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Australians Welcome Using Gene Drive to Manage Feral Cats |
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In Australia, feral cats kill about 3.2 million mammals, 1.2 million birds, 1.9 million reptiles, and 250,000 frogs daily, most of which are native species. Feral cats have been the main driver of 27 animal extinctions in Australia, including the Macquarie parakeet, and are one of the most economically costly invasive species to manage. New genetic technologies such as gene drives could help address the rise of invasive species and drive down their populations.
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Africa Continues Fight Against Malaria |
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Africa remains as the world's epicenter of malaria and malaria-related deaths. Approximately 602,000 people died from malaria in sub-Saharan Africa alone in 2020. The 2021 World Malaria Report reveals that six countries from sub-Saharan Africa accounted for 55% of all cases globally, namely, Nigeria (27%), the Democratic Republic of the Congo (12%), Uganda (5%), Mozambique (4%), Angola (3.4%), and Burkina Faso (3.4%).
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Model Predicts Eradication of Large Invasive Mammals Using Gene Drive |
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Invasive alien mammals are one of the main drivers of fauna and flora species extinctions, having a significant impact on the environment and ecosystems. In order to evaluate the potential of applying gene drive tools to revert biodiversity loss, researchers from the University of Adelaide showed how demography and life-history traits interact to determine the scalability of gene drives for vertebrate pest eradication, such as mice, rats, rabbits, feral cats and red foxes.
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