Gene drives for eliminating invasives

There have been a few recent scientific publications discussing the development of powerful new gene drive technologies that have a legitimate shot at decimating invasive species populations including zebra mussels and asian carp. I can tell you from first hand experience that these technologies are no joke, and are not something that is “pie-in-the sky” or “some day in the future” type things. Similar methods are already being used with great success to wipe out localized mosquito populations, and these new technologies take it to a whole new level and can be applied broadly to other species. I just thought I’d throw it out there because it would entail releasing genetically modified organisms into the environment and I wonder how fellow sport fisherman feel about that.

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/07/140717-gene-drives-invasive-species-insects-disease-science-environment/

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/next/evolution/crispr-gene-drives/

Tinkering with genetic code. How could that possibly go wrong………

We’ve been doing it for centuries. Now that we figured out how to do it faster it becomes a problem?

Just sounded bad. Guess I have seen too many sci-fi movies. And seen too much anti GMO sediment recently. Hope it works.

I have not done any research on this topic to have any idea of what I really think about it however, can it really get any worse in some locations then it already is?

suzuki wrote:

Just sounded bad. Guess I have seen too many sci-fi movies. And seen too much anti GMO sediment recently. Hope it works.

I can totally understand why people might be concerned just looking at the face of it, but the results with the mosquitos have been amazing thus far. In the case of mosquitos, the gene drive pushes the entire population toward the male sex over a few generations which results in the eventual extinction of the local population. Imagine how incredible this would be for zeebs and asian carp. Release a bunch of modified animal into the population and let (modified) nature do the rest.

Also, I think GMOs get a bad name because of some bad acting by companies like Monsanto, as well as unwarranted hysteria driven by the organic/whole food lobby but that’s a topic for another day.

They were talking about this at the UofM a year or two ago.

I’m so uninformed I can’t have an opinion but I’m still cautious.
Genetics in plants is one thing. When we start with uncontrolled animals and fish…

The 50’s showed us what DDT and egg shell thickness could do.

I’m just glad there are smarter minds out there working on these things then mine.

Anymore details?

the gene drive pushes the entire population toward the male sex over a few generations which results in the eventual extinction of the local population.

That’s kind of what I’m getting at. Everything is connected. Will the extinction of one species cause other populations to fail as well? But more, will it be LOCAL?

Just kidding

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Brian Klawitter wrote:

the gene drive pushes the entire population toward the male sex over a few generations which results in the eventual extinction of the local population.

That’s kind of what I’m getting at. Everything is connected. Will the extinction of one species cause other populations to fail as well? But more, will it be LOCAL?

I think that would have to be examined on a case by case basis and would have to be tested further. Zebra mussels and asian carp in isolated lakes may be an excellent testing ground for this as the chance of spread is minimized. I know with the mosquito trials the effect was fairly localized, i.e. it didn’t initiate a chain reaction.

Brian Klawitter wrote:

They were talking about this at the UofM a year or two ago.

I’m so uninformed I can’t have an opinion but I’m still cautious.
Genetics in plants is one thing. When we start with uncontrolled animals and fish…

The 50’s showed us what DDT and egg shell thickness could do.

I’m just glad there are smarter minds out there working on these things then mine.

Anymore details?

I totally agree. I too am cautious wondering if it could cause unwanted effects elsewhere.

That’s the problem with Asian Carp. They can’t reproduce in a lake…so that means a river and we all know that rivers are connected.

Now I did say I’m totally uneducated on this…so please keep that in mind.

It’s just that the chain reaction effect is the first Frankenstein that popped into my mind.

Oxitec’s Nimmo says that since A. Aegypti mosquitoes are nonnative, removing them would actually be an environmental plus. He says the bioengineered mosquitoes don’t live long after they’re released. “And then,” he says, “the offspring will die. We’ve shown that after trials where we stop releasing, [this strain of mosquito] doesn’t last very long in the environment. So, we’ve got a very self-limiting, safe, species-specific technology.

Florida and GMO Mosquitoes

I find this stuff very interesting.

How They Add DNA

“The amount of DNA injected into each egg is miniscule – typically around 10 thousand-millionths of a litre!”

Totally Amazing!

…and we can’t cure the common cold.

Brian Klawitter wrote:

Oxitec’s Nimmo says that since A. Aegypti mosquitoes are nonnative, removing them would actually be an environmental plus. He says the bioengineered mosquitoes don’t live long after they’re released. “And then,” he says, “the offspring will die. We’ve shown that after trials where we stop releasing, [this strain of mosquito] doesn’t last very long in the environment. So, we’ve got a very self-limiting, safe, species-specific technology.

Florida and GMO Mosquitoes

I find this stuff very interesting.

Agreed, and I think this might be a more beneficial strategy in this case. However in the case of zebra mussels and asian carp I think the goal would be a bit more absolute than a temporary dip in the population.

Brian Klawitter wrote:

Genetics in plants is one thing.

Just plants? Add this with cows that produce crazy amounts of milk, cows that can barely walk and have perfect fat to meat ratios. We’ve been playing this game for years. Very little of what you eat that is bought from a normal store hasn’t been modified to some degree. Just sayin…

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Have they found a way to rid places like Christmas Lake of the “in-bred habsburgs” invasive ?

Youngfry, follow the source of that photo. It was from the feed two strains of chickens were fed.

I don’t see a problem with gene manipulation of an invasive.

I have no problem with GMOs. Although I will say free range chicken tastes way better than asembly line chickens.

I also blame my moobs on hormones in my meat.

SCIENCE!