, REJ, M.; Drake, D. A. R., Biological Invasions, 21:575-586. 2019.
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 ...
A Question of Consent: Exterminator Mosquitoes in Burkina Faso
Tags: Ethics, Gene drive synthetic, Mosquitoes, Policy, Regulation, Risk and safetyETC group, 2019.
Target Malaria’s planned release of GMO mosquitos is step toward release of gene drive mosquitoes, a high-risk technology aimed at the elimination of entire species. Hundreds of organizations have demanded a moratorium on the use of this technology outside of ...
Integral gene drives for population replacement
Tags: Gene drive mechanisms, Gene drive syntheticNash, AU, Giulia Mignini; Beaghton, Andrea K.; Hoermann, Astrid; Papathanos, Philippos Aris; Christophides, George K.; Windbichler, Nikolai, Biology Open, 8:bio037762. 2019.
A first generation of CRISPR-based gene drives has now been tested in the laboratory in a number of organisms, including malaria vector mosquitoes. Challenges for their use in the area-wide genetic control of vector-borne disease have been identified, including the development of ...
Large-cage assessment of a transgenic sex-ratio distortion strain on populations of an African malaria vector
Tags: Ecology, Gene drive mechanisms, Gene drive synthetic, MosquitoesFacchinelli, LN, A.; Collins, C.; Menichelli, M.; Persampieri, T.; Bucci, A.; Spaccapelo, R.; Crisanti, A.; Benedict, M., Parasites & Vectors, 12:70. 2019.
Novel transgenic mosquito control methods require progressively more realistic evaluation. The goal of this study was to determine the effect of a transgene that causes a male-bias sex ratio on Anopheles gambiae target populations in large insectary cages. Life history ...
Problem formulation for gene drive mosquitoes designed to reduce malaria transmission in Africa: results from four regional consultations 2016–2018
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Policy, Regulation, Risk and safetyTeem, JLA, Aggrey; Glover, Barbara; Ouedraogo, Jeremy; Makinde, Diran; Roberts, Andrew, Malaria Journal, 18:347. 2019.
Gene drive mosquitoes have been proposed as a possible means to reduce the transmission of malaria in Africa. Because this technology has no prior use-history at this time, environmental risk assessments for gene drive mosquitoes will benefit from problem formulation—an ...
Conserving New Zealand’s native fauna: a review of tools being developed for the Predator Free 2050 programme
Tags: Biodiversity/Conservation, Gene drive syntheticMurphy, ECR, J. C.; Broome, K. G.; Ryan, G. J.; Dowding, J. E., Journal of Ornithology, 160:883-892. 2019.
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 ...
Modeling the mutation and reversal of engineered underdominance gene drives
Tags: Gene drive mechanisms, Gene drive synthetic, Mosquitoes, Population genetics/dynamics, UnderdominanceEdgington, MPA, Luke S., Journal of Theoretical Biology, 479:14-21. 2019.
A range of gene drive systems have been proposed that are predicted to increase their frequency and that of associated desirable genetic material even if they confer a fitness cost on individuals carrying them. Engineered underdominance (UD) is such a system and, in one version, ...
The toxin–antidote model of cytoplasmic incompatibility: Genetics and evolutionary implications
Tags: Cytoplasmic incompatibility, Gene drive synthetic, Selfish genetic elements, Toxin-antidote, Transmission distortion, WolbachiaBeckmann, JFB, Manon; Chen, Hongli; Hochstrasser, Mark; Poinsot, Denis; Merçot, Hervé; Weill, Mylène; Sicard, Mathieu; Charlat, Sylvain, Trends in Genetics, 35:175-185. 2019.
Wolbachia bacteria inhabit the cells of about half of all arthropod species, an unparalleled success stemming in large part from selfish invasive strategies. Cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI), whereby the symbiont makes itself essential to embryo viability, is the most common of ...
Gene drive for population genetic control: non-functional resistance and parental effects
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Mosquitoes, Other arthropodsBeaghton, AKH, Andrew; Nolan, Tony; Crisanti, Andrea; Burt, Austin, Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 286:20191586. 2019.
Gene drive is a natural process of biased inheritance that, in principle, could be used to control pest and vector populations. As with any form of pest control, attention should be paid to the possibility of resistance evolving. For nuclease-based gene drive aimed at suppressing ...
Governing extinction in the era of gene editing
Tags: Ethics, Gene drive synthetic, Policy, Risk and safetyMonast, JJ, North Carolina Law Review, 97:1329-1358. 2019.
CRISPR-Cas9 genome-editing technology (“CRISPR”) offers a potential solution for some of the world’s critical conservation challenges. Scientists are harnessing CRISPR to expand genetic diversity of endangered species, control invasive species, or enhance species’ ...
Locally Fixed Alleles: A method to localize gene drive to island populations
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, RodentsSudweeks, JH, Brandon; Blondel, Dimitri V.; Campbell, Karl J.; Dhole, Sumit; Eisemann, John D.; Edwards, Owain; Godwin, John; Howald, Gregg R.; Oh, Kevin P.; Piaggio, Antoinette J.; Prowse, Thomas A. A.; Ross, Joshua V.; Saah, J. Royden; Shiels, Aaron B.; Thomas, Paul Q.; Threadgill, David W.; Vella, Michael R.; Gould, Fred; Lloyd, Alun L., Scientific Reports, 9:15821. 2019.
Invasive species pose a major threat to biodiversity on islands. While successes have been achieved using traditional removal methods, such as toxicants aimed at rodents, these approaches have limitations and various off-target effects on island ecosystems. Gene drive ...
Controlling invasive rodents via synthetic gene drive and the role of polyandry
Tags: Ecology, Evolution, Fruit fly, Gene drive, Gene drive mechanisms, Gene drive synthetic, Invasive species, Mosquito husbandry, Pest management, Population genetics/dynamics, RodentsManser, AC, S. J.; Sutter, A.; Blondel, D. V.; Serr, M.; Godwin, J.; Price, T. A. R., Proceedings of the Royal Society B-Biological Sciences, 286:9. 2019.
House mice are a major ecosystem pest, particularly threatening island ecosystems as a non-native invasive species. Rapid advances in synthetic biology offer new avenues to control pest species for biodiversity conservation. Recently, a synthetic sperm-killing gene drive ...
Gene drives in plants: opportunities and challenges for weed control and engineered resilience
Tags: Agriculture, Ethics, Gene drive synthetic, Risk and safetyBarrett, LGL, Mathieu; Kumaran, Nagalingam; Glassop, Donna; Raghu, S.; Gardiner, Donald M., Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 286:9. 2019.
Plant species, populations and communities are under threat from climate change, invasive pathogens, weeds and habitat fragmentation. Despite considerable research effort invested in genome engineering for crop improvement, the development of genetic tools for the management of ...
Genetic manipulation of sex ratio in mammals: the Reaper comes for Mickey
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Other mammals, Rodents, X chromosome, Y-chromosomeSmanski, MJZ, David, EMBO reports, 20:e48577. 2019.
In most animals, sexual reproduction results in a 1:1 ratio of females to males. For several sectors of agriculture, for example, milk or egg production, only a single sex is needed. Biasing the sex ratio so that only offspring of the desired sex are produced has the potential to ...
Construction of an efficient genomic editing system with CRISPR/Cas9 in the vector mosquito Aedes albopictus
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, MosquitoesLiu, TY, W. Q.; Xie, Y. G.; Liu, P. W.; Xie, L. H.; Lin, F.; Li, C. Y.; Gu, J. B.; Wu, K.; Yan, G. Y.; Chen, X. G., Insect Science, 26:1045-1054. 2019.
Aedes (Stegomyia) albopictus, also known as the Asian tiger mosquito, is a mosquito which originated in Asia. In recent years, it has become increasingly rampant throughout the world. This mosquito can transmit several arboviruses, including dengue, Zika and chikungunya viruses, ...
Sustainability as a framework for considering gene drive mice for invasive rodent eradication
Tags: Biodiversity/Conservation, Ethics, Fruit fly, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Governance, Pest management, RodentsBarnhill-Dilling, SKS, M.; Blondel, D. V.; Godwin, J., Sustainability, 11:1334. 2019.
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 ...
Targeting female reproduction in insects with biorational insecticides for pest management: a critical review with suggestions for future research
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Other arthropodsSmagghe, GZ, M.; Retnakaran, A., Current Opinion in Insect Science, 31:65-69. 2019.
Of the different approaches to pest control, use of juvenile hormone analogs (e.g. methoprene), molting hormone (20-hydroxyecdysone) analogs (e.g. tebufenozide) and chitin synthesis inhibitors (e.g. diflubenzuron) has dominated this field. Since they adversely interfere with the ...
Informed consent and community engagement in open field research: lessons for gene drive science
Tags: Ethics, Gene drive synthetic, Policy, RegulationSingh, JA, BMC Medical Ethics, 20:54. 2019.
The development of the CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing system has generated new possibilities for the use of gene drive constructs to reduce or suppress mosquito populations to levels that do not support disease transmission. Despite this prospect, social resistance to genetically ...
Next-generation CRISPR-based gene drive supports genetic editing with selective precision
Tags: Gene drive syntheticAnonymous, International Sugar Journal, 121:411-412. 2019.
New CRISPR-based gene drives and broader active genetics technologies are revolutionizing the way scientists engineer the transfer of specific traits from one generation to another.
Two minutes to midnight-what international law can do about genome editing
Tags: Ethics, Gene drive synthetic, Policy, Regulation, Risk and safetyLee, TL, Asian Journal of Wto & International Health Law and Policy, 14:227-265. 2019.
With its ability to transform the ecosystem, gene drives, a powerful genome-editing technology, poses nuanced regulatory challenges. In particular, as gene drives can override the normal rule of inheritance, where the impacts of gene-drive modified organisms on the environment ...
Alternative strategies for mosquito-borne arbovirus control
Tags: Ecology, Gene drive synthetic, MosquitoesAchee, NLG, J. P.; Vatandoost, H.; Seixas, G.; Pinto, J.; Ching-Ng, L.; Martins, A. J.; Juntarajumnong, W.; Corbel, V.; Gouagna, C.; David, J. P.; Logan, J. G.; Orsborne, J.; Marois, E.; Devine, G. J.; Vontas, J., PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases, 13:e0006822. 2019.
Mosquito-borne virusessuch as Zika, chikungunya, dengue fever, and yellow fever, among othersare of global importance. Although vaccine development for prevention of mosquito-borne arbovirus infections has been a focus, mitigation strategies continue to rely on vector control. ...
Biocontrol in Australia: Can a carp herpesvirus (CyHV-3) deliver safe and effective ecological restoration?
Tags: Biodiversity/Conservation, Fish, Gene drive syntheticKopf, 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.
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 ...
Evaluating the Probability of CRISPR-based Gene Drive Contaminating Another Species
Tags: Ecology, Evolution, Gene drive mechanisms, Gene drive synthetic, Risk and safety, Risk assessmentCourtier-Orgogozo, VD, Antoine; Gouyon, Pierre-Henri; Boëte, Christophe, bioRxiv, 776609:27. 2019.
The probability D that a given CRISPR-based gene drive element contaminates another, non-target species can be estimated by the following Drive Risk Assessment Quantitative Estimate (DRAQUE) Equation: D = (hyb+transf).express.cut.flank.immune.nonextinct withhyb = probability of ...
Two-By-One model of cytoplasmic incompatibility: Synthetic recapitulation by transgenic expression of cifA and cifB in Drosophila
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Other Symbionts, Toxin-antidote, Transmission distortion, WolbachiaShropshire, JDB, S. R., PLOS Genetics, 15:e1008221. 2019.
Wolbachia are maternally inherited bacteria that infect arthropod species worldwide and are deployed in vector control to curb arboviral spread using cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI). CI kills embryos when an infected male mates with an uninfected female, but the lethality is ...
An introduction to the proceedings of the environmental release of engineered pests: Building an international governance framewor
Tags: Ethics, Gene drive synthetic, Regulation, Risk and safetyBrown, Z. S., L. Carter and F. Gould, BMC Proceedings, 12:10. 2018.
In October 2016, a two-day meeting of 65 academic, government and industry professionals was held at North Carolina State University for early-stage discussions about the international governance of gene drives: potentially powerful new technologies that can be used for the ...
Towards inclusive social appraisal: risk, participation and democracy in governance of synthetic biology
Tags: Ethics, Gene drive synthetic, Regulation, Risk and safetyStirling, A., K. R. Hayes and J. Delborne, BMC Proceedings, 12:15. 2018.
Frameworks that govern the development and application of novel products, such as the products of synthetic biology, should involve all those who are interested or potentially affected by the products. The governance arrangements for novel products should also provide a ...
Public engagement pathways for emerging GM insect technologies
Tags: Ethics, Gene drive synthetic, Regulation, Risk and safety, Stakeholder engagementBurgess, M. M., J. D. Mumford and J. V. Lavery, BMC Proceedings, 12(Suppl 8):12. 2018.
Policy and management related to the release of organisms generated by emerging biotechnologies for pest management should be informed through public engagement. Regulatory decisions can be conceptually distinguished into the development of frameworks, the assessment of the ...
GM insect pests under the Brazilian regulatory framework: development and perspectives
Tags: Ethics, Gene drive synthetic, Regulation, Risk and safetyAndrade, P. P., M. A. da Silva Ferreira, M. S. Muniz and A. de Casto Lira-Neto, BMC Proceedings, 12:15. 2018.
The emergence of new technologies for genetic modification has broadened the range of possible new products. The regulations of many countries that could benefit from these new products may not be prepared to assess risks and enable science-based decision-making. This is ...
Regulation of emerging gene technologies in India
Tags: Ethics, Gene drive synthetic, Regulation, Risk and safetyAhuja, V., BMC Proceedings, 12:14. 2018.
In India, genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and the products thereof are regulated under the “Rules for the manufacture, use, import, export & storage of hazardous microorganisms, genetically engineered organisms or cells, 1989” (referred to as Rules, 1989) notified under ...
Population Engineering | Gene Drive by CRISPR-CAS9
Tags: Ethics, Gene drive syntheticSciToons, 2018.
The CRISPR-CAS9 genome editing technology is opening up previously inconceivable possibilities for the manipulation of organisms. Our ethical discussion appears to be far behind the pace of technological development. In this new SciToons video, we address how CRISPR-CAS9 can be ...
CRISPR Gene Drive (Complete guide 2019)
Tags: Biodiversity/Conservation, Gene drive mechanisms, Gene drive synthetic, Mosquitoes, Other mammals, RodentsEvery Cell A Universe, 2018.
Crispr gene drive - malaria cure and a new way to look at conservation.
Yes we can! Exciting progress and prospects for controlling invasives on islands and beyond
Tags: Biodiversity/Conservation, Biological control, Gene drive synthetic, Pest managementD. Simberloff, B. Keitt, D. Will, N. Holmes, E. Pickett and P. Genovesi, Western North American Naturalist, 78:942-958. 2018.
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 ...
Multiple loci of small effect confer wide variability in efficiency and resistance rate of CRISPR gene drive
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Population genetics/dynamicsJ. Champer, Z. Wen, A. Luthra, R. Reeves, J. Chung, C. Liu, Y. L. Lee, J. Liu, E. Yang, P. W. Messer and A. G. Clark, bioRxiv, 447615. 2018.
