PLOS Science Wednesday: Hi reddit, I’m Jackson and I identified an important barrier to the practical application of gene drives using CRISPR/Cas9 technology, which could be used to fight vector-borne diseases like malaria – Ask Me Anything!

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Hello Reddit,

My name is Jackson Champer and I am postdoc at Cornell. My research focuses on gene drives, which are genes designed to spread rapidly through populations. A successful gene drive in mosquitoes could help fight vector borne diseases such as malaria and dengue.

Together with my coauthors, I recently published a study titled “Novel CRISPR/Cas9 gene drive constructs reveal insights into mechanisms of resistance allele formation and drive efficiency in genetically diverse populations” in PLOS Genetics.

We found that resistance alleles, which prevent the spread of the gene drive, can form in both the germline and in the embryo stages in fruit flies. We utilized the nanos promoter for better gene drive performance, and we also found that gene drive could produce greater or smaller numbers of resistance alleles, depending on the genetic background of the insect.

Since our PLOS Genetics article was submitted, we have taken the first steps towards reducing resistance allele formation. A preprint of our new results is available on bioRxiv

I will be answering your questions at 1pm ET -- Ask me Anything!

I also post occasional research updates and links to gene drive papers on Twitter, follow me @Jackson_Champer.

">PLOS Science Wednesday: Hi reddit, I’m Jackson and I identified an important barrier to the practical application of gene drives using CRISPR/Cas9 technology, which could be used to fight vector-borne diseases like malaria – Ask Me Anything!