This is a database of peer-reviewed literature that focuses on Genetic Biocontrol research. The latest are shown here.
Analysis and control of Aedes Aegypti mosquitoes using sterile-insect techniques with Wolbachia
Background
Combining Sterile and Incompatible Insect techniques can significantly reduce mosquito populations and prevent the transmission of diseases between insects and humans. This paper describes impulsive differential equations for the control of a mosquito with Wolbachia. Several interesting conditions are created when sterile male mosquitoes are released impulsively, ensuring both open- and closed-loop control. To determine the wild mosquito population size in real-time, we propose an open-loop control system, which uses impulsive and constant releases of sterile male mosquitoes. A closed-loop control scheme is also being investigated, which specifies the release of sterile mosquitoes according to the size of the wild mosquito population. To eliminate or reduce a mosquito population below a certain threshold, the Sterile insect technique involves mass releases of sterile insects. Numerical simulations verify the theoretical results.
Chinnathambi, R., & Rihan, F. A. (2022). Analysis and control of Aedes Aegypti mosquitoes using sterile-insect techniques with Wolbachia. Mathematical Biosciences and Engineering, 19(11), 11154-11171.
Gene drive mosquitoes can aid malaria elimination by retarding Plasmodium sporogonic development
Background
Gene drives hold promise for the genetic control of malaria vectors. The development of vector population modification strategies hinges on the availability of effector mechanisms impeding parasite development in transgenic mosquitoes. We augmented a midgut gene of the malaria mosquito Anopheles gambiae to secrete two exogenous antimicrobial peptides, magainin 2 and melittin. This small genetic modification, capable of efficient nonautonomous gene drive, hampers oocyst development in both Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium berghei. It delays the release of infectious sporozoites, while it simultaneously reduces the life span of homozygous female transgenic mosquitoes.
Hoermann, A., Habtewold, T., Selvaraj, P., Del Corsano, G., Capriotti, P., Inghilterra, M. G., … & Windbichler, N. (2022). Gene drive mosquitoes can aid malaria elimination by retarding Plasmodium sporogonic development. Science Advances, 8(38), eabo1733.
A detailed landscape of CRISPR-Cas-mediated plant disease and pest management
Background
Genome editing technology has rapidly evolved to knock-out genes, create targeted genetic variation, install precise insertion/deletion and single nucleotide changes, and perform large-scale alteration. The flexible and multipurpose editing technologies have started playing a substantial role in the field of plant disease management. CRISPR-Cas has reduced many limitations of earlier technologies and emerged as a versatile toolbox for genome manipulation.
Karmakar, S., Das, P., Panda, D., Xie, K., Baig, M. J., & Molla, K. A. (2022). A detailed landscape of CRISPR-Cas-mediated plant disease and pest management. Plant Science, 323, 111376.
Advances in Mosquito Control: A Comprehensive Review
Background
Mosquitoes are the important global vectors transmitting diseases of human concern such as dengue, Chikungunya, Malaria, encephalitis and yellow fever, etc. Management of mosquito-borne diseases largely relies on the vector management because of the lack of effective medication and vaccination. Several strategies have been formulated and applied in the fields to control mosquitoes; yet there is a continued rise in mosquito-borne diseases leading to sufferings and morbidities. These strategies span from Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) Release of Insects Carrying a Dominant Lethal (RIDL), creating transgenics with abnormal and lethal genes, gene drive technology, reducing the vectorial capacity by Wolbachia infection and application of attractive toxic sugar baits (ATSB), or by lasers and light detectors to investigate their behavior, and enhance their trap and kill.
Kumar, S., & Sahgal, A. (2022). Advances in Mosquito Control: A Comprehensive Review. Advances in Diptera-Insight, Challenges and Management Tools.
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Applications of gene drive systems for population suppression of insect pests
Background
Population suppression is an effective way for controlling insect pests and disease vectors, which cause significant damage to crop and spread contagious diseases to plants, animals and humans. Gene drive systems provide innovative opportunities for the insect pests population suppression by driving genes that impart fitness costs on populations of pests or disease vectors. Different gene-drive systems have been developed in insects and applied for their population suppression.
