While there are many questions and concerns about gene drives, scientists have recently made an important discovery. On November 16, 2015, a team of researchers at the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University and Harvard Medical School (HMS) experimentally showed that the effects of gene drives on populations can be reversed, and the team developed safeguards for using gene drives. First, by separating guided RNA from Cas 9 enzyme or inserting an artificial gene into an organism, gene drives could only be activated in the laboratory. This means the organism cannot survive in the wild. Also, by experimenting on yeast, gene drive traits have been reversed by reversing the gene drive machinery.
This is a fascinating discovery. Much experimental work and research must still be accomplished, and safeguards and reversibility of using gene drives must be further explored. Gene drives could be used for great good in an ecosystem, but scientists are also tampering with an incredibly designed DNA code for life. I will choose to remain optimistic about this work. "Gene drive technology has great potential to solve global problems, such as malaria, for which we have no solutions today," says Wyss Institute Founding Director Donald Ingber, M.D., Ph.D…"
Other Article: http://hplusmagazine.com/2015/03/10/gene-drives/
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