Gene drives could allow for control of vector-borne diseases by directly suppressing vector populations or spreading genetic payloads designed to reduce pathogen transmission. CRISPR homing gene drives work by cleaving wild-type alleles, which are then converted to drive alleles ...
A Call to Protect Food Systems from Genetic Extinction Technology
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Policy, Regulation, Risk assessmentGlobal Food and Agriculture Movement, etc Group, 2018.
Gene drives threaten natural systems. If released experimentally into the environment they may spread engineered genes uncontrollably through wild and domesticated species. This could alter ecological systems and food webs, harm biodiversity and eradicate beneficial organisms ...
Just Say No to Agricultural Gene Drives
Tags: Africa, Agriculture, Gene drive syntheticBassey-Orovwuje, M., Project Syndicate, 2018.
By forcing laboratory-made genes on an entire population or species, cutting-edge gene-drive technologies have the power to transform entire ecosystems in one fell swoop. But where leading industrial agriculture firms see dollar signs, farmers in the regions where gene drives ...
Gene drive used to turn all female mosquitos sterile
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, MosquitoesTimmer, J, ARS Technica, 2018.
We've known for a long time that we can limit malaria infections by controlling the mosquitos that transmit them. But that knowledge hasn't translated into control efforts that have always been completely successful. Many of the approaches we've used to control mosquitos have ...
Invasion Success and Management Strategies for Social Vespula Wasps
Tags: Biological control, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Invasive species, Oceania, Population genetics/dynamics, Sex distorterP. J. Lester and J. R. Beggs, Annual Review of Entomology, 64:51-71. 2018.
Three species of Vespula have become invasive in Australia, Hawai'i, New Zealand, and North and South America and continue to spread. Economically, their main negative effect is associated with pollination and the apicultural industry. Climate change is likely to exacerbate ...
Malaria mosquitoes wiped out in lab trials of gene drive testing
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, MosquitoesKelland, K, The Wire, 2018.
London: Scientists have succeeded in wiping out a population of caged mosquitoes in laboratory experiments using a type of genetic engineering known as a gene drive, which spread a modification blocking female reproduction.; ; The researchers, whose work was published on Monday ...
Gene drives could wipe out mosquitoes
Tags: Gene drive syntheticNew Scientist, 2018.
This is a short video describing how gene drive is being considered for controlling malaria transmitting mosquitoes in Africa as part of ongoing malaria eradication efforts.
Gene drives breakthrough needs urgent restraint
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Mosquitoes, Risk and safetySteinbrecher, R, GMWatch, 2018.
Gene drive researchers associated with Target Malaria and funded by US DARPA, the GATES Foundation and the UK BBSRC have just managed to crash a population of caged mosquitoes after 7-11 generations.(1); ; This is a first, and it has brought this technology beyond the proof of ...
Here’s the Plan to End Malaria With Crispr-Edited Mosquitoes
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, MosquitoesMolteni, M, Wired, 2018.
In 2003, scientists at London’s Imperial College hatched a somewhat out-there idea. They wanted to deal with the increasingly pesticide-resistant mosquitoes that were killing half a million people a year by spreading malaria in sub-Saharan Africa. What biologists Austin Burt ...
Pest demography critically determines the viability of synthetic gene drives for population control
Tags: CRISPR, Evolution, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Modeling, Population genetics/dynamics, Resistance, Sex distorter, Synthetic biologyK. E. Wilkins, T. A. A. Prowse, P. Cassey, P. Q. Thomas and J. V. Ross, Mathematical Biosciences, 305:160-169. 2018.
Synthetic gene drives offer a novel solution for the control of invasive alien species. CRISPR-based gene drives can positively bias their own inheritance, and comprise a DNA sequence that is replicated by homologous recombination. Since gene drives can be positioned to silence ...
A sustainable synthetic biology approach for the control of the invasive golden mussel (Limnoperna fortunei)
Tags: Biodiversity/Conservation, CRISPR, Gene drive synthetic, Invasive speciesM. 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.
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 the first time, researchers will release genetically engineered mosquitoes in Africa
Tags: Africa, Gene drive synthetic, Genetically modified mosquitoes, Mosquitoes, Target malariaIke Swetitz, STAT, 2018.
The government of Burkina Faso granted scientists permission to release genetically engineered mosquitoes anytime this year or next, researchers announced Wednesday. It’s a key step in the broader efforts to use bioengineering to eliminate malaria in the region.
Ethics of sculpting evolution
Tags: Ethics, Gene drive syntheticK. Esvelt, PopTech, 2018.
How might supervillains take over the world, and what can we do about it? Kevin Esvelt, the first to identify the potential for CRISPR “gene drive” systems to alter entire populations of organisms, is calling for a new scientific method that is both open and gives ...
Existing rules cover gene-drive usage
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Risk and safetyStrassheim, S.S., W., Nature, 2018.
Gene Drives
Tags: Ethics, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Policy, Stakeholder engagementSciLine, SciLine, 2018.
For many years now, scientists have been able to alter genes inside microbial, plant, and animal cells to change organisms’ traits, creating, for example, plants that produce their own protective insecticides and fish that grow to maturity almost twice as fast as normal. But ...
RealSciLine | Gene Drives Media Briefing
Tags: Ethics, Gene drive synthetic, Risk and safety, WebinarRick Weiss, RealSciLine, 2018.
Gene drives represent a new take on genetic engineering offering previously impossible means of fighting disease-spreading insects and invasive species but also raising the specter of ecological disruption. This briefing reviews the current status of gene-drive technology, ...
The ethical implications of population suppression and the irreversibility of gene drives
Tags: Ethics, Gene drive synthetic, Genetically modified organisms, Policy, Population suppression, Risk and safety, Stakeholder engagementJ. Kim, International Journal of Life Sciences Research, 2018.
This paper aims to examine the current situation by presenting important ethical arguments that include Chardin’s principle of irreversibility and Weiss’ beliefs on intergenerational equity, ideals upheld by the United Nations
Transgenic Mosquitoes – Fact or Fiction?
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Genetically modified mosquitoes, Risk and safety, Vector controlWilke, A. B. B., J. C. Beier and G. Benelli, Trends in Parasitology, 34:456-465. 2018.
echnologies for controlling mosquito vectors based on genetic manipulation and the release of genetically modified mosquitoes (GMMs) are gaining ground. However, concrete epidemiological evidence of their effectiveness, sustainability, and impact on the environment and nontarget ...
Population modification of Anopheline species to control malaria transmission
Tags: Gene drive mechanisms, Gene drive synthetic, Population modification/replacement, Risk and safetyR. Carballar-Lejarazú and A. A. James, Pathogens and Global Health, 111:424-435. 2018.
Vector control strategies based on population modification of Anopheline mosquitoes may have a significant role in the malaria eradication agenda. They could consolidate elimination gains by providing barriers to the reintroduction of parasites and competent vectors, and allow ...
Gene drives and the management of agricultural pests
Tags: Agriculture, Gene drive synthetic, Risk and safety, Risk assessment, Stakeholder engagementR. F. Medina, Journal of Responsible Innovation, 5:S255-S262. 2018.
Like all pest control strategies, gene drives are not hazard-free. Ecological risk assessment of gene drives designed to control agricultural pests should be conducted before their deployment. The present commentary provides some thoughts on some of the issues one should consider ...
Summary
Tags: Agriculture, Biodiversity/Conservation, Gene drive synthetic, Policy, Risk and safety, Risk assessment, Stakeholder engagementCommittee on Gene Drive Research in Non-Human Organisms: Recommendations for Responsible, Journal of Responsible Innovation, 5:S243-S254. 2018.
Scientists have studied gene drives for more than 50 years. The development of a powerful genome editing tool in 2012, CRISPR/Cas9,1 led to recent breakthroughs in gene drive research that built on that half century’s worth of knowledge, and stimulated new discussion of the ...
Anomaly handling and the politics of gene drives
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Governance, Policy, Regulation, Stakeholder engagementS. W. Evans and M. J. Palmer, Journal of Responsible Innovation, 5:S223-S242. 2018.
Decisions about the development and use of gene drives are framing broader debates about the need for fundamental changes to biotechnology regulatory systems. We summarize this debate and describe how gene drives are being constructed as potential anomalies within the regulatory ...
Regulating animals with gene drive systems: lessons from the regulatory assessment of a genetically engineered mosquito
Tags: Ethics, Gene drive synthetic, Genetically modified organisms, Policy, Regulation, Risk assessmentZ. Meghani and J. Kuzma, Journal of Responsible Innovation, 5:S203-S222. 2018.
In this paper, we consider the question of whether the United States Food and Drug Administration is prepared to effectively regulate insects and other animals with gene drives. Given the profound impact that gene drives could have on species and ecosystems, their use is a ...
Developing gene drive technologies to eradicate invasive rodents from islands
Tags: Biodiversity/Conservation, Gene drive synthetic, Rodents, Transmission distortionC. 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.
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 ...
Agricultural production: assessment of the potential use of Cas9-mediated gene drive systems for agricultural pest control
Tags: Agriculture, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Sterile insect technique (SIT)M. J. Scott, F. Gould, M. Lorenzen, N. Grubbs, O. Edwards and D. O’Brochta, Journal of Responsible Innovation, 5:S98-S120. 2018.
To highlight how gene drives could be useful for control of agricultural insect pests, we selected species that are pests of animals (New World screwworm), plants (spotted wing Drosophila, diamondback moth, Bemisia tabaci whitefly), or stored grains (red flour beetle). We ...
A roadmap for gene drives: using institutional analysis and development to frame research needs and governance in a systems context
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Governance, Policy, Regulation, Stakeholder engagementJ. Kuzma, F. Gould, Z. Brown, J. Collins, J. Delborne, E. Frow, K. Esvelt, D. Guston, C. Leitschuh, K. Oye and S. Stauffer, Journal of Responsible Innovation, 5:S13-S39. 2018.
This paper reports on a workshop held in February 2016 to explore the complex intersection of political, economic, ethical, and ecological risk issues associated with gene drives. Workshop participants were encouraged to use systems thinking and mapping to describe the ...
Mapping research and governance needs for gene drives
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Governance, Policy, Regulation, Stakeholder engagementJ. Delborne, J. Kuzma, F. Gould, E. Frow, C. Leitschuh and J. Sudweeks, Journal of Responsible Innovation, 5:S4-S12. 2018.
This special issue represents both deep and broad thinking about gene drives. The papers were first drafted nearly two years ago, and since then have been reviewed and revised to flesh out key arguments and take account of ongoing developments in the field. This field has moved ...
Gene drives and the expanding horizon of governance
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Governance, Policy, Regulation, Stakeholder engagementE. Fisher, Journal of Responsible Innovation, 5:S1-S3. 2018.
Like other areas of emerging science and technology that trigger prolonged public debate over their transformative prospects, gene drives simultaneously generate prospects for new knowledge, hoped-for benefits, and formidable concerns. Their ability to bias inheritance of and in ...
Gene drive to reduce malaria transmission in sub-Saharan Africa
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Genetics, Malaria, Mosquitoes, Other arthropods, Replicator/site directed nuclease, Toxin-antidote, Transmission distortion, X chromosome, Y-chromosomeBurt, AC, Mamadou; Crisanti, Andrea; Diabate, Abdoulaye; Kayondo, Jonathan K., Journal of Responsible Innovation, 5:S66-S80. 2018.
Despite impressive progress, malaria continues to impose a substantial burden of mortality and morbidity, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, and new tools will be needed to achieve elimination. Gene drive is a natural process by which some genes are inherited at a ...
Safe Driving: CRISPR and the Gene Drive Landscape
Tags: Gene drive syntheticNolan, T, CRISPR Journal, 1:16-18. 2018.
A New Study Highlights Issues About the Capability to Limit Gene Drives in the Field to a Target Population
Current CRISPR gene drive systems are likely to be highly invasive in wild populations
Tags: CRISPR, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Risk and safetyNoble, CA, Ben; Church, George M.; Esvelt, Kevin M.; Nowak, Martin A., eLife, 7:e33423. 2018.
Recent reports have suggested that self-propagating CRISPR-based gene drive systems are unlikely to efficiently invade wild populations due to drive-resistant alleles that prevent cutting. Here we develop mathematical models based on existing empirical data to explicitly test ...
Means and ends of effective global risk assessments for genetic pest management
Tags: Ethics, Gene drive synthetic, Policy, Regulation, Risk and safetyTurner, GB, Camilla; Roda, Lucia, BMC Proceedings, 12:13. 2018.
The development and use of genetic technologies is regulated by countries according to their national laws and governance structures. Legal frameworks require comprehensive technical evidence to be submitted by an applicant on the biology of the organism, its safety to human, ...
Pathway to deployment of gene drive mosquitoes as a potential biocontrol tool for elimination of malaria in sub-Saharan Africa: Recommendations of a scientific working group
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Other arthropods, Risk and safetyJames, SC, Frank H.; Welkhoff, Philip A.; Emerson, Claudia; Godfray, H. Charles J.; Gottlieb, Michael; Greenwood, Brian; Lindsay, Steve W.; Mbogo, Charles M.; Okumu, Fredros O.; Quemada, Hector; Savadogo, Moussa; Singh, Jerome A.; Tountas, Karen H.; Touré, American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, 98:1-49. 2018.
Gene drive technology offers the promise for a high-impact, cost-effective, and durable method to control malaria transmission that would make a significant contribution to elimination. Gene drive systems, such as those based on clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic ...
Synthetically engineered Medea gene drive system in the worldwide crop pest Drosophila suzukii
Tags: Evolution, Gene drive synthetic, Other arthropods, Toxin-antidoteBuchman, AM, John M.; Ostrovski, Dennis; Yang, Ting; Akbari, Omar S., Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 115:4725-4730. 2018.
Here we describe a fully functional gene drive system constructed in a major worldwide crop pest, Drosophila suzukii. This system is composed of a synthetic Medea drive with a maternal miRNA “toxin” and a zygotic “antidote,” and we demonstrate that it can bias inheritance ...
Can We Engineer Social Ecosystems?
Tags: Ethics, Gene drive syntheticKevin Esvelt, TEDxCambridgeSalon, 2018.
Kevin Esvelt is director of the Sculpting Evolution group, which invents new ways to study and influence the evolution of ecosystems. By carefully developing and testing these methods with openness and humility, the group seeks to address difficult ecological problems for the ...
Engineered Reciprocal Chromosome Translocations Drive High Threshold, Reversible Population Replacement in Drosophila
Tags: Dengue, Gene drive, Gene drive mechanisms, Gene drive synthetic, Malaria, Other arthropods, Selfish genetic elements, Underdominance, Vector controlBuchman, ABI, Tobin; Marshall, John M.; Akbari, Omar S.; Hay, Bruce A., ACS Synthetic Biology, 7:1359-1370. 2018.
Replacement of wild insect populations with transgene-bearing individuals unable to transmit disease or survive under specific environmental conditions using gene drive provides a self-perpetuating method of disease prevention. Mechanisms that require the gene drive element and ...
Population seasonality and release timing significantly affect the probability of establishment for small releases of gene drive mosquitoes
Tags: Ecology, Gene drive synthetic, MosquitoesNikolov, MO, A. L.; Beaghton, A. K.; Beaghton, P. J.; Wenger, E. A.; Burt, A.; Welkhoff, P. A., American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, 99:367-367. 2018.
