Science Speaks
Could Gene Flow from Gene Drive Organisms Cause Harm to Local Ecosystems?

Could Gene Flow from Gene Drive Organisms Cause Harm to Local Ecosystems?

By Outreach Network for Gene Drive Research

October 25, 2023

The potential uses and impacts of gene drive technologies are a topic of growing interest. In this video developed by the Outreach Network for Gene Drive Research, Prof. Luke Alphey, University of York (previously affiliated with The Pirbright Institute), and Dr. Prasad Paradkar, CSIRO, discuss whether gene flow from a gene drive organism could have negative consequences on the ecosystem in which the gene drive is released.

“Could gene flow from gene drive organisms cause harm to local ecosystems?” with Dr. Prasad Paradkar, CSIRO, and Prof. Luke Alphey, University of York

Gene flow is the transfer of genetic material from one population to another. It is a natural process that most commonly occurs through mating. Gene flow can be measured by looking at genetic markers in different populations and comparing them. Whilst gene flow between populations of the same species is common, it is extremely rare between unrelated species.

So what would be the consequences if gene flow from a gene drive organism to a non-target species were to occur? As explained in the video by Prof. Alphey, there would be limited consequences for most gene drive designs. The modification might be able to be detected through molecular methods, but the effects would be negligible.

In general, the potential for gene flow from a gene drive construct to occur will vary from one gene drive to another and depend on its design. Most gene drive systems depend on specific host sequences and would therefore not work in a distinctly related species. Approaches such as local gene drives are intended to stay restricted to their target population, whilst non-local gene drives are specifically designed to spread through the target species and between populations that are linked by some degree of migration. This demonstrates the need for risk assessments to be carried out on a case-by-case basis to avoid any potential negative impacts.

One approach being considered by scientists to further limit the likelihood of gene flow from gene drive organisms to species of non-target organisms are “precision drive” systems. Precision drives use very specific sequences to target a unique trait in specific species. To learn more about gene flow in the context of gene drives, you can watch the full video here.

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