Asad, M., Liu, D., Chen, J., & Yang, G. (2022). Applications of gene drive systems for population suppression of insect pests. Bulletin of Entomological Research, 1-10.
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Genomic data is missing for many highly invasive species, restricting our preparedness for escalating incursion rates
Background
Biological invasions drive environmental change, potentially threatening native biodiversity, human health, and global economies. Population genomics is an increasingly popular tool in invasion biology, improving accuracy and providing new insights into the genetic factors that underpin invasion success compared to research based on a small number of genetic loci. We examine the extent to which population genomic resources, including reference genomes, have been used or are available for invasive species research.
Matheson, P., & McGaughran, A. (2022). Genomic data is missing for many highly invasive species, restricting our preparedness for escalating incursion rates. Scientific Reports, 12(1), 13987.
Precision Guided Sterile Males Suppress Populations of an Invasive Crop Pest
Background
The Drosophila suzukii invasion of western countries has created an immense agricultural and economic threat to crop production. Despite many attempts to suppress its population, D. suzukii continues to destroy soft-flesh fruits. Precision guided sterile insect technique (pgSIT) utilizes the accuracy of programmable CRISPR gene targeting to generate sterilized males that can be deployed to suppress populations. Here, we generate pgSIT in D. suzukii and empirically and mathematically demonstrate that sterilized males are fit, competitive, and can eliminate populations of D. suzukii. Altogether, we describe an efficient way to generate sterile D. suzukii for release and safe effective population suppression.
Kandul, N. P., Liu, J., Buchman, A., Shriner, I. C., Corder, R. M., Warsinger-Pepe, N., … & Akbari, O. S. (2022). Precision Guided Sterile Males Suppress Populations of an Invasive Crop Pest. GEN Biotechnology, 1(4), 372-385.
Reflection on the Challenges, Accomplishments, and New Frontiers of Gene Drives
Background
Ongoing pest and disease outbreaks pose a serious threat to human, crop, and animal lives, emphasizing the need for constant genetic discoveries that could serve as mitigation strategies. Gene drives are genetic engineering approaches discovered decades ago that may allow quick, super-Mendelian dissemination of genetic modifications in wild populations, offering hopes for medicine, agriculture, and ecology in combating diseases. Following its first discovery, several naturally occurring selfish genetic elements were identified and several gene drive mechanisms that could attain relatively high threshold population replacement have been proposed.
Melesse Vergara, M., Labbé, J., & Tannous, J. (2022). Reflection on the Challenges, Accomplishments, and New Frontiers of Gene Drives. BioDesign Research, 2022.
Strategies to improve homology-based repair outcomes following CRISPR-based gene editing in mosquitoes: lessons in how to keep any repair disruptions local
Background
Programmable gene editing systems such as CRISPR-Cas have made mosquito genome engineering more practical and accessible, catalyzing the development of cutting-edge genetic methods of disease vector control. This progress, however, has been limited by the low efficiency of homology-directed repair (HDR)-based sequence integration at DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) and a lack of understanding about DSB repair in mosquitoes.
Finney, M., Romanowski, J., & Adelman, Z. N. (2022). Strategies to improve homology-based repair outcomes following CRISPR-based gene editing in mosquitoes: lessons in how to keep any repair disruptions local. Virology Journal, 19(1), 1-11.
Gene drive in species complexes: defining target organisms
Background
Engineered gene drives share many environmental risk assessment considerations with other transgenes in genetically modified organisms, but they can differ significantly in their potential to spread, increase in frequency, and persist in target populations. Recently, introduction of mosquitoes with an engineered gene drive completely suppressed caged wild type laboratory populations of the malaria vector Anopheles gambiae, belonging to a species complex containing both vector and nonvector species that can produce fertile interspecific hybrids.
Connolly, J. B., Romeis, J., Devos, Y., Glandorf, D. C., Turner, G., & Coulibaly, M. B. (2022). Gene drive in species complexes: defining target organisms. Trends in Biotechnology.