Gene Drive Technology: Where is the future?
Gene drive technologies may one day help alleviate the burden caused by diseases transmitted by mosquitoes and other animal vectors. Credit: James Gathany
Gene drives have the potential to revolutionize approaches to major public health, conservation, and agricultural problems.
For instance, gene drives might one day prevent mosquitoes from spreading a variety of deadly diseases, including Zika virus, malaria, and others.
A form of genetic modification, the technology works by causing a particular genetic element to spread through populations, thereby making it possible to change species in the wild.
Despite the significant promise, caution is warranted, says a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine's Committee on Gene Drive Research.
According to the committee, gene drives raise a variety of ecological and regulatory questions that have yet to be answered.
For this episode of BioScience Talks, we're joined by committee co-chair James P. Collins of Arizona State University and committee member Joseph Travis of Florida State University.
They fill us in on the specifics of the report and on the future of gene drives.
To hear the whole discussion, visit this link for this latest episode of the Bioscience Talks podcast.
Media Contact
All latest news from the category: Life Sciences and Chemistry
Articles and reports from the Life Sciences and chemistry area deal with applied and basic research into modern biology, chemistry and human medicine.
Valuable information can be found on a range of life sciences fields including bacteriology, biochemistry, bionics, bioinformatics, biophysics, biotechnology, genetics, geobotany, human biology, marine biology, microbiology, molecular biology, cellular biology, zoology, bioinorganic chemistry, microchemistry and environmental chemistry.
Newest articles
How complex biological processes arise
A $20 million grant from the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) will support the establishment and operation of the National Synthesis Center for Emergence in the Molecular and Cellular Sciences (NCEMS) at…
Airborne single-photon lidar system achieves high-resolution 3D imaging
Compact, low-power system opens doors for photon-efficient drone and satellite-based environmental monitoring and mapping. Researchers have developed a compact and lightweight single-photon airborne lidar system that can acquire high-resolution 3D…
Simplified diagnosis of rare eye diseases
Uveitis experts provide an overview of an underestimated imaging technique. Uveitis is a rare inflammatory eye disease. Posterior and panuveitis in particular are associated with a poor prognosis and a…