Highly efficient CRISPR/Cas9 gene-drive systems have recently been developed, targeting reproductive-capacity and malaria-competency loci of malaria transmitting vector species, such as An. gambiae. The resulting drive systems aim to either suppress the local wild-type population ...
Developing standard operating procedures for gene drive research in disease vector mosquitoes
Tags: Containment, Gene drive synthetic, Regulation, Risk and safetyZ. N. Adelman, D. Pledger and K. M. Myles, Pathogens and Global Health, 111:436-447. 2018.
Here we discuss information to be considered by principal investigators, biosafety officers, and institutional biosafety committees as they work together to develop SOPs for experiments involving gene drive in arthropods, and describe various courses of action that can be used ...
Engineered integrative and conjugative elements for efficient and inducible DNA transfer to undomesticated bacteria
Tags: Ecology, Gene drive mechanisms, Gene drive synthetic, Other SymbiontsBrophy, JANT, Alexander J.; Adams, Bryn L.; Renberg, Rebecca L.; Stratis-Cullum, Dimitra N.; Grossman, Alan D.; Voigt, Christopher A., Nature Microbiology, 3:1043-1053. 2018.
Engineering microorganisms to promote human or plant health will require manipulation of robust bacteria that are capable of surviving in harsh, competitive environments. Genetic engineering of undomesticated bacteria can be limited by an inability to transfer DNA into the cell. ...
Evaluating active genetic options for the control of Sea Lampreys (Petromyzon marinus) in the Laurentian Great Lakes
Tags: Biodiversity/Conservation, Ecology, Fish, Gene drive mechanisms, Gene drive syntheticThresher, REJ, Michael; Drake, D. Andrew, Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, 76:1186-1202. 2018.
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 ...
Gene drive systems: Do they have a place in agricultural weed management?
Tags: Agriculture, CRISPR, Gene drive, Gene drive syntheticNeve, P, Pest Management Science, 74:2672-2679. 2018.
There is a pressing need for novel control techniques in agricultural weed management. Direct genetic control of agricultural pests encompasses a range of techniques to introduce and spread novel, fitness-reducing genetic modifications through pest populations. Recently, the ...
Identifying and detecting potentially adverse ecological outcomes associated with the release of gene-drive modified organisms
Tags: Agriculture, CRISPR, Ecology, Field trials, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Malaria, Mosquitoes, Risk and safety, Risk assessment, Stakeholder engagement, Transmission distortionHayes, KRH, G. R.; Dana, G. V.; Foster, S. D.; Ford, J. H.; Thresher, R.; Ickowicz, A.; Peel, D.; Tizard, M.; De Barro, P.; Strive, T.; Dambacher, J. M., Journal of Responsible Innovation, 5:S139-S158. 2018.
Synthetic gene drives could provide new solutions to a range of old problems such as controlling vector-borne diseases, agricultural pests and invasive species. In this paper, we outline methods to identify hazards and detect potentially adverse ecological outcomes at the ...
Simulating the effects of clumped egg laying on mosquito population dynamics in relation to gene-drive interventions
Tags: Ecology, Gene drive syntheticMorris, ALF, N.; Ghani, A., American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, 99:279-280. 2018.
Gene-drive based vector control methods are a rapidly developing tool in the fight against malaria. They utilise highly targeted insertions of genes to express specific traits, such as biases in offspring sex ratio or inhibited vector competence, which are preferentially ...
The roles of ethics in gene drive research and governance
Tags: Ethics, Gene drive syntheticThompson, PB, Journal of Responsible Innovation, 5:S159-S179. 2018.
Ethics research queries the norms and values that shape the goals and justification for gene drive projects, and that might lead to issue or opposition to such projects. A framework for organizing ethics research is offered. In addition to basic research ethics and risk ...
Identifying knowledge gaps for gene drive research to control invasive animal species: The next CRISPR step
Tags: CRISPR, Ecology, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Invasive species, Pest managementMoro, DB, Margaret; Kennedy, Malcolm; Campbell, Susan; Tizard, Mark, Global Ecology and Conservation, 13:e00363. 2018.
Invasive animals have been linked to the extinctions of native wildlife, and to significant agricultural financial losses or impacts. Current approaches to control invasive species require ongoing resources and management over large geographic scales, and often result in the ...
Public engagement and communication: who is in charge?
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Risk and safetyBoëte, C, EMBO reports, 19:1. 2018.
The discovery of CRISPR has led to the development of gene drive systems that could be used to spread desired traits in a target species or to exterminate a population within a few generations. It is no surprise then that such a controversial and disruptive technology has raised ...
Switchable genome editing via genetic code expansion
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Other mammals, Risk and safetySuzuki, TA, Maki; Patel, Sanjay G.; Luk, Louis Y. P.; Tsai, Yu-Hsuan; Perry, Anthony C. F., Scientific Reports, 8:10051. 2018.
Multiple applications of genome editing by CRISPR-Cas9 necessitate stringent regulation and Cas9 variants have accordingly been generated whose activity responds to small ligands, temperature or light. However, these approaches are often impracticable, for example in clinical ...
Economic issues to consider for gene drives
Tags: Agriculture, Biodiversity/Conservation, CRISPR, Ecology, Gene drive synthetic, Gene editing, Invasive species, MalariaMitchell, PDB, Z.; McRoberts, N., Journal of Responsible Innovation, 5:S180-S202. 2018.
We examine four economic issues regarding gene drive applications made possible by gene editing technologies. First, whether gene drives are self-sustaining or self-limiting will largely determine which types of organizations have incentives to develop and deploy gene drives and ...
Gene drive inhibition by the anti-CRISPR proteins AcrIIA2 and AcrIIA4 in Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Tags: Agriculture, CRISPR, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Yeast and FungiBasgall, EMG, S. C.; Goeckel, M. E.; Giersch, R. M.; Roggenkamp, E.; Schrock, M. N.; Halloran, M.; Finnigan, G. C., Microbiology-Sgm, 164:464-474. 2018.
Given the widespread use and application of the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/Cas gene editing system across many fields, a major focus has been the development, engineering and discovery of molecular means to precisely control and regulate ...
Improved CRISPR-based suppression gene drives mitigate resistance and impose a large reproductive load on laboratory-contained mosquito populations
Tags: Evolution, Gene drive synthetic, Other arthropodsHammond, AMK, Kyros; Gribble, Matthew; Karlsson, Xenia; Morianou, Ioanna; Galizi, Roberto; Beaghton, Andrea; Crisanti, Andrea; Nolan, Tony, bioRxiv, 360339:1-16. 2018.
CRISPR-based genes drives bias their own inheritance and can be used to modify entire populations of insect vectors of disease as a novel form of sustainable disease control. Gene drives designed to interfere with female fertility can suppress populations of the mosquito vector ...
Kinetic basis for DNA target specificity of CRISPR-Cas12a
Tags: Gene drive syntheticStrohkendl, IS, Fatema A.; Rybarski, James R.; Finkelstein, Ilya J.; Russell, Rick, Molecular Cell, 71:816-824. 2018.
Summary Class 2 CRISPR-Cas nucleases are programmable genome editing tools with promising applications in human health and disease. However, DNA cleavage at off-target sites that resemble the target sequence is a pervasive problem that remains poorly understood mechanistically. ...
Anticipating complexity in the deployment of gene drive insects in agriculture
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Risk and safetyBaltzegar, JCB, Jessica; Elsensohn, Johanna E.; Gutzmann, Nicole; Jones, Michael S.; King, Sheron; Sudweeks, Jayce, Journal of Responsible Innovation, 5:S81-S97. 2018.
Insects cause substantial losses to agricultural crops each yearand require intensive management approaches. Genetic pestmanagement has emerged as a viable, non-chemical alternative formanaging insect pests. The development of engineered genedrives for agricultural use is ...
Harnessing gene drive
Tags: Ethics, Gene drive synthetic, Governance, Policy, Regulation, Risk and safety, Stakeholder engagementMin, JS, Andrea L.; Najjar, Devora; Esvelt, Kevin M., Journal of Responsible Innovation, 5:S40-S65. 2018.
When scientists alter the genome of an organism, we typically reduce its ability to reproduce in the wild. This limitation has prevented researchers from rendering wild insects unable to spread disease, programing pests to ignore our crops, using genetics to precisely remove ...
Selfish genetic elements
Tags: Evolution, Fruit fly, Gene drive synthetic, Population genetics/dynamics, Replicator/site directed nuclease, Selfish genetic elements, Sex distorter, Transmission distortionAgren, JAC, A. G., PLOS Genetics, 14:20. 2018.
Selfish genetic elements (historically also referred to as selfish genes, ultra-selfish genes, selfish DNA, parasitic DNA, genomic outlaws) are genetic segments that can enhance their own transmission at the expense of other genes in the genome, even if this has no or a negative ...
Strengthening regulatory capacity for gene drives in Africa: leveraging NEPAD’s experience in establishing regulatory systems for medicines and GM crops in Africa
Tags: Ethics, Gene drive synthetic, Risk and safetyGlover, BA, Olalekan; Savadogo, Moussa; Timpo, Samuel; Lemgo, Godwin; Sinebo, Woldeyesus; Akile, Sunday; Obukosia, Silas; Ouedraogo, Jeremy; Ndomondo-Sigonda, Margareth; Koch, Muffy; Makinde, Diran; Ambali, Aggrey, BMC Proceedings, 12:1-10. 2018.
The New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) Agency recognizes that Africa is in a period of transition and that this demands exploring and harnessing safe advances made in science-based innovations including modern biotechnology. To advance the science of biotechnology ...
To reduce the global burden of human schistosomiasis, use ‘old fashioned’ snail control
Tags: Ecology, Gene drive synthetic, Other invertebratesSokolow, SHW, Chelsea L.; Jones, Isabel J.; Lafferty, Kevin D.; Kuris, Armand; Hsieh, Michael H.; De Leo, Giulio A., Trends in Parasitology, 34:23-40. 2018.
Control strategies to reduce human schistosomiasis have evolved from ‘snail picking’ campaigns, a century ago, to modern wide-scale human treatment campaigns, or preventive chemotherapy. Unfortunately, despite the rise in preventive chemotherapy campaigns, just as many people ...
Population dynamics of engineered underdominance and killer-rescue gene drives in the control of disease vectors
Tags: Ecology, Evolution, Gene drive synthetic, Toxin-antidote, UnderdominanceEdgington, MPA, Luke S., PLOS Computational Biology, 14:e1006059. 2018.
Vector-borne diseases represent a severe burden to both human and animal health worldwide. The methods currently being used to control a range of these diseases do not appear sufficient to address the issues at hand. As such, alternate methods for the control of vector-borne ...
Synthetic gene drive: between continuity and novelty: Crucial differences between gene drive and genetically modified organisms require an adapted risk assessment for their use
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Risk and safetySimon, SO, Mathias; Engelhard, Margret, EMBO Reports, 19:e45760. 2018.
Gene drive organisms differ from “classical” genetically modified organisms in several crucial aspects. It would require new approaches for risk assessment to gauge their potential impact on the environment. While some argue that current risk assessment frameworks can ...
A CRISPR–Cas9-based gene drive platform for genetic interaction analysis in Candida albicans
Tags: Agriculture, Gene drive syntheticShapiro, RSC, Alejandro; Porter, Caroline B. M.; Hamblin, Meagan; Kaas, Christian S.; DiCarlo, James E.; Zeng, Guisheng; Xu, Xiaoli; Revtovich, Alexey V.; Kirienko, Natalia V.; Wang, Yue; Church, George M.; Collins, James J., Nature Microbiology, 3:73-82. 2018.
Candida albicans is the leading cause of fungal infections; yet, complex genetic interaction analysis remains cumbersome in this diploid pathogen. Here, we developed a CRISPR–Cas9-based ‘gene drive array’ platform to facilitate efficient genetic analysis in C. albicans. In ...
Genetically engineered mosquitoes, Zika and other arboviruses, community engagement, costs, and patents: Ethical issues
Tags: Ethics, Gene drive syntheticMeghani, ZB, Christophe, PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases, 12:e0006501. 2018.
We discuss here key ethical questions raised by the use of GE insects, with the aim of fostering discussion between the public, researchers, policy makers, healthcare organizations, and regulatory agencies at the local, national, and international levels. We affect that goal by ...
CRISPR-based gene drives for pest control
Tags: Agriculture, Gene drive synthetic, Other arthropodsMcFarlane, GRW, C. Bruce A.; Lillico, Simon G., Trends in Biotechnology, 36:130-133. 2018.
Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-based gene drives (GDs) could be used to spread desirable genetic elements through wild populations. With the imminent development of this technology in vertebrates, we believe that it is timely to highlight two ...
Invasion and migration of spatially self-limiting gene drives: A comparative analysis
Tags: Ecology, Evolution, Gene drive synthetic, UnderdominanceDhole, S.; Vella, M. R; Lloyd, A. L.; Gould, F., Evolutionary Applications, 11:794-808. 2018.
Recent advances in research on gene drives have produced genetic constructs that could theoretically spread a desired gene (payload) into all populations of a species, with a single release in one place. This attribute has advantages, but also comes with risks and ethical ...
Can CRISPR-based gene drive be confined in the Wild? A question for molecular and population biology
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, UnderdominanceMarshall, JMA, Omar S., ACS Chemical Biology, 13:424-430. 2018.
The recent discovery of CRISPR and its application as a gene editing tool has enabled a range of gene drive systems to be engineered with greater ease. In order for the benefits of this technology to be realized, in some circumstances drive systems should be developed that are ...
Gene drives in our future: challenges of and opportunities for using a self-sustaining technology in pest and vector management
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Risk and safetyCollins, JP, BMC Proceedings, 12:9. 2018.
Gene drives are systems of biased inheritance that enhance the likelihood a sequence of DNA passes between generations through sexual reproduction and potentially throughout a local population and ultimately all connected populations of a species. Gaps in our knowledge of gene ...
Development of a multi-locus CRISPR gene drive system in budding yeast
Tags: Agriculture, Gene drive mechanisms, Gene drive synthetic, Other Symbionts, Yeast and FungiYan, YF, Gregory C., Scientific reports, 8:17277-17277. 2018.
The discovery of CRISPR/Cas gene editing has allowed for major advances in many biomedical disciplines and basic research. One arrangement of this biotechnology, a nuclease-based gene drive, can rapidly deliver a genetic element through a given population and studies in fungi and ...
Population dynamics of underdominance gene drive systems in continuous space
Tags: Gene drive mechanisms, Gene drive synthetic, UnderdominanceChamper, JZ, Joanna; Champer, Sam; Liu, Jingxian; Messer, Philipp W., bioRxiv, 449355:1-23. 2018.
Underdominance gene drive systems promise a mechanism for rapidly spreading payload alleles through a local population while otherwise remaining confined, unable to spread into neighboring populations due to their frequency-dependent dynamics. Such systems could provide a new ...
Recent advances in threshold-dependent gene drives for mosquitoes
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Toxin-antidote, UnderdominanceLeftwich, PTE, Matthew P.; Harvey-Samuel, Tim; Carabajal Paladino, Leonela Z.; Norman, Victoria C.; Alphey, Luke, Biochemical Society Transactions, 46:1203-1212. 2018.
Mosquito-borne diseases, such as malaria, dengue and chikungunya, cause morbidity and mortality around the world. Recent advances in gene drives have produced control methods that could theoretically modify all populations of a disease vector, from a single release, making whole ...
