Gene Drive & Genetic Biocontrol Newsletter

N. O. Rode, V. Courtier-Orgogozo and F. Débarre (2020). G3 doi: 10.1534/g3.120.401484
Developing countermeasures is important to control the spread of gene drives, should they result in unanticipated damages. One proposed countermeasure is the introduction of individuals carrying a brake construct that targets and inactivates the drive allele but leaves the wild-type allele unaffected.

The post Can a population targeted by a CRISPR-based homing gene drive be rescued? appeared first on GeneConvene Virtual Institute.

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 drive targeting spermatogenesis to control the invasive common wasp (Vespula vulgaris) in New Zealand.

The post The potential for a CRISPR gene drive to eradicate or suppress globally invasive social wasps appeared first on GeneConvene Virtual Institute.

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 guidelines for community engagement in gene drive research.

The post Providing a policy framework for responsible gene drive research: an analysis of the existing governance landscape and priority areas for further research appeared first on GeneConvene Virtual Institute.

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 chemicals. Gene editing has made it possible to place those sections into an existing DNA sequence at any point a technician chooses.

The post Socrates Untenured: Ethics, Experts, and the Public in the Synthetic Age appeared first on GeneConvene Virtual Institute.

G. J. Annas (2020). American Journal of Law and Medicine. doi: 10.1177/0098858820933492. I begin with a discussion of so far disastrously unsuccessful attempts to regulate germline editing in humans, including a summary of the first application of germline genome editing in humans and its aftermath. I then turn to a discussion of setting ethical standards for a genomic technology that has not yet been deployed in nature—gene drives. Finally, I end by suggesting that human rights can and should be directly applicable to defining the ethics of genomic research.

The post Genome Editing 2020: Ethics and Human Rights in Germline Editing in Humans and Gene Drives in Mosquitoes appeared first on GeneConvene Virtual Institute.

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.

The post Exploring gene drive’s role in fight against malaria appeared first on GeneConvene Virtual Institute.

The Week Staff. The Week (2020). Scientists plan to release altered mosquitoes designed to sabotage the species' ability to reproduce. Is this safe? Here's everything you need to know:

The post Why are scientists creating genetically modified mosquitoes? appeared first on GeneConvene Virtual Institute.

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

The post The future of beef might be a sausage fest appeared first on GeneConvene Virtual Institute.

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

The post Meet Cosmo the Frankenbull: Scientists genetically engineer a bull calf so that 75 per cent of its offspring will be male appeared first on GeneConvene Virtual Institute.

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 control populations of invasive mammals.

The post A Crispr calf is born. It’s definitely a boy appeared first on GeneConvene Virtual Institute.

A. Bossu, N. Laarman, D. Houdebine, H. Le Meur, F. Jacquemart and F. Warlop (2020). Open Letter. An open letter from French civil society organizations urging the French Parliament to support a resolution at the upcoming Convention on Biodiversity that would call for a moratorium on the release of organisms containing engineered gene drive technologies.

The post 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 appeared first on GeneConvene Virtual Institute.

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 guidelines for community engagement in gene drive research.

The post Providing a policy framework for responsible gene drive research: an analysis of the existing governance landscape and priority areas for further research appeared first on GeneConvene Virtual Institute.

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 publications, in a rapidly evolving field of research including gene drive and genetic biocontrol.

The post Genome Editing in Food and Farming: Risks and unexpected consequences appeared first on GeneConvene Virtual Institute.

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.

The post Groups warn against release of genetically-engineered mosquitoes in Nigeria appeared first on GeneConvene Virtual Institute.

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 the EU preparation for the upcoming Conference of the Parties (COP15) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety (COP-MOP10).

The post Please support a global moratorium on the environmental release of gene drive organisms appeared first on GeneConvene Virtual Institute.