Gene Drive & Genetic Biocontrol Newsletter

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 sound policy framework. Ideally, governance strategies should be developed before or at the same pace as gene drive research to anticipate field releases and maximize their impact as a public health tool.

The post Global Governing Bodies: A Pathway for Gene Drive Governance for Vector Mosquito Control appeared first on GeneConvene Virtual Institute.

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 including gene drive (sex determination, germline). This study will underpin future experiments aimed at understanding the parasitic lifestyle of the screwworm fly and greatly facilitate future development of strains for efficient systems for genetic control of screwworm.

The post Genomic analyses of a livestock pest, the New World screwworm, find potential targets for genetic control programs appeared first on GeneConvene Virtual Institute.

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

The post Fighting malaria with genetically modified mosquitoes appeared first on GeneConvene Virtual Institute.

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 resistant alleles are eliminated via a dominantly-acting maternal effect combined with slower-acting standard negative selection, and a functional resistant allele does not prevent drive invasion.

The post Efficient population modification gene-drive rescue system in the malaria mosquito Anopheles stephensi appeared first on GeneConvene Virtual Institute.

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.

Scientists have long had a name for a gruesome insect that feeds on live flesh of warm-blooded mammals: C. hominivorax, Latin for “man eater.” But now, they have the parasite’s number. In a paper published this week in the journal Communications Biology, researchers from across the United States and beyond describe the assembly and analysis of the New World screwworm’s genome — a map of the fly’s 534 million DNA base pairs.

The post Study Could Lead to Power Over Parasite appeared first on GeneConvene Virtual Institute.

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, which works by converting cells that are heterozygous for the drive construct into homozygotes, thereby enabling super-Mendelian inheritance.

The post CRISPR gene drives could eliminate many vector-driven pests and diseases, but challenges remain appeared first on GeneConvene Virtual Institute.

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

The post Fighting malaria with genetically modified 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.

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.

The post Meet Cosmo, the gene-edited Crispr calf appeared first on GeneConvene Virtual Institute.

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 sound policy framework. Ideally, governance strategies should be developed before or at the same pace as gene drive research to anticipate field releases and maximize their impact as a public health tool.

The post Global Governing Bodies: A Pathway for Gene Drive Governance for Vector Mosquito Control 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.