Tuning CRISPR-Cas9 gene grives in Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Tags: Agriculture, Gene drive mechanisms, Gene drive syntheticRoggenkamp, EG, Rachael M.; Schrock, Madison N.; Turnquist, Emily; Halloran, Megan; Finnigan, Gregory C., G3-Genes Genomes Genetics, 8:999. 2018.
Control of biological populations is an ongoing challenge in many fields, including agriculture, biodiversity, ecological preservation, pest control, and the spread of disease. In some cases, such as insects that harbor human pathogens (e.g., malaria), elimination or reduction of ...
Reducing resistance allele formation in CRISPR gene drive
Tags: Evolution, Gene drive mechanisms, Gene drive synthetic, Other arthropodsChamper, JL, Jingxian; Oh, Suh Yeon; Reeves, Riona; Luthra, Anisha; Oakes, Nathan; Clark, Andrew G.; Messer, Philipp W., Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 115:5522-5527. 2018.
A functioning gene drive mechanism could fundamentally change our strategies for the control of vector-borne diseases, such as malaria, dengue, and Zika. CRISPR homing gene drive promises such a mechanism, which could be used to rapidly spread genetic modifications among the ...
RPM-Drive: A robust, safe, and reversible gene drive system that remains functional after 200+ generations
Tags: Gene drive mechanisms, Gene drive synthetic, UnderdominanceReed, FAA-M, Todd G.; Costantini, Maria S.; Láruson, Áki J.; Sutton, Jolene T., arXiv, 1806.05304:1-19. 2018.
Despite the advent of several novel, synthetic gene drive mechanisms and their potential to one-day control a number of devastating diseases, among other applications, practical use of these systems remains contentious and risky. In particular, there is little in the way of ...
The use of driving endonuclease genes to suppress mosquito vectors of malaria in temporally variable environments
Tags: Ecology, Gene drive syntheticLambert, BN, Ace; Burt, Austin; Godfray, H. Charles J., Malaria Journal, 17:154. 2018.
The use of gene drive systems to manipulate populations of malaria vectors is currently being investigated as a method of malaria control. One potential system uses driving endonuclease genes (DEGs) to spread genes that impose a genetic load. Previously, models have shown that ...
A CRISPR–Cas9 gene drive targeting doublesex causes complete population suppression in caged Anopheles gambiae mosquitoes
Tags: Gene drive mechanisms, Gene drive synthetic, Mosquitoes, Other arthropods, Replicator/site directed nucleaseKyrou, KH, Andrew M.; Galizi, Roberto; Kranjc, Nace; Burt, Austin; Beaghton, Andrea K.; Nolan, Tony; Crisanti, Andrea, Nature Biotechnology, 36:1062–1066. 2018.
In the human malaria vector Anopheles gambiae, the gene doublesex (Agdsx) encodes two alternatively spliced transcripts, dsx-female (AgdsxF) and dsx-male (AgdsxM), that control differentiation of the two sexes. The female transcript, unlike the male, contains an exon (exon 5) ...
Catch me if you can: A spatial model for a brake-driven gene drive reversal
Tags: Evolution, Gene drive syntheticCalvez, V,,Debarre, F., Girardin, Leo, arXiv, 1812.06641:1-30. 2018.
We successfully prove that, whenever the drive fitness is at most 50% of the wild-type one while the brake fitness is close to the wild-type one, co-extinction of the brake and the drive occurs in the long run.
Rationally-engineered reproductive barriers using CRISPR & CRISPRa: an evaluation of the synthetic species concept in Drosophila melanogaster
Tags: Gene drive mechanisms, Gene drive synthetic, Risk and safetyWaters, AJC, Paolo; Gaboriau, David C. A.; Papathanos, Philippos Aris; Windbichler, Nikolai, Scientific Reports, 8:13125. 2018.
The ability to erect rationally-engineered reproductive barriers in animal or plant species promises to enable a number of biotechnological applications such as the creation of genetic firewalls, the containment of gene drives or novel population replacement and suppression ...
Redkmer: An assembly-free pipeline for the identification of abundant and specific X-chromosome target sequences for X-shredding by CRISPR endonucleases
Tags: Gene drive mechanisms, Gene drive synthetic, Other arthropods, Replicator/site directed nuclease, Y-chromosomePapathanos, PAW, Nikolai, CRISPR Journal, 1:88-98. 2018.
CRISPR-based synthetic sex ratio distorters, which operate by shredding the X-chromosome during male meiosis, are promising tools for the area-wide control of harmful insect pest or disease vector species. X-shredders have been proposed as tools to suppress insect populations by ...
Behavior of homing endonuclease gene drives targeting genes required for viability or female fertility with multiplexed guide RNAs
Tags: Evolution, Gene drive mechanisms, Gene drive synthetic, Other arthropods, Replicator/site directed nuclease, Risk and safetyOberhofer, GI, Tobin; Hay, Bruce A., Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 115:e9343. 2018.
Homing endonuclease gene (HEG)-based gene drive can bring about population suppression when genes required for viability or fertility are targeted. However, these strategies are vulnerable to failure through mechanisms that create alleles resistant to cleavage but that retain ...
Consequences of resistance evolution in a Cas9-based sex conversion-suppression gene drive for insect pest management
Tags: Evolution, Gene drive synthetic, Other arthropodsCarrami, Eli M., ME, Kolja N.; Ahmed, Hassan M. M.; Sánchez C., Héctor M.; Dippel, Stefan; Marshall, John M.; Wimmer, Ernst A., Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 115:6189-6194. 2018.
Resistance evolution caused by CRISPR/Cas9 gene-drive systems has a major impact on both the future scientific design of such gene-drive systems and on the politics of regulating experimentation and use of such systems. In our study, we show that in-frame drive-resistant alleles ...
Self-limiting population genetic control with sex-linked genome editors
Tags: Evolution, Gene drive synthetic, Y-chromosomeBurt, AD, Anne, Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 285:20180776. 2018.
In male heterogametic species the Y chromosome is transmitted solely from fathers to sons, and is selected for based only on its impacts on male fitness. This fact can be exploited to develop efficient pest control strategies that use Y-linked editors to disrupt the fitness of ...
Gene drive: Evolved and synthetic
Tags: Chromosomal drive, Gene drive synthetic, Replicator/site directed nuclease, Toxin-antidote, Transmission distortion, X chromosome, Y-chromosomeBurt, AC, Andrea, ACS Chemical Biology, 13:343-346. 2018.
Drive is a process of accelerated inheritance from one generation to the next that allows some genes to spread rapidly through populations even if they do not contribute to—or indeed even if they detract from—organismal survival and reproduction. Genetic elements that can ...
Community engagement and field trials of genetically modified insects and animals
Tags: Ethics, Gene drive synthetic, Stakeholder engagementNeuhaus, C. P., Hastings Center Report, 48:25-36. 2018.
New techniques for the genetic modification of organisms are creating new strategies for addressing persistent public health challenges. For example, the company Oxitec has conducted field trials internationally?and has attempted to conduct field trials in the United States?of a ...
Making policies about emerging technologies
Tags: Ethics, Gene drive synthetic, PolicyKaebnick, G. E. and M. K. Gusmano, Hastings Center Report, 48:S2-S11. 2018.
Can we make wise policy decisions about still-emerging technologies?decisions that are grounded in facts yet anticipate unknowns and promote the public's preferences and values? There is a widespread feeling that we should try. There also seems to be widespread agreement that the ...
Gene Drives Can Wipe Out Entire Species… Or Save Them
Tags: Biodiversity/Conservation, Ethics, Gene drive synthetic, Risk and safetyGizmodo, 2017.
Bill Gates and other investors have poured millions into gene drives. So what is the technology and why are scientists worried about it?
Gene drives to fight malaria: current state and future directions
Tags: Gene drive syntheticHammond, A. M. and R. Galizi, Pathogens and Global Health, 111:412-423. 2017.
Self-propagating gene drive technologies have a number of desirable characteristics that warrant their development for the control of insect pest and vector populations, such as the malaria-transmitting mosquitoes. Theoretically easy to deploy and self-sustaining, these tools may ...
Informed consent in field trials of gene-drive mosquitoes
Tags: Field trials, Gene drive synthetic, Policy, Regulation, Risk and safety, Stakeholder engagementP. A. Kolopack and J. V. Lavery, Gates Open Research, 2017.
We argue that informed consent from individual research participants in gene drive trials may be required: (1) when blood and other forms of clinical data are collected from them, as will likely be the case in some studies involving epidemiological endpoints, such as the ...
Conservation demands safe gene drive
Tags: Biodiversity/Conservation, Gene drive synthetic, Policy, Regulation, Risk and safetyK. M. Esvelt and N. J. Gemmell, PLOS Biology, 15:e2003850. 2017.
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 ...
Could genetic engineering save the Galapagos?
Tags: Biodiversity/Conservation, Gene drive synthetic, Invasive species, RodentsS. S. Hall, Scientific American, 2017.
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 ...
The potential for the use of gene drives for pest control in New Zealand: a perspective
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Invasive species, Oceania, Pest management, Policy, Regulation, Risk and safety, Stakeholder engagementP. K. Dearden, N. J. Gemmell, O. R. Mercier, P. J. Lester, M. J. Scott, R. D. Newcomb, T. R. Buckley, J. M. E. Jacobs, S. G. Goldson and D. R. Penman, Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand, 48:225-244. 2017.
Here we describe the current state of gene drive technologies and present a series of examples to examine the potential benefits and problems arising from gene drive approaches for pest control in New Zealand.
Using CRISPR-based gene drive for agriculture pest control
Tags: Agriculture, Gene drive synthetic, Policy, Regulation, Risk and safety, Stakeholder engagementV. Courtier-Orgogozo, B. Morizot and C. Boëte, EMBO Reports, 18:1481. 2017.
The authors respond to comments to their publication 10.15252/embr.201744205
What’s the story with genetic pest management (GPM)?
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Invasive speciesK. Guthrie, Predator Free NZ, 2017.
Breakthrough genetic technologies are likely to play a key role in achieving a predator-free future. But it’s important that we understand what the various technologies are now – as they’re being developed – not when they’re about to be implemented. We need to debate ...
Current vector control challenges in the fight against malaria
Tags: Anopheles, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Malaria, ResistanceG. Benelli and J. C. Beier, Acta Tropica, 174:91-96. 2017.
The majority of National Malaria Control Programs in Africa still rely on indoor residual spraying (IRS) and long-lasting insecticidal nets (LLINs). These methods reduce malaria incidence but generally have little impact on malaria prevalence. In addition to outdoor transmission, ...
ASSEMBLY OF THE UNION Twenty-Ninth Ordinary Session: DECISIONS, DECLARATIONS AND RESOLUTION
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Malaria, Policy, Regulation, Risk and safetyAfrican Union, African Union, 2017.
Assembly/AU/Dec.649(XXIX): COMMITS to sustain the gains made in the fight against Malaria and monitor antimalarial drug resistance and insecticide resistance; COMMITS ALSO to invest in the development and regulation of the gene-drive technology as well as other new innovations ...
CRISPR’s Gene Drive Could Revive Extinct Species–or Create New Ones | Jennifer Doudna
Tags: Biodiversity/Conservation, Gene drive mechanisms, Gene drive synthetic, Risk and safetyJennifer Doudna, Big Think, 2017.
A leading gene editing scientist, Jennifer Doudna, discusses gene drive and their applications as well as de-extinction technologies.
Trends in the development of mammalian pest control technology in New Zealand
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Oceania, Pest managementC. T. Eason, L. Shapiro, S. Ogilvie, C. King and M. Clout, New Zealand Journal of Zoology, 44:267-304. 2017.
The use of new toxins with advantages in specific settings should be complemented by improvements in resetting trap technology, barrier approaches, and novel biocontrol and genetic concepts. Sodium fluoroacetate (1080) and other important tools have been retained; we have the ...
Centre for Effective Altruism | Gene drive and the case for reforming research
Tags: Ethics, Gene drive synthetic, Risk and safety, WebinarK. Esvelt, N. Labenz, G. Church, Centre for Effective Altruism, 2017.
The wisdom with which we develop and deploy new technologies will define the future of our civilization. Why do we conduct reseearch in small teams of specialists who cannot reliably anticipate consequences on their own? Might it be better to share our best ideas and plans with ...
The use of gene editing to create gene drives for pest control in New Zealand
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Gene editing, Invasive species, Oceania, Policy, Regulation, Risk and safetyRoyal Society Te Apārangi Gene Editing Panel, Royal Society of New Zealand, 2017.
to explore the implications of gene editing technology for New Zealand, the Royal Society Te Apārangi has convened a multidisciplinary panel of some of New Zealand’s leading experts to consider the social, cultural, legal and economic implications of revolutionary ...
Agricultural pest control with CRISPR-based gene drive: time for public debate
Tags: Agriculture, Biodiversity/Conservation, Gene drive synthetic, Policy, Regulation, Risk and safetyV. Courtier-Orgogozo, B. Morizot and C. Boëte, EMBO Reports, 18:878-880. 2017.
Gene drive technology to control disease vectors or pests has great potential for addressing humanitarian and public health problems. Its application for pest control in agriculture, however, raises important environmental, social and ethical issues.
SCIENTIFIC OPINION: In response to the referral of 12 October 2015 concerning use of genetically modified mosquitoes for vector control
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Genetically modified organisms, Incompatible insect technique, Oxitec, Policy, Regulation, Risk and safety, WolbachiaHigh Council for Biotechnology, High Council for Biotechnology (France), 2017.
The Scientific Committee’s opinion describes emerging vector control techniques using GM mosquitoes, the current state of research into and development of these techniques and the outcomes of initial experiments worldwide. To date, only one technique has been developed to an ...
Gene drive for Malaria control | Andrea Crisanti |
Tags: Gene drive mechanisms, Gene drive synthetic, Mosquitoes, Replicator/site directed nucleaseTEDx, 2017.
Andrea discusses his team's laboratory work that has developed a revolutionary technology to spread genetic modifications from few laboratory mosquitoes to wild populations to eradicate malaria in the near future
A Revolutionary Genetic Experiment is Planned for a West African Village – If Residents Agree
Tags: Africa, Field trials, Gene drive synthetic, Target malariaIke Swetitz, STAT, 2017.
This small village of mud-brick homes in West Africa might seem the least likely place for an experiment at the frontier of biology. Yet scientists here are engaged in what could be the most promising, and perhaps one of the most frightening, biological experiments of our ...
Daisyfield gene drive systems harness repeated genomic elements as a generational clock to limit spread
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Modeling, Risk and safety, Self limitingJ. Min, C. Noble, D. Najjar and K. M. Esvelt, bioRxiv, 104877. 2017.
Here we describe a novel form of gene drive based on the introduction of multiple copies of an engineered ‘daisy’ sequence into repeated elements of the genome. Each introduced copy encodes guide RNAs that target one or more engineered loci carrying the CRISPR nuclease gene ...
Gene Drives: A scientific case for a complete and perpetual ban
Tags: Ethics, Gene drive synthetic, History, Risk and safetyLatham, J, GeneWatch, 2017.
One of the central issues of our day is how to safely manage the outputs of industrial innovation. Novel products incorporating nanotechnology, biotechnology, rare metals, microwaves, novel chemicals, and more, enter the market on a daily basis. Yet none of these products come ...
Sterile Insect Techniques, GE mosquitoes and gene drives
Tags: Ethics, Gene drive synthetic, History, Risk and safetyHanson, J, GeneWatch, 2017.
One of the great temptations in any field is to promote your solution to a problem as the only solution. The recent application of gene drives to sterilize mosquitoes that transmit malaria or viruses like dengue and zika is an example of this tendency to first develop a ...
How driving endonuclease genes can be used to combat pests and disease vectors
Tags: Evolution, Gene drive synthetic, Replicator/site directed nucleaseGodfray, HCJN, A.; Burt, A., BMC Biology, 15:81. 2017.
Driving endonuclease genes (DEGs) spread through a population by a non-Mendelian mechanism. In a heterozygote, the protein encoded by a DEG causes a double-strand break in the homologous chromosome opposite to where its gene is inserted and when the break is repaired using the ...
Is it time for synthetic biodiversity conservation?
Tags: Agriculture, Biodiversity/Conservation, Ecology, Evolution, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Genetics, MalariaPiaggio, AJS, G.; Seddon, P. J.; Alphey, L.; Bennett, E. L.; Carlson, R. H.; Friedman, R. M.; Kanavy, D.; Phelan, R.; Redford, K. H.; Rosales, M.; Slobodian, L.; Wheeler, K., Trends in Ecology & Evolution, 32:97-107. 2017.
Evidence indicates that, despite some critical successes, current conservation approaches are not slowing the overall rate of biodiversity loss. The field of synthetic biology, which is capable of altering natural genomes with extremely precise editing, might offer the potential ...
Precaution: Open gene drive research
Tags: Gene drive syntheticEsvelt, KM, Science, 355:589-590. 2017.
IN THEIR POLICY Forum “Precaution and governance of emerging technologies” (11 November 2016, p. 710), G. E. Kaebnick and colleagues convincingly assert that precaution is consistent with support for science. However, they overlook one way to improve safety while hastening ...
Ethical implications of fighting malaria with CRISPR/Cas9
Tags: Ethics, Gene drive syntheticPatrão Neves, MD, Christiane, BMJ Global Health, 2:e000396. 2017.
Genome editing is a new, cheap and versatile technique which has great promise to combat vector-borne diseases. The current ethical debate worldwide is mainly concentrating on the dangers of germline intervention and less so on the potential for fighting vector-borne diseases. ; ...
Principles for gene drive research
Tags: Ethics, Gene drive synthetic, Risk and safetyEmerson, CJ, Stephanie; Littler, Katherine; Randazzo, Filippo, Science, 358:1135. 2017.
The recent outbreak of Zika virus in the Americas renewed attention on the importance of vector-control strategies to fight the many vector-borne diseases that continue to inflict suffering around the world. In 2015, there were ?212 million infections and a death every minute ...
Conditions for success of engineered underdominance gene drive systems
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, UnderdominanceEdgington, MPA, L. S., Journal of Theoretical Biology, 430:128-140. 2017.
Engineered underdominance is one of a number of different gene drive strategies that have been proposed for the genetic control of insect vectors of disease. Here we model a two-locus engineered underdominance based gene drive system that is based on the concept of mutually ...
Evolutionary dynamics of CRISPR gene drives
Tags: Evolution, Gene drive syntheticNoble, CO, Jason; Esvelt, Kevin M.; Church, George M.; Nowak, Martin A., Science Advances, 3:e1601964. 2017.
The alteration of wild populations has been discussed as a solution to a number of humanity’s most pressing ecological and public health concerns. Enabled by the recent revolution in genome editing, clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) gene ...
Impact of mosquito gene drive on malaria elimination in a computational model with explicit spatial and temporal dynamics
Tags: Ecology, Gene drive synthetic, Replicator/site directed nucleaseEckhoff, PAW, E. A.; Godfray, H. C. J.; Burt, A., Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 114:e255-e264. 2017.
The renewed effort to eliminate malaria and permanently remove its tremendous burden highlights questions of what combination of tools would be sufficient in various settings and what new tools need to be developed. Gene drive mosquitoes constitute a promising set of tools, with ...
CRISPR/Cas9 gene drives in genetically variable and nonrandomly mating wild populations
Tags: Evolution, Gene drive mechanisms, Gene drive synthetic, Risk and safetyDrury, DWD, A. L.; Siniard, D. J.; Zentner, G. E.; Wade, M. J., Science Advances, 3:e1601910. 2017.
Synthetic gene drives based on CRISPR/Cas9 have the potential to control, alter, or suppress populations of crop pests and disease vectors, but it is unclear how they will function in wild populations. Using genetic data from four populations of the flour beetle Tribolium ...
Engineering species-like barriers to sexual reproduction
Tags: Agriculture, Gene drive mechanisms, Gene drive synthetic, Risk and safetyMaselko, MH, Stephen C.; Chacón, Jeremy M.; Harcombe, William R.; Smanski, Michael J., Nature Communications, 8:883. 2017.
Controlling the exchange of genetic information between sexually reproducing populations has applications in agriculture, eradication of disease vectors, control of invasive species, and the safe study of emerging biotechnology applications. Here we introduce an approach to ...
The promise and peril of CRISPR gene drives
Tags: CRISPR, Gene drive synthetic, Replicator/site directed nuclease, Self limiting, Transmission distortionZentner, GEW, Michael J. C., Bioessays, 39:1-9. 2017.
Gene drives are selfish genetic elements that use a variety of mechanisms to ensure they are transmitted to subsequent generations at greater than expected frequencies. Synthetic gene drives based on the clustered regularly interspersed palindromic repeats (CRISPR) genome editing ...
A bigger toolbox: Biotechnology in biodiversity conservation
Tags: Biodiversity/Conservation, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic engineering, GenomicsR. T. Corlett, Trends in Biotechnology, 35:55-65. 2017.
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 ...
Agricultural pest control with CRISPR-based gene drive: time for public debate: Should we use gene drive for pest control?
Tags: Ethics, Gene drive synthetic, Risk and safetyCourtier?Orgogozo, VM, Baptiste; Boëte, Christophe, EMBO Reports, 18:878-880. 2017.
Gene drive based on the CRISPR/Cas-9 gene editing system is a powerful technology that promotes the inheritance of the gene drive tool itself via sexual reproduction and can therefore spread quickly through a population. It holds great potential for public health and humanitarian ...
Introduction of a male-harming mitochondrial haplotype via ‘Trojan Females’ achieves population suppression in fruit flies
Tags: Gene drive mechanisms, Gene drive synthetic, Other arthropods, X chromosomeWolff, JNG, N. J.; Tompkins, D. M.; Dowling, D. K., eLife, 6:e23551. 2017.
Pests are a global threat to biodiversity, ecosystem function, and human health. Pest control approaches are thus numerous, but their implementation costly, damaging to non-target species, and ineffective at low population densities. The Trojan Female Technique (TFT) is a ...
Novel CRISPR/Cas9 gene drive constructs reveal insights into mechanisms of resistance allele formation and drive efficiency in genetically diverse populations
Tags: Evolution, Gene drive mechanisms, Gene drive synthetic, Other arthropodsChamper, JR, Riona; Oh, Suh Yeon; Liu, Chen; Liu, Jingxian; Clark, Andrew G.; Messer, Philipp W., PLOS Genetics, 13:e1006796. 2017.
Author summary Gene drive systems provide a wide array of potential applications, including new strategies for the control of vector-borne diseases. For example, a functioning gene drive system could rapidly spread a genetically modified allele designed to reduce pathogen ...
A transatlantic perspective on 20 emerging issues in biological engineering
Tags: Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Genomics, Other Symbionts, Risk and safety, Synthetic biologyWintle, BCB, C. R.; Rhodes, C.; Molloy, J. C.; Millett, P.; Adam, L.; Breitling, R.; Carlson, R.; Casagrande, R.; Dando, M.; Doubleday, R.; Drexler, E.; Edwards, B.; Ellis, T.; Evans, N. G.; Hammond, R.; Haseloff, J.; Kahl, L.; Kuiken, T.; Lichman, B. R.; Matthewman, C. A.; Napier, J. A.; OhEigeartaigh, S. S.; Patron, N. J.; Perello, E.; Shapira, P.; Tait, J.; Takano, E.; Sutherland, W. J., eLife, 6:21. 2017.
Advances in biological engineering are likely to have substantial impacts on global society. To explore these potential impacts we ran a horizon scanning exercise to capture a range of perspectives on the opportunities and risks presented by biological engineering. We first ...
Gene Drive 101: A Basic Guidance Resource for Biosafety Professionals
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Risk and safetyKrishnan, PG, David, Applied Biosafety, 22:181-184. 2017.
Biosafety risk assessment and containment framework strategies for research involving gene drives pose a challenge, as there are no published guidelines or regulatory information yet written specifically addressing biosafety and gene drive use. Since the risk is more at an ...
Teilhard de Chardin’s oeuvre within an ongoing discussion of a gene drive release for public health reasons
Tags: Ethics, Gene drive syntheticCartolovni, A, Life Sciences, Society and Policy, 13:18. 2017.
Within the domain of public health, vector-borne diseases are among the most vehemently discussed issues. Recent scientific breakthroughs in genome editing technology provided a solution to this issue in the form of a gene drive that might decrease and even eradicate vector-borne ...
Recommendations for Laboratory Containment and Management of Gene Drive Systems in Arthropods
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Risk and safetyBenedict, MQB, Austin; Capurro, Margareth L.; De Barro, Paul; Handler, Alfred M.; Hayes, Keith R.; Marshall, John M.; Tabachnick, Walter J.; Adelman, Zach N., Vector-Borne and Zoonotic Diseases, 18:2-13. 2017.
Versatile molecular tools for creating driving transgenes and other invasive genetic factors present regulatory, ethical, and environmental challenges that should be addressed to ensure their safe use. In this article, we discuss driving transgenes and invasive genetic factors ...
Evaluating strategies for reversing CRISPR-Cas9 gene drives
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Risk and safetyVella, MRG, Christian E.; Lloyd, Alun L.; Gould, Fred, Scientific Reports, 7:11038. 2017.
A gene drive biases inheritance of a gene so that it increases in frequency within a population even when the gene confers no fitness benefit. There has been renewed interest in environmental releases of engineered gene drives due to recent proof of principle experiments with the ...
Requirements for Driving Antipathogen Effector Genes into Populations of Disease Vectors by Homing
Tags: Evolution, Gene drive synthetic, Other arthropods, Replicator/site directed nucleaseBeaghton, AH, Andrew; Nolan, Tony; Crisanti, Andrea; Godfray, H. Charles J.; Burt, Austin, Genetics, 205:1587-1596. 2017.
There is a need for new interventions against the ongoing burden of vector-borne diseases such as malaria and dengue. One suggestion has been to develop genes encoding effector molecules that block parasite development within the vector, and then use the nuclease-based homing ...
Sry gene drive for rodent control: Reply to Gemmell and Tompkins
Tags: Fruit fly, Gene drive synthetic, Other mammals, Y-chromosomeKanavy, DS, M., Trends in Ecology & Evolution, 32:315-316. 2017.
We would like to thank Gemmell and Tompkins for their interest and comments onthe articlebyPiaggioet al. [1].Theissues raised by Gemmell and Tompkins [2] are very pertinent, and they correctly identified that the format of the article did not lend itself to a comprehensive ...
Eradicating Mosquitoes? The promise and peril of gene drive technologies.
Tags: Ethics, Gene drive synthetic, Other arthropodsJun, B-O, Eubios Journal of Asian and International Bioethics, 27:113-116. 2017.
This paper discusses the ethical issues associated with genetic modification of mosquito species that are human disease vectors. The Oxitec genetically changed mosquito—a variant of a species called Aedes aegypti, OX513A, is taken as an example. The benefits and risks are ...
Evolution of Resistance Against CRISPR/Cas9 Gene Drive
Tags: Ecology, Evolution, Gene drive syntheticUnckless, RLC, A. G.; Messer, P. W., Genetics, 205:827-841. 2017.
CRISPR/Cas9 gene drive (CGD) promises to be a highly adaptable approach for spreading genetically engineered alleles throughout a species, even if those alleles impair reproductive success. CGD has been shown to be effective in laboratory crosses of insects, yet it remains ...
Vector control with driving Y chromosomes: modelling the evolution of resistance
Tags: Evolution, Gene drive synthetic, Other arthropods, Y-chromosomeBeaghton, AB, P. J.; Burt, A., Malaria Journal, 16:286. 2017.
: The introduction of new malaria control interventions has often led to the evolution of resistance, both of the parasite to new drugs and of the mosquito vector to new insecticides, compromising the efficacy of the interventions. Recent progress in molecular and population ...
New Weapons in the Toad Toolkit: A Review of Methods to Control and Mitigate the Biodiversity Impacts of Invasive Cane Toads (Rhinella Marina)
Tags: Gene drive syntheticTingley, RW-F, Georgia; Schwarzkopf, Lin; Greenlees, Matthew J.; Phillips, Benjamin L.; Brown, Gregory; Clulow, Simon; Webb, Jonathan; Capon, Robert; Sheppard, Andy; Strive, Tanja; Tizard, Mark; Shine, Richard, The Quarterly Review of Biology, 92:123-149. 2017.
Our best hope of developing innovative methods to combat invasive species is likely to come from the study of high-profile invaders that have attracted intensive research not only into control, but also basic biology. Here we illustrate that point by reviewing current thinking ...
Spatial gene drives and pushed genetic waves
Tags: Gene drive mechanisms, Gene drive syntheticTanaka, HS, Howard A.; Nelson, David R., Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 114:8452. 2017.
Gene constructs introduced into natural environments have been proposed to solve various ecological problems. The CRISPR-Cas9 technology greatly facilitates construction of gene drives that allow desired traits to rapidly replace wild types, even if these convey a selective ...
Towards the genetic control of invasive species
Tags: Aedes, Ecology, Fruit fly, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Invasive species, Malaria, Pest managementHarvey-Samuel, TA, T.; Alphey, L., Biological Invasions, 19:1683-1703. 2017.
Invasive species remain one of the greatest threats to global biodiversity. Their control would be enhanced through the development of more effective and sustainable pest management strategies. Recently, a novel form of genetic pest management (GPM) has been developed in which ...
Results from the Workshop “Problem Formulation for the Use of Gene Drive in Mosquitoes”
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Other arthropods, Risk and safetyRoberts, ADA, P. P.; Okumu, F.; Quemada, H.; Savadogo, M.; Singh, J. A.; James, S., American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, 96:530-533. 2017.
Reducing the incidence of malaria has been a public health priority for nearly a century. New technologies and associated vector control strategies play an important role in the prospect of sustained reductions. The development of the CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing system has generated ...
The creation and selection of mutations resistant to a gene drive over multiple generations in the malaria mosquito
Tags: Ecology, Evolution, Gene drive mechanisms, Gene drive synthetic, Other arthropodsHammond, AMK, Kyros; Bruttini, Marco; North, Ace; Galizi, Roberto; Karlsson, Xenia; Kranjc, Nace; Carpi, Francesco M.; D’Aurizio, Romina; Crisanti, Andrea; Nolan, Tony, PLOS Genetics, 13:e1007039. 2017.
Gene drives are selfish genetic elements that are able to bias their own inheritance among offspring. Starting from very low frequencies they can rapidly invade a population in just a few generations, even when imposing a fitness cost. Gene drives based on the precise DNA cutting ...
Advances in vector control science: Rear-and-release strategies show promise… but don’t forget the basics
Tags: Aedes, Gene drive synthetic, Risk and safety, WolbachiaRitchie, SAJ, B. J., Journal of Infectious Diseases, 215:S103-S108. 2017.
