Last Updated

28 Jun 2022

Development, characterization and application of CRISPR/Cas9 gene drive technologies and related active genetic elements to benefit research and society at large

Objectives

To build and characterize in Drosophila melanogaster three categories of active genetic elements:

Full MCR-gene drives.
Split, “transcomplementing-MCR”, an alternative that could offer advantages when performing population modiﬁcation in the wild.
Reversal constructs to stop, limit or reverse the spread of a Cas9-based gene drive in the wild.

Principal Institution(s)

University of California, San Diego (UCSD), USA

Principal Investigator

Valentino Matteo Gantz

Rationale and Abstract

Gene drive mechanisms increase the chance that a genetic characteristic is inherited by its progeny. We have developed a highly efficient gene drive system in the fruit fly and adapted it to the disease-vector mosquito Anopheles stephensi, where it faithfully transmits a malaria- resistance gene to nearly all progeny. The developed system has tremendous potential in benefit research, global eradication of vector-borne diseases and restoration ecosystems from invasive species.

External Reference

NIH project details