Publications

A confinable female-lethal population suppression system in the malaria vector, Anopheles gambiae

July 20, 2023

Background Malaria is among the world’s deadliest diseases, predominantly affecting Sub-Saharan Africa and killing over half a million people annually. Controlling the principal vector, the mosquito Anopheles gambiae, as well as other anophelines, is among the most effective methods to control disease spread. Here, we develop a genetic population suppression system termed Ifegenia (inherited female elimination […]

Dual effector population modification gene-drive strains of the African malaria mosquitoes, Anopheles gambiae and Anopheles coluzzii

July 20, 2023

Background Novel genetic strategies for the malaria eradication agenda exploit Cas9/gRNA (guide RNA)-based autonomous gene-drive systems carrying antiparasite effector genes, and these effectively reduce prevalence and numbers of the human parasite, Plasmodium falciparum, in the African malaria mosquitoes, Anopheles gambiae and Anopheles coluzzii. Results from laboratory assessments of population gene-drive dynamics, transgene genetic loads, and parasite suppression efficacy informed modeling […]

Wolbachia-based strategies for control of agricultural pests

July 20, 2023

Background Wolbachia-based incompatible insect technique (IIT) and pathogen blocking technique (PBT) have been shown to be effective at protecting humans from mosquito-borne diseases in the past decades. Population suppression based on IIT and population replacement based on PBT have become major field application strategies that have continuously been improved by the translational research on Wolbachia-transinfected […]

The optimal strategy of incompatible insect technique (IIT) using Wolbachia and the application to malaria control

May 24, 2023

Background For decades, techniques to control vector population with low environmental impact have been widely explored in both field and theoretical studies. The incompatible insect technique (IIT) using Wolbachia, based on cytoplasmic incompatibility, is a technique that Wolbachia-infected male mosquitoes are incapable of producing viable offspring after mating with wild-type female mosquitoes. Matsufuji, T., & Seirin-Lee, S. […]

Gene Drives as Interventions into Nature: the Coproduction of Ontology and Morality in the Gene Drive Debate

May 24, 2023

Background Gene drives are potentially ontologically and morally disruptive technologies. The potential to shape evolutionary processes and to eradicate (e.g. malaria-transmitting or invasive) populations raises ontological questions about evolution, nature, and wilderness. The transformative promises and perils of gene drives also raise pressing ethical and political concerns. Boersma, K., Bovenkerk, B., & Ludwig, D. (2023). […]