Both chikungunya and Zika viruses have recently swept from Africa across the Pacific to the Americas, causing major outbreaks of disease in humans. In the meantime, dengue epidemics continue throughout the tropics. Traditional vector control programs based on strategies from ...
CRISPR-based gene drive in agriculture will face technical and governance challenges
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Regulation, Risk and safetyGutzmann, NE, Johanna E.; Barnes, Jessica Cavin; Baltzegar, Jennifer; Jones, Michael S.; Sudweeks, Jayce, EMBO reports, 18:1479-1480. 2017.
Comment on "Agricultural pest control with CRISPR-based gene drive: time for public debate" by Courtier-Orgogozo et al.
CRISPR/Cas9 gene drive: Growing pains for a new technology
Tags: Evolution, Gene drive syntheticReed, FA, Genetics, 205:1037-1039. 2017.
In this commentary, Floyd Reed discusses Unckless et al. (2017),; “Evolution of resistance against CRISPR/Cas9 gene drive,”; which was published in the February issue of GENETICS.
Potential of gene drives with genome editing to increase genetic gain in livestock breeding programs
Tags: Gene drive mechanisms, Gene drive synthetic, Transmission distortionGonen, SJ, J.; Gorjanc, G.; Mileham, A. J.; Whitelaw, C. B. A.; Hickey, J. M., Genetics Selection Evolution, 49:14. 2017.
This paper uses simulation to explore how gene drives can increase genetic gain in livestock breeding programs. Gene drives are naturally occurring phenomena that cause a mutation on one chromosome to copy itself onto its homologous chromosome. Methods: We simulated nine ...
The End of the GMO? Genome Editing, Gene Drives and New Frontiers of Plant Technology
Tags: Agriculture, CRISPR, Ethics, Gene drive synthetic, Gene editing, Genetically modified organisms, PolicyK. L. Hefferon and R. J. Herring, Review of Agrarian Studies, 7. 2017.
mprovements to agriculture will constitute one of the world’s greatest challenges in the coming century. Political and social controversies, as well as complications of plant breeding, intellectual property, and regulation, have compromised the promised impact of genetically ...
Driving out malaria
Tags: Gene drive mechanisms, Gene drive synthetic, Mosquitoes, Other arthropodsNolan, TC, A., Scientist, 2017.
In recent years, researchers have sequenced the genomes of several Anopheles mosquito species, including those responsible for nearly all of the malaria transmission in Africa. With this information, they have begun to identify the genes underlying the insects’ ability to ...
Gene drive and collective oversight
Tags: Ethics, Gene drive synthetic, History, Risk and safetyEsvelt, K, GeneWatch, 2017.
As one of the scientists who first described how CRISPR could create gene drive systems capable of altering wild; populations, I am morally responsible for the consequences. I'm writing to you in the hope that the people most; critical of the very idea can help. Bluntly, gene ...
Concept and history of genetic control
Tags: Cytoplasmic incompatibility, Fruit fly, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, History, Other Symbionts, Oxitec, Sterile insect technique (SIT)Scott, M. J. and Benedict, M. Q., Genetic Control of Malaria and Dengue, 2:31-54. 2016.
Genetic control of insects is an established method, mainly for insects that are important crop and veterinary pests such as medflies and screwworm. Efforts to use the same technologies against insects of medical importance, especially mosquitoes, have had limited success. The ...
The Case for a Global Moratorium on Genetically-engineered Gene Drives
Tags: Gene drive syntheticCivil Society Working Group on Gene Drives, SynBioWatch, 2016.
In view of the significant ecological, cultural and societal threats posed by genetically-engineered gene drives, including threats to biodiversity, national sovereignty, peace and food security, we the undersigned call upon governments at the 13th Conference of the Parties to ...
Invertebrate Biosecurity Challenges in High-Productivity Grassland: The New Zealand Example
Tags: Biological control, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Invasive species, Pest managementS. L. Goldson, B. I. P. Barratt and K. F. Armstrong, Frontiers in Plant Science, 7. 2016.
This review explores the unique challenges faced by pasture biosecurity and what may be done to confront existing difficulties. While there is no silver bullet, and limited opportunity pre and at for improving pasture biosecurity, advancement may include increased and informed ...
Guidance on risk assessment of living modified organisms and monitoring in the context of risk assessment
Tags: Biodiversity/Conservation, Gene drive synthetic, Policy, Regulation, Risk and safety, Risk assessment, Synthetic biologyAd Hoc Technical Expert Group (AHTEG) on Risk Assessment and Risk Management,, Convention on Biological Diversity, 2016.
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 ...
Biodiversity, GMOs, Gene Drives and the Militarised Mind
Tags: Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Policy, Risk and safetyShiva, V, Inter Press Service, 2016.
A recent report from the National Academy of Science of The United States, titled Gene Drives on the Horizon : Advancing Science, Navigating Uncertainty, and Aligning Research with Public Values”, warns:; “One possible goal of release of a gene-drive modified organism is to ...
Gene Drives on the Horizon: Advancing Science, Navigating Uncertainty, and Aligning Research with Public Values
Tags: Ethics, Gene drive synthetic, Policy, RegulationU. S. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, The National Academies Press, 2016.
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 ...
Gene Drives: Saving Lives Or Powering Extinctions?
Tags: Gene drive syntheticFw:Thinking, 2016.
A few months back we talked about the revolutionary gene-editing technique known as CRISPR-Cas9 – a technology based on the bacterial immune system that will allow us to make edits to an organism’s genetic code with more ease and accuracy than ever before. CRISPR is changing ...
Gene Drive Technology: Where is the Future?
Tags: Ethics, Gene drive synthetic, PolicyNational Academy of Sciences Engineering Medicine, BioScience Talks, 2016.
Gene drives have the potential to revolutionize approaches to major public health, conservation, and agricultural problems. For instance, gene drives might one day prevent mosquitoes from spreading a variety of deadly diseases, including Zika virus, malaria, and others. A form of ...
Openly Engineering Our Ecosystems
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, PolicyTEDxCambridge, 2016.
Which technologies should we develop and how? Kevin Esvelt, leader of the Sculpting Evolution group and a professor at the MIT Media Lab, describes how CRISPR 'gene drives' can single-handedly alter entire wild populations and the critical importance of requiring powerful ...
Prospects and challenges of CRISPR/Cas genome editing for the study and control of neglected vector-borne nematode diseases
Tags: CRISPR, Gene drive, Gene drive mechanisms, Gene drive synthetic, Other arthropodsM. Zamanian and E. C. Andersen, The FEBS Journal, 283:3204-3221. 2016.
Neglected tropical diseases caused by parasitic nematodes inflict an immense health and socioeconomic burden throughout much of the developing world. Current estimates indicate that more than two billion people are infected with nematodes, resulting in the loss of 14 million ...
Lethal Gene Drive Selects Inbreeding
Tags: CRISPR, Gene drive synthetic, Modeling, Replicator/site directed nuclease, ResistanceJ. J. Bull, bioRxiv, 046847. 2016.
ere, population genetic models are used to consider the evolution of inbreeding (specifically selfing) as a possible response to a recessively lethal HEG with complete segregation distortion. Numerical analyses indicate a rich set of outcomes, but selfing often evolves in ...
Gene editing can now change an entire species — forever
Tags: Gene drive syntheticTED, 2016.
CRISPR gene drives allow scientists to change sequences of DNA and guarantee that the resulting edited genetic trait is inherited by future generations, opening up the possibility of altering entire species forever. More than anything, this technology has led to questions: How ...
Engineering the wild: Gene drives and intergenerational equity
Tags: Ethics, Gene drive synthetic, RegulationJ. Kuzma and L. Rawls, Jurimetrics, 56:279-296. 2016.
New genetic engineering methods are allowing scientists to insert genes into organisms that have the potential to spread themselves throughout natural populations upon the release of individuals carrying those genes. Gene drive technology is being researched and developed for ...
Cheating evolution: engineering gene drives to manipulate the fate of wild populations
Tags: Aedes, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Other arthropods, Replicator/site directed nuclease, Sex distorterChamper, JB, A.; Akbari, O. S., Nature Reviews Genetics, 17:146-159. 2016.
Engineered gene drives - the process of stimulating the biased inheritance of specific genes - have the potential to enable the spread of desirable genes throughout wild populations or to suppress harmful species, and may be particularly useful for the control of vector-borne ...
Gene drive through a landscape: Reaction-diffusion models of population suppression and elimination by a sex ratio distorter
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Other arthropods, Replicator/site directed nuclease, Y-chromosomeBeaghton, AB, P. J.; Burt, A., Theoretical Population Biology, 108:51-69. 2016.
Some genes or gene complexes are transmitted from parents to offsprihg at a greater-than-Mendelian rate, and can spread and persist in populations even if they cause some harm to the individuals carrying them. Such genes may be useful for controlling populations or species that ...
Target Malaria has a killer in its sights: Eliminating the world’s deadliest disease has been a priority for decades, and, thanks to innovative gene-drive technology, Target Malaria is getting closer to achieving that goal
Tags: Gene drive syntheticBanks, J, IEEE Pulse, 7:30-33. 2016.
The mosquito is the deadliest animal in the world (Figure 1). It is the main carrier of parasites that cause malaria, which is a bigger killer than any other disease in history; in fact, some blame malaria for the deaths of half the humans who have ever lived. Today, malaria ...
Genetic engineering to eradicate invasive mice on islands: modeling the efficiency and ecological impacts
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Other mammalsBackus, GAG, K., Ecosphere, 7:e01589. 2016.
Invasive rodents are usually eradicated from islands through the application of chemical toxicants that can harm surrounding ecosystems. A recently proposed alternative involves engineering a house mouse (Mus musculus) to carry a genetic construct that would cause a majority of ...
Driven to extinction? The ethics of eradicating mosquitoes with gene-drive technologies
Tags: Ethics, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic engineering, Other arthropodsPugh, J, Journal of Medical Ethics, 42:578-581. 2016.
Mosquito-borne diseases represent a significant global disease burden, and recent outbreaks of such diseases have led to calls to reduce mosquito populations. Furthermore, advances in gene-drive' technology have raised the prospect of eradicating certain species of mosquito via ...
Gene silencing and gene drive in dengue vector control
Tags: Gene drive mechanisms, Gene drive synthetic, Mosquitoes, Other arthropodsPaulraj, MGI, S.; Reegan, A. D., Indian Journal of Natural Products and Resources, 7:193-200. 2016.
Vector-borne diseases are the most feared diseases throughout the world. Mosquitoes are the prime human disease vectors as they are responsible for nearly one million human deaths every year. So they are declared as the most dangerous insects to mankind. Aedes aegypti and Ae. ...
The Ecology and Evolutionary Dynamics of Meiotic Drive
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Transmission distortionLindholm, AKD, K. A.; Firman, R. C.; Fishman, L.; Forstmeier, W.; Holman, L.; Johannesson, H.; Knief, U.; Kokko, H.; Larracuente, A. M.; Manser, A.; Montchamp-Moreau, C.; Petrosyan, V. G.; Pomiankowski, A.; Presgraves, D. C.; Safronova, L. D.; Sutter, A.; Unckless, R. L.; Verspoor, R. L.; Wedell, N.; Wilkinson, G. S.; Price, T. A. R., Trends in Ecology & Evolution, 31:315-326. 2016.
Meiotic drivers are genetic variants that selfishly manipulate the production of gametes to increase their own rate of transmission, often to the detriment of the rest of the genome and the individual that carries them. This genomic conflict potentially occurs whenever a diploid ...
Mechanisms of sex determination and transmission ratio distortion in Aedes aegypti
Tags: Gene drive mechanisms, Gene drive synthetic, Other arthropods, Y-chromosomeHoang, KPT, T. M.; Ho, T. X.; Le, V. S., Parasites & Vectors, 9:49. 2016.
: More effective mosquito control strategies are urgently required due to the increasing prevalence of insecticide resistance. The sterile insect technique (SIT) and the release of insects carrying a dominant lethal allele (RIDL) are two proposed methods for ...
A CRISPR-Cas9 gene drive system-targeting female reproduction in the malaria mosquito vector Anopheles gambiae
Tags: Gene drive mechanisms, Gene drive synthetic, Other arthropodsHammond, AG, R.; Kyrou, K.; Simoni, A.; Siniscalchi, C.; Katsanos, D.; Gribble, M.; Baker, D.; Marois, E.; Russell, S.; Burt, A.; Windbichler, N.; Crisanti, A.; Nolan, T., Nature Biotechnology, 34:78-83. 2016.
Gene drive systems that enable super-Mendelian inheritance of a transgene have the potential to modify insect populations over a timeframe of a few years. We describe CRISPR-Cas9 endonuclease constructs that function as gene drive systems in Anopheles gambiae, the main vector for ...
Cas9-triggered chain ablation of cas9 as a gene drive brake
Tags: Fruit fly, Gene drive mechanisms, Gene drive synthetic, Risk and safetyWu, BL, L. Q.; Gao, X. J. J., Nature Biotechnology, 34:137-138. 2016.
We designed and synthesized a transgene system that we named Cas9-triggered chain ablation (CATCHA). The CATCHA transgene encodes a guide RNA (gRNA) that is expressed ubiquitously from a U6:2 promoter. The gRNA targets a site within the DNA sequence of cas9. The guide RNA is ...
Putting the brakes on CRISPR-Cas9 gene drive systems
Tags: Gene drive syntheticGraham, DM, Lab Animal, 45:47-47. 2016.
The sudden emergence and worldwide adoption of CRISPR gene-editing technology confronts humanity with unprecedented opportunities and choices. CRISPR's transformative impact on our future understanding of biology, along with its potential to unleash control over the most ...
The dawn of active genetics
Tags: Birds, Gene drive mechanisms, Gene drive synthetic, Other arthropods, Other mammals, Transmission distortionGantz, VMB, E., Bioessays, 38:50-63. 2016.
On December 18, 2014, a yellow female fly quietly emerged from her pupal case. What made her unique was that she had only one parent carrying a mutant allele of this classic recessive locus. Then, one generation later, after mating with a wild-type male, all her offspring ...
What is a Gene Drive?
Tags: Ethics, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Replicator/site directed nucleaseSTAT, 2015.
This video produced by STAT, an e-news site focusing on health and medicine (https://www.statnews.com/). This video simply illustrates what geneticists mean by gene drive, and how homing-based gene drive work. (Note: it does not indicate that there are other mechanisms of gene ...
CRISPR-Cas9: Safeguarding Gene Drives
Tags: Gene drive mechanisms, Gene drive synthetic, Replicator/site directed nuclease, Risk and safetyHarvard University, 2015.
In this animation, learn how effective safeguarding mechanisms developed at the Wyss Institute and Harvard Medical School can be applied to ensure gene drive research is done responsibly in the laboratory. These safeguards enable responsible scientific investigation into how gene ...
Gene drive turns mosquitoes into malaria fighters
Tags: Gene drive mechanisms, Gene drive syntheticPennisi, E, Science, 350:1014-1014. 2015.
The war against malaria has a new ally: a controversial technology for spreading genes throughout a population of animals. In the laboratory, researchers have harnessed a so-called gene drive to efficiently endow mosquitoes with genes that make them immune to the malaria ...
