Gