A CRISPR-Cas9 gene drive system targeting female reproduction in the malaria mosquito vector Anopheles gambiae.

Nature Biotechnology. 2016 Jan;34(1):78-83. doi: 10.1038/nbt.3439. Epub 2015 Dec 7.

In this paper we showed that RNA-guided endonucleases based on the CRISPR-Cas9 system can efficiently home and spread. We targeted female fertility genes and showed that genetic drive of the CRISPR homing endonuclease could be used to supresss pest population.

A synthetic homing endonuclease-based gene drive system in the human malaria mosquito.

Nature. 2011 May 12;473(7346):212-5. doi: 10.1038/nature09937. Epub 2011 Apr 20. PubMed PMID: 21508956

In this paper we introduced a homing endonuclease gene into the genome of the human malaria vector Anopheles gambiae. We were able to show that this gene is able to function in the germline of animals and that the gene can rapidly invade receptive mosquito cage populations. These findings demonstrate the first “gene drive” mechanism by which genetic mosquito control measures could be implemented. The paper shows, in practice, how the step from the genetic engineering of individuals to the genetic engineering of entire populations can be taken.

A CRISPR-Cas9 sex-ratio distortion system for genetic control.

Scientific Reports. 2016 Aug 3;6:31139. doi: 10.1038/srep31139.

We showed that in the malaria mosquito CRISPR/Cas9 cleavage of the X chromosome could distort the reporductive sex ratio of the progeny towards males without affecting male fertility. This is the basis for a new class of genetic control.

Site-specific genetic engineering of the Anopheles gambiae Y chromosome.

PNAS. 2014 May 27;111(21):7600-5. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1404996111. PMID: 24821795

We showed that in the malaria mosquito the heterochromatic Y-chromsome is amenable to genetic modification and transgene expression, a first step towrads genrating Y-linked X-shredders.