Gene drive is a type of genetic engineering technique that alters genes so that they do not follow typical rules of inheritance. It overrides natural selection by replacing a natural gene with a new gene that is then passed down from generation to generation.
Due to the potential uses and implications of gene drive, there is a growing interest in this technology internationally.
How does it work?
The gene drive consists of three key components:
– the gene you want to propagate,
– the Cas9 enzyme that can cut DNA,
– CRISPR, which determines where the enzyme should cut.
The genetic material encoding these three elements is inserted into an animal’s DNA to replace the natural gene you want to replace on both chromosomes. Thanks to CRISPR-Cas9, a gene editing technology that utilizes bacteria, it is becoming easier for researchers to create gene drives.
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When an animal carrying the gene drive mates with an animal not carrying it, it receives a copy of DNA, a “natural version” and a “gene drive version”. When the chromosomes line up for the first time after fertilization, CRISPR in the gene driver DNA is activated and the DNA-cutting enzyme Cas9 is directed to cut the copy of the natural version before development begins. When the natural gene is cut, the cell’s repair mechanisms are triggered and the damaged DNA is restored. But it uses the chromosome carrying the gene drive as a template. In the end, when the repair is finished, both chromosomes carry a copy of the gene drive.
This is how it is passed on from generation to generation. And so the process continues…
Two scientists, Crisanti and Burt, had been studying mosquitoes for years. They wanted to bypass natural selection and introduce a gene that spreads very quickly through mutations. Their goal was to destroy mosquitoes by preventing them from spreading disease. In the end, a gene they inserted into the mosquito genome traveled through the population, reaching more than 85% of the generation.
But scientists are still working to determine the ecological and environmental impacts of using gene drives to eliminate an entire species.
Is it dangerous?
Several surveys in the US have shown that the majority of the public would support the use of agricultural gene drives against pests if provided with sufficient information about the risks and benefits of the technology.
It is still difficult for scientists to isolate the ecological impacts of gene drive projects.
Work is also ongoing on potential remediation plans or remediation strategies to remove the gene drive from the environment in the event of unintended consequences.
While gene drives hold promise for ensuring human health and ecological balance, there is still a long way to go on the implications and effectiveness of the technology.