CSTMS Co-Director, David Winickoff, participated in the National Academies of Science Committee on Gene Drive Research in Non-Human Organisms, which released its final report this summer. Gene drives are systems of biased inheritance that enhance the ability of a genetic element to pass from an organism to its offspring through sexual reproduction. A wide variety of gene drives occur in nature. Researchers have been studying these natural mechanisms throughout the 20th century but, until the advent of CRISPR/Cas9 for gene editing, have not been able to develop a gene drive.

Since early 2015, laboratory scientists have published four proofs-of-concept showing that a CRISPR/Cas9-based gene drive could spread a targeted gene through nearly 100% of a population of yeast, fruit flies, or mosquitoes.  Biologists have proposed using gene drives to address problems where solutions are limited or entirely lacking, such as the eradication of insect-borne infectious diseases and the conservation of threatened and endangered species.

This study provides an independent, objective examination of what has been learned since the development of gene drives based on current evidence. The resulting report, Gene Drives on the Horizon: Advancing Science, Navigating Uncertainty, and Aligning Research with Public Values outlines the state of knowledge relative to the science, ethics, public engagement, and risk assessment as they pertain to gene drive research and the governance of the research process. This report offers principles for responsible practices of gene drive research and related applications for use by investigators, their institutions, the research funders, and regulators.  More information here.

• Jason Delborne, another study panelist, will visit CSTMS on Friday, September 16, 2016 and will give a masterclass to discuss the report and participation in this expert panel.