Highly efficient Cas9-mediated gene drive for population modification of the malaria vector mosquito Anopheles stephensi
Tags: Gene drive mechanisms, Gene drive synthetic, Other arthropodsGantz, VMJ, N.; Tatarenkova, O.; Fazekas, A.; Macias, V. M.; Bier, E.; James, A. A., Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 112:e6736-e6743. 2015.
Genetic engineering technologies can be used both to create transgenic mosquitoes carrying antipathogen effector genes targeting human malaria parasites and to generate gene-drive systems capable of introgressing the genes throughout wild vector populations. We developed a highly ...
The mutagenic chain reaction: A method for converting heterozygous to homozygous mutations
Tags: Gene drive mechanisms, Gene drive synthetic, Other arthropodsV. M. Gantz and E. Bier, Science, 348:442. 2015.
Loss-of-function mutations may only produce a mutant phenotype when both copies of the gene are mutated. Gantz and Bier developed a method they call mutagenic chain reaction (MCR) that autocatalytically produces homozygous mutations. MCR uses the initial mutated allele to cause a ...
Opinion: Is CRISPR-based gene drive a biocontrol silver bullet or global conservation threat?
Tags: Biodiversity/Conservation, Ethics, Gene drive synthetic, Risk and safetyWebber, BLR, S.; Edwards, O. R., Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 112:10565-10567. 2015.
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 ...
Safeguarding CRISPR-Cas9 gene drives in yeast
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Risk and safetyDiCarlo, JEC, A.; Dietz, S. L.; Esvelt, K. M.; Church, G. M., Nature Biotechnology, 33:1250-1255. 2015.
RNA-guided gene drives capable of spreading genomic alterations made in laboratory organisms through wild populations could be used to address environmental and public health problems. However, the possibility of unintended genome editing occurring through the escape of strains ...
Gene drive overdrive
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Risk and safetyDeFrancesco, L, Nature Biotechnology, 33:1019-1021. 2015.
The recent publication of a simple procedure for creating a CRISPR-Cas9-mediated gene drive has some researchers sounding the alarm. What are the risks to populations in the wild and what precautions are necessary? Laura DeFrancesco investigates.
Modeling the manipulation of natural populations by the mutagenic chain reaction
Tags: Gene drive syntheticUnckless, RLM, P. W.; Connallon, T.; Clark, A. G., Genetics, 201:425-431. 2015.
The use of recombinant genetic technologies for population manipulation has mostly remained an abstract idea due to the lack of a suitable means to drive novel gene constructs to high frequency in populations. Recently Gantz and Bier showed that the use of CRISPR/Cas9 technology ...
Safeguarding gene drive experiments in the laboratory
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Risk and safetyAkbari, OSB, H. J.; Bier, E.; Bullock, S. L.; Burt, A.; Church, G. M.; Cook, K. R.; Duchek, P.; Edwards, O. R.; Esvelt, K. M.; Gantz, V. M.; Golic, K. G.; Gratz, S. J.; Harrison, M. M.; Hayes, K. R.; James, A. A.; Kaufman, T. C.; Knoblich, J.; Malik, H. S.; Matthews, K. A.; O'Connor-Giles, K. M.; Parks, A. L.; Perrimon, N.; Port, F.; Russell, S.; Ueda, R.; Wildonger, J., Science, 349:927-929. 2015.
Gene drive systems promote the spread of genetic elements through populations by assuring they are inherited more often than Mendelian segregation would predict (see the figure). Natural examples of gene drive from Drosophila include sex-ratio meiotic drive, segregation ...
Systematic evaluation of Drosophila CRISPR tools reveals safe and robust alternatives to autonomous gene drives in basic research
Tags: Gene drive mechanisms, Gene drive synthetic, Risk and safetyPort, FM, N.; Bullock, S. L., G3-Genes Genomes Genetics, 5:1493-1502. 2015.
The Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeat/CRISPR associated (CRISPR/Cas) technology allows rapid, site-specific genome modification in a wide variety of organisms. Proof-of-principle studies in Drosophila melanogaster have used various CRISPR/Cas tools and ...
Genetic Control of Mosquitoes.
Tags: Gene drive mechanisms, Gene drive synthetic, Mosquitoes, Oxitec, Sterile insect technique (SIT), Toxin-antidote, Transmission distortion, Underdominance, X chromosome, Y-chromosomeAlphey, L., Annual Review of Entomology, 59:205-224. 2014.
Genetics can potentially provide new, species-specific, environmentally friendly methods for mosquito control. Genetic control strategies aim either to suppress target populations or to introduce a harm-reducing novel trait. Different approaches differ considerably in their ...
Genetic Engineering to the Rescue Against Invasive
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Invasive speciesK. Langin, National Geographic, 2014.
Genes for swatting tiger mosquitoes, defanging brown tree snakes, and deporting Asian carp, all nasty invasive species, sound like a swell idea. But the latest idea in eradication—genetic engineering—poses its own risks, warn biotechnology experts. Invasive species wreak ...
GM mosquitoes a ‘quantum leap’ towards tackling malaria
Tags: Gene drive mechanisms, Gene drive synthetic, MalariaA. Vaughan, Guardian, 2014.
New technique injects mosquitoes with a gene that results in mostly male offspring, eventually leading to a population crash
Dynamics of a combined medea-underdominant population transformation system
Tags: Gene drive mechanisms, Gene drive synthetic, Toxin-antidote, UnderdominanceGokhale, CSR, R. G.; Reed, F. A., BMC Evolutionary Biology, 14:98. 2014.
: Transgenic constructs intended to be stably established at high frequencies in wild populations have been demonstrated to "drive" from low frequencies in experimental insect populations. Linking such population transformation constructs to genes which render them unable to ...
A synthetic sex ratio distortion system for the control of the human malaria mosquito
Tags: Gene drive mechanisms, Gene drive synthetic, Other arthropods, Replicator/site directed nuclease, Y-chromosomeGalizi, RD, L. A.; Menichelli, M.; Bernardini, F.; Deredec, A.; Burt, A.; Stoddard, B. L.; Windbichler, N.; Crisanti, A., Nature Communications, 5:3977. 2014.
It has been theorized that inducing extreme reproductive sex ratios could be a method to suppress or eliminate pest populations. Limited knowledge about the genetic makeup and mode of action of naturally occurring sex distorters and the prevalence of co-evolving suppressors has ...
Genetic control of invasive fish: technological options and its role in integrated pest management
Tags: Biodiversity/Conservation, Biological control, Fish, Gene drive mechanisms, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Sex distorter, Sterile insect technique (SIT)Thresher, REH, K.; Bax, N. J.; Teem, J.; Benfey, T. J.; Gould, F., Biological Invasions, 16:1201-1216. 2014.
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 ...
Heritable strategies for controlling insect vectors of disease
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Other arthropodsBurt, A, Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B-Biological Sciences, 369:20130432. 2014.
Mosquito-borne diseases are causing a substantial burden of mortality, morbidity and economic loss in many parts of the world, despite current control efforts, and new complementary approaches to controlling these diseases are needed. One promising class of new interventions ...
Novel synthetic Medea selfish genetic elements drive population replacement in Drosophila: A theoretical exploration of Medea-dependent population suppression
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Other arthropods, Toxin-antidoteAkbari, OSC, C. H.; Marshall, J. M.; Huang, H. X.; Antoshechkin, I.; Hay, B. A., ACS Synthetic Biology, 3:915-928. 2014.
Insects act as vectors for diseases of plants, animals, and humans. Replacement of wild insect populations with genetically modified individuals unable to transmit disease provides a potentially self-perpetuating method of disease prevention. Population replacement requires a ...
Feasible introgression of an anti-pathogen transgene into an urban mosquito population without using gene-drive
Tags: Gene drive syntheticOkamoto, KWR, M. A.; Gould, F.; Lloyd, A. L., PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases, 8:e2827. 2014.
Introgressing anti-pathogen constructs into wild vector populations could reduce disease transmission. It is generally assumed that such introgression would require linking an anti-pathogen gene with a selfish genetic element or similar technologies. Yet none of the proposed ...
The Trojan female technique: a novel, effective and humane approach for pest population control
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Sex distorter, Sterile insect technique (SIT)N. J. Gemmell, A. Jalilzadeh, R. K. Didham, T. Soboleva and D. M. Tompkins, Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 280:20132549. 2013.
We use mathematical models to test a new twist on the SMT, using maternally inherited mitochondrial (mtDNA) mutations that affect male, but not female reproductive fitness. ‘Trojan females’ carrying suchmutations, and their female descendants, produce ...
Engineering synthetic medea-based and threshold- dependent underdominance-based gene drive systems in mosquitoes
Tags: Gene drive syntheticAkbari, OM, J.; Antoshechkin, I.; Matzen, K.; Papathanos, P.; Kennedy, K.; Ward, C.; Chen, C. H.; Guo, M.; Hay, B., Pathogens and Global Health, 107:442-442. 2013.
Mosquito population replacement requires gene drive mechanisms in order to spread linked genes, mediating disease refractoriness, through wild populations. Medea is predicted to be a low threshold gene drive mechanism, able to spread from low initial frequency. Such a system is ...
Modelling the spatial spread of a homing endonuclease gene in a mosquito population
Tags: Anopheles, Field trials, Gene drive synthetic, Malaria, Other arthropods, Replicator/site directed nuclease, ResistanceNorth, AB, A.; Godfray, H. C. J., Journal of Applied Ecology, 50:1216-1225. 2013.
Homing endonuclease genes (HEGs) exist naturally in many single-celled organisms and can show extremely strong genetic drive allowing them to spread through populations into which they are introduced. They are being investigated as tools to manipulate the populations of important ...
Modeling the dynamics of a non-limited and a self-limited gene drive system in structured Aedes aegypti populations
Tags: Gene drive mechanisms, Gene drive synthetic, Other arthropods, UnderdominanceLegros, MX, C. G.; Morrison, A.; Scott, T. W.; Lloyd, A. L.; Gould, F., PLOS One, 8:e83354. 2013.
Recently there have been significant advances in research on genetic strategies to control populations of disease-vectoring insects. Some of these strategies use the gene drive properties of selfish genetic elements to spread physically linked anti-pathogen genes into local ...
The design and in vivo evaluation of engineered I-OnuI-based enzymes for HEG gene drive
Tags: Gene drive mechanisms, Gene drive synthetic, Other arthropods, Replicator/site directed nucleaseChan, YST, R.; Jarjour, J.; Huen, D. S.; Stoddard, B. L.; Russell, S., PLOS One, 8:e74254. 2013.
The homing endonuclease gene (HEG) drive system, a promising genetic approach for controlling arthropod populations, utilises engineered nucleases to spread deleterious mutations that inactivate individual genes throughout a target population. Previous work with a naturally ...
Optimising homing endonuclease gene drive performance in a semi-refractory species: The Drosophila melanogaster experience
Tags: Gene drive mechanisms, Gene drive synthetic, Other arthropods, Replicator/site directed nucleaseChan, YSH, D. S.; Glauert, R.; Whiteway, E.; Russell, S., PLOS One, 8:e54130. 2013.
Homing endonuclease gene (HEG) drive is a promising insect population control technique that employs meganucleases to impair the fitness of pest populations. Our previous studies showed that HEG drive was more difficult to achieve in Drosophila melanogaster than Anopheles gambiae ...
Germline excision of transgenes in Aedes aegypti by homing endonucleases
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Other arthropods, Replicator/site directed nucleaseAryan, AA, M. A. E.; Myles, K. M.; Adelman, Z. N., Scientific Reports, 3:1603. 2013.
Aedes (Ae.) aegypti is the primary vector for dengue viruses (serotypes1-4) and chikungunya virus. Homing endonucleases (HEs) are ancient selfish elements that catalyze double-stranded DNA breaks (DSB) in a highly specific manner. In this report, we show that the HEs Y2-I-AniI, ...
A Synthetic Gene Drive System for Local, Reversible Modification and Suppression of Insect Populations
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Other arthropods, UnderdominanceAkbari, OSM, K. D.; Marshall, J. M.; Huang, H. X.; Ward, C. M.; Hay, B. A., Current Biology, 23:671-677. 2013.
Replacement of wild insect populations with genetically modified individuals unable to transmit disease provides a self-perpetuating method of disease prevention but requires a gene drive mechanism to spread these traits to high frequency [1-3]. Drive mechanisms requiring that ...
Ethical issues in field trials of genetically modified disease-resistant mosquitoes
Tags: Ethics, Field trials, Gene drive synthetic, Genetically modified mosquitoes, Malaria, Policy, Risk and safetyD. B. Resnik, Developing World Bioethics, 14:37-46. 2012.
Mosquito-borne diseases take a tremendous toll on human populations, especially in developing nations. In the last decade, scientists have developed mosquitoes that have been genetically modified to prevent transmission of mosquito-borne diseases, and field trials have been ...
The Nagoya – Kuala Lumpur Supplementary Protocol on Liability and Redress to the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety
Tags: Ethics, Gene drive synthetic, Policy, Risk and safetySecretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity, Convention on Biodiversity, 2011:1-16. 2011.
Adopted as a supplementary agreement to the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety, the Supplementary Protocol aims to contribute to the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity by providing international rules and procedures in the field of liability and redress relating to ...
Field performance of engineered male mosquitoes
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Oxitec, Sterile insect technique (SIT)A. F. Harris, D. Nimmo, A. R. McKemey, N. Kelly, S. Scaife, C. A. Donnelly, C. Beech, W. D. Petrie and L. Alphey, Nature Biotechnology, 29:1034-1037. 2011.
Mass-release of sterile male mosquitoes is a promising option for controlling dengue and malaria, but it has never been shown that lab-raised transgenic males can compete effectively with their wild counterparts outside laboratory conditions. Promising results from a restricted ...
Insect population control by homing endonuclease-based gene drive: An evaluation in Drosophila melanogaster
Tags: Gene drive mechanisms, Gene drive synthetic, Other arthropods, Replicator/site directed nucleaseChan, YSN, D. A.; Huen, D. S.; Russell, S., Genetics, 188:33-44. 2011.
Insects play a major role as vectors of human disease as well as causing significant agricultural losses. Harnessing the activity of customized homing endonuclease genes (HEGs) has been proposed as a method for spreading deleterious mutations through populations with a view to ...
A synthetic homing endonuclease-based gene drive system in the human malaria mosquito
Tags: Gene drive mechanisms, Gene drive synthetic, Mosquitoes, Other arthropods, Replicator/site directed nucleaseWindbichler, NM, M.; Papathanos, P. A.; Thyme, S. B.; Li, H.; Ulge, U. Y.; Hovde, B. T.; Baker, D.; Monnat, R. J.; Burt, A.; Crisanti, A., Nature, 473:212-215. 2011.
Genetic methods of manipulating or eradicating disease vector populations have long been discussed as an attractive alternative to existing control measures because of their potential advantages in terms of effectiveness and species specificity(1-3). The development of ...
Multi-Locus Assortment (MLA) for transgene dispersal and elimination in mosquito populations
Tags: Ecology, Gene drive mechanisms, Gene drive syntheticRasgon, JL, PLOS One, 4:e5833. 2009.
: Replacement of wild-type mosquito populations with genetically modified versions is being explored as a potential strategy to control vector-borne diseases. Due to lower expected relative fitness of transgenic individuals, transgenes must be driven into populations for these ...
Researchers eliminate mosquito population through CRISPR gene editing technology
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, MosquitoesGoss, L, Pharmafile, 2008.
