|
First Feasible Gene Drive System for Invasive Rodent Population Control |
|
Gene drives have been proposed as an innovative strategy to control invasive alien species and disease vectors. However, synthetic gene drives including CRISPR homing drives, have so far proven to be technically challenging to develop in mice. A recent study published in BioRxiv proposes the first example of a feasible gene drive system for controlling invasive alien rodent populations.
|
|
|
|
Modelling the Potential Spread of Gene Drive Mosquitoes |
|
Malaria kills over 300,000 children in Africa every year despite the use of control measures. Novel control approaches using gene drives have been proven to be able to reduce or modify malaria vector populations in laboratory settings, and are now being considered for potential future field applications. Anopheles gambiae sensu stricto and Anopheles coluzzii are two closely related mosquito subspecies that are both malaria vectors in sub-Saharan Africa. Using both these species, scientists conducted a modeling study to investigate the spread and persistence of a population-modifying gene drive system.
|
|
|
|
|
Researching Gene Drive Mosquitoes to Help Malaria Control |
|
According to the World Health Organization, 241 million cases of malaria and 627,000 deaths from the disease were recorded globally in 2020. Malaria is estimated to cost the African continent US$12 billion in reduced economic output every year.
|
|
|
|
Fighting Malaria with Gene Drive and Community Involvement |
|
According to the World Health Organization, malaria killed 627,000 people globally in 2020 - an increase of 69,000 deaths over the previous year. A majority of these occurred in sub-Saharan Africa and involved children aged 5 years old and below. To address stalled progress and increasing resistance to current interventions, new tools to control the disease are being investigated. One of these is gene drive, a genetic phenomenon that occurs in nature and causes a selected trait to spread through a species via sexual reproduction over several generations.
|
|
|
|
Biotech Updates is a weekly newsletter of ISAAA, a not-for-profit organization. It is distributed for free to over 22,000 subscribers worldwide to inform them about the key developments in biosciences, especially in biotechnology. Your support will help us in our mission to feed the world with knowledge. You can help by donating as little as $10. |
|
|
|