Researchers at Imperial College London have been able to wipe out a population of mosquitoes through ‘gene drive’ technology. The study, published in the journal Nature Biotechnology saw a CRISPR edited gene being used to prevent female mosquitos from being born.; ; As such ...
The Impact of Dissociation on Transposon-Mediated Disease Control Strategies
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Modeling, Selfish genetic elementsJ. M. Marshall, Genetics, 178:1673-1682. 2008.
Vector-borne diseases such as malaria and dengue fever continue to be a major health concern through much of the world. The emergence of chloroquine-resistant strains of malaria and insecticide-resistant mosquitoes emphasize the need for novel methods of disease control. ...
A Killer–Rescue system for self-limiting gene drive of anti-pathogen constructs
Tags: Gene drive mechanisms, Gene drive synthetic, Toxin-antidote, UnderdominanceGould, FH, Yunxin; Legros, Mathieu; Lloyd, Alun L., Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 275:2823-2829. 2008.
A number of genetic mechanisms have been suggested for driving anti-pathogen genes into natural populations. Each of these mechanisms requires complex genetic engineering, and most are theoretically expected to permanently spread throughout the target species' geographical range. ...
Broadening the application of evolutionarily based genetic pest management
Tags: Birds, Gene drive synthetic, Other arthropods, Other mammals, Transmission distortionGould, F, Evolution, 62:500-510. 2008.
Insect- and tick-vectored diseases such as malaria, dengue fever, and Lyme disease cause human suffering, and current approaches for prevention are not adequate. Invasive plants and animals such as Scotch broom, zebra mussels, and gypsy moths continue to cause environmental ...
The population genetics of using homing endonuclease genes in vector and pest management
Tags: Gene drive mechanisms, Gene drive synthetic, Replicator/site directed nuclease, Y-chromosomeDeredec, AB, A.; Godfray, H. C. J., Genetics, 179:2013-2026. 2008.
Homing endonuclease genes (HEGs) encode proteins that in the heterozygous state cause double- strand breaks in the homologous chromosome at the precise position opposite the HFG. If the double-strand break is repaired using the homologous chromosome, the HEG becomes homozygous, ...
Guidance for contained field trials of vector mosquitoes engineered to contain a gene drive system: Recommendations of a scientific working group
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Other arthropods, Risk and safetyBenedict, MDA, P.; Dobson, S.; Gottlieb, M.; Harrington, L.; Higgs, S.; James, A.; James, S.; Knols, B.; Lavery, J.; O'Neill, S.; Scott, T.; Takken, W.; Toure, Y.; Core Working Grp Guidance, Containe, Vector-Borne and Zoonotic Diseases, 8:127-166. 2008.
The following recommendations represent the response of a group of involved scientists to the need for guidance to aid researchers, government authorities, and community leaders as they consider the design and implementation of field trials to assess the safety and efficacy of ...
Targeting the X chromosome during spermatogenesis induces Y chromosome transmission ratio distortion and early dominant embryo lethality in Anopheles gambiae
Tags: Gene drive mechanisms, Gene drive synthetic, Mosquitoes, Other arthropods, Replicator/site directed nucleaseWindbichler, NP, P. A.; Crisanti, A., PLOS Genetics, 4:1-9. 2008.
We have exploited the high selectivity of the homing endonuclease I-PpoI for the X-linked Anopheles gambiae 28S ribosomal genes to selectively target X chromosome carrying spermatozoa. Our data demonstrated that in heterozygous males, the expression of I-PpoI in the testes ...
Homing endonuclease mediated gene targeting in Anopheles gambiae cells and embryos
Tags: Gene drive mechanisms, Gene drive synthetic, Mosquitoes, Other arthropods, Replicator/site directed nucleaseWindbichler, NP, P. A.; Catteruccia, F.; Ranson, H.; Burt, A.; Crisanti, A., Nucleic Acids Research, 35:5922-5933. 2007.
Homing endonuclease genes (HEGs) are selfish genetic elements that combine the capability to selectively disrupt specific gene sequences with the ability to rapidly spread from a few individuals to an entire population through homologous recombination repair events. Because of ...
Genetic strategies for controlling mosquito-borne diseases
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Sterile insect technique (SIT), Transmission distortion, UnderdominanceF. Gould, K. Magori and Y. Huang, American Scientist, 94:238. 2006.
Malaria kills more than a million people each year, primarily children under the age of six. Dengue fever is less deadly, but an outbreak can debilitate millions of people and easily overwhelm doctors and hospitals in tropical cities
Gene drive systems for insect disease vectors
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Other arthropodsSinkins, SPG, F., Nature Reviews Genetics, 7:427-435. 2006.
The elegant mechanisms by which naturally occurring selfish genetic elements, such as transposable elements, meiotic drive genes, homing endonuclease genes and Wolbachia, spread at the expense of their hosts provide some of the most fascinating and remarkable subjects in ...
History of the Sterile Insect Technique
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, History, Sterile insect technique (SIT)Klassen, W. and C. F. Curtis, Sterile Insect Technique: Principles and Practice in Area-Wide Integrated Pest Managemen, 2005:3-36.. 2005.
During the 1930s and 1940s the idea of releasing insects of pest species to introduce sterility (sterile insect technique or SIT) into wild populations, and thus control them, was independently conceived in three extremely diverse intellectual environments. The key researchers ...
Population dynamics of transposable elements: Copy number regulation and species invasion requirements
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Selfish genetic elementsStruchiner, CJK, M. G.; Ribeiro, J. M. C., Journal of Biological Systems, 13:455-475. 2005.
A deterministic population dynamics model of the spread of transposable elements (TE) in sexually reproducing populations is presented. The population is modeled by a three-parameter equation describing host reproductive capacity, population size and the strength of the density ...
Transposable element insertion location bias and the dynamics of gene drive in mosquito populations
Tags: Gene drive mechanisms, Gene drive syntheticRasgon, JLG, F., Insect Molecular Biology, 14:493-500. 2005.
Some vector-borne disease control strategies using transgenic mosquitoes require transgene spread to high frequency in populations. Transposable elements (TEs) are DNA sequences that replicate and transpose within the genomes of other organisms and may therefore be represented in ...
Gene drive systems in mosquitoes: rules of the road
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Other arthropods, Risk and safetyJames, AA, Trends in Parasitology, 21:64-67. 2005.
Population replacement strategies for controlling transmission of mosquito-borne diseases call for the introgression of antipathogen effector genes into vector populations. It is anticipated that these genes, if present at high enough frequencies, will impede transmission of the ...
Reinvestigation of an endogenous meiotic drive system in the mosquito, Aedes aegypti (Diptera : Culicidae)
Tags: Gene drive mechanisms, Gene drive synthetic, Other arthropods, Transmission distortion, Y-chromosomeMori, AC, D. D.; Graham, D. H.; Severson, D. W., Journal of Medical Entomology, 41:1027-1033. 2004.
We have initiated efforts to determine the molecular basis for the M-D meiotic drive system in the mosquito, Aedes aegypti. The effect of the M-D gene is a highly male-biased sex ratio, but varies depending on the frequency and sensitivity of a susceptible responder m(s) allele. ...
Site-specific selfish genes as tools for the control and genetic engineering of natural populations
Tags: Evolution, Fruit fly, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic engineering, Replicator/site directed nuclease, Vector controlBurt, A, Proceedings of the Royal Society B-Biological Sciences, 270:921-928. 2003.
Site-specific selfish genes exploit host functions to copy themselves into a defined target DNA sequence, and include homing endonuclease genes, group II introns and some LINE-like transposable elements. If such genes can be engineered to target new host sequences, then they can ...
Malaria Control with Genetically Manipulated Insect Vectors
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Gene editing, Genetic biocontrol, Genetically modified mosquitoes, Genetically modified organisms, Mosquitoes, Policy, Regulation, Risk and safety, Sterile insect technique (SIT)L. Alphey, C. B. Beard, P. Billingsley, M. Coetzee, A. Crisanti, C. Curtis, P. Eggleston, C. Godfray, J. Hemingway, M. Jacobs-Lorena, A. A. James, F. C. Kafatos, L. G. Mukwaya, M. Paton, J. R. Powell, W. Schneider, T. W. Scott, B. Sina, R. Sinden, S. Sink, Science, 298:119. 2002.
At a recent workshop, experts discussed the benefits, risks, and research priorities associated with using genetically manipulated insects in the control of vector-borne diseases.
Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety to the Convention on Biological Diversity
Tags: Ethics, Gene drive synthetic, Policy, Risk and safetySecretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity, Convention on Biodiversity, 2000:1-19. 2000.
The Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety to the Convention on Biological Diversity is an international agreement which aims to ensure the safe handling, transport and use of living modified organisms (LMOs) resulting from modern biotechnology that may have adverse effects on ...
Malaria: existing methods of vector control and molecular entomology
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Other arthropodsCurtis, CFT, H., British Medical Bulletin, 54:311-325. 1998.
In general, the most effective means of malaria vector control is the killing of adult mosquitoes with a residual insecticide applied to bednets or sprayed on house walls and ceilings. Major reductions in all-cause child mortality have been achieved in Africa by these means. In ...
Gene transfer into the Medfly, Ceratitis capitata, using a Drosophila hydei transposable element.
Tags: Fruit fly, Gene drive synthetic, Gene editing, Selfish genetic elementsT. G. Loukeris, I. Livadaras, B. Arca, S. Zabalou and C. Savakis, Science, 270:2002-2005. 1995.
Exogenous functional DNA was introduced into the germline chromosomes of the Mediterranean fruit fly (medfly) Ceratitis capitata with a germline transformation system based on the transposable element Minos from Drosophila hydei. Transformants were identified as phenotypic ...
Selfish DNA as method of pest control
Tags: Gene drive mechanisms, Gene drive syntheticHastings, IM, Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B-Biological Sciences, 344:313-324. 1994.
The inheritance of most genes is tightly controlled, governed by the rules of mendelian inheritance if nuclear or uniparental inheritance if cytoplasmic. A few notable genes and cytoplasmic genomes have escaped this regulation. Such genes may spread by increasing their own rate ...
Can transposable elements be used to drive disease refractoriness genes into vector populations?
Tags: Evolution, Fruit fly, Gene drive synthetic, ModelingM. G. Kidwell and J. M. C. Ribeiro, Parasitology Today, 8:325-329. 1992.
A number of biological procedures are currently being considered as alternatives to insecticide-based methods for the control of insect vectors of disease. Among these are the adaptation of various genetic mechanisms to drive genes of interest, such as refractoriness to malaria ...
Genetics-driving genes and chromosomes
Tags: Chromosomal drive, Ecology, Evolution, Fruit fly, Gene drive, Gene drive mechanisms, Gene drive synthetic, History, Replicator/site directed nuclease, Risk and safety, Toxin-antidote, Transmission distortion, Underdominance, X chromosome, Y-chromosomeCharlesworth, B, Nature, 332:394-395. 1988.
Thereare several genetic and chromosomal systems in which Mendel's first law - the equal probability of transmission of maternal and paternal alternative alleles or homologues - is violated. This phenomenon was named 'meiotic drive' in 1957 by Sandler and Novitski, who drew ...
Methods for replacement of malaria vector populations
Tags: Gene drive, Gene drive mechanisms, Gene drive synthetic, Transmission distortionCurtis, CFG, P. M., American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, 91:43-48. 1988.
The prospects are reviewed of replacement of malaria vector populations by harmless mosquito populations by means of: (i) ecologically competitive non-vector species; (ii) natural selection due to the harmfulness of being infected; (iii) selection for insecticide resistance ...
A cage replacement experiment involving introduction of genes for refractoriness to Plasmodium-yoelii-nigeriensis into a population of Anopheles gambiae (Diptera, Culicidae)
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Malaria, Population modification/replacementP. M. Graves and C. F. Curtis, Journal of Medical Entomology, 19:127-133. 1982.
A caged population of Anopheles gambiae was allowed to breed continuously and samples of the progeny were tested for susceptibility to Plasmodium yoelii nigeriensis. Males of a strain partially refractory to this parasite were released into the population for an 18-wk period. The ...
Sex ratio distortion caused by meiotic drive in a mosquito Culex pipiens
Tags: Gene drive mechanisms, Gene drive synthetic, Other arthropods, Transmission distortionSweeny, TLB, A. R., Genetics, 88:427-446. 1978.
A genetic factor, distorter (d), has been discovered that upsets the normal sex ratio of 1 : 1 and results in a large excess of males in Culex pipiens. The effect can be explained by a sex-linked, recessive gene. Males homozygous for the gene (Md/md) produce few female offspring; ...
Resistance to meiotic drive at MD locus in an Indian wild population of Aedes aegypti
Tags: Gene drive mechanisms, Gene drive synthetic, Other arthropodsSuguna, SGW, R. J.; Curtis, C. F.; Whitelaw, A.; Kazmi, S. J., Genetical Research, 29:123-132. 1977.
Females from an Indian wild population of Aedes aegypti were crossed to males carrying the sex ratio distorter factor MB which shows meiotic drive. Progenies from ¥1 males were tested for sex ratio distortion, i.e. the chromosomes from the wild females were screened for their ...
Genetic control of insect populations: I. Cage studies of chromosome replacement by compound autosomes in Drosophila melanogaste
Tags: Fruit fly, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Genomics, HistoryM. Fitz-Earle, D. G. Holm and D. T. Suzuki, Genetics, 74:461-475. 1973.
A genetic method for insect control was evaluated using the test organism, Drosophila melanogaster. The technique involved the displacement under a system of continuous reproduction, of standard strains by those carrying compound autosomes. The eradication of the replacements ...
Changing population structure through the use of compound chromosomes
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Genomics, HistoryD. Childress, Genetics, 72:183-186. 1972.
Theoretical calculations and population cage data are presented to illustrate the use of compound chromosomes to change the genetic structure of insect populations.
Chromosome rearrangements for the control of insect pests
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Genomics, HistoryG. G. Foster, M. J. Whitten, T. Prout and R. Gill, Science, 176:875-880. 1972.
Over several years some biologists have been interested in the possibilities of employing genetic techniques in the control of insect pests. One idea has been to introduce in the natural population genotypes which could subsequently facilitate control, or which might render the ...
Insect control by genetic manipulation of natural populations
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, GenomicsM. J. Whitten, Science, 171:682. 1971.
The possible use of chromosome rearrangements is considered as a means for introducing genes into insect populations for their own control. The release of laboratory-constructed strains differing from the field population for a number of chromosome interchanges should create an ...
Applications of genetic technology to mosquito rearing
Tags: Gene drive mechanisms, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, History, Sterile insect technique (SIT)G. B. Craig, Bulletin of the World Health Organization, 29:89-97. 1963.
Since the development of insecticide-resistance and the consequent partial failure of the chemical approach to the control of disease vectors, interest in the biological approach has re-awakened. An aspect of the latter approach that is of great current interest is " autocidal ...
Inherited male-producing factor in Aedes aegypti
Tags: Gene drive mechanisms, Gene drive synthetic, History, Y-chromosomeG. B. Craig, W. A. Hickey and R. C. Vandehey, Science, 132:1887-1889. 1960.
An inherited factor causes a predominance of males in certain strains and in progeny of single pairs of Aedes aegypti L. This factor appears to be transmitted only by males and is not due to differential mortality, at least in postgametic stages. Mass release of male-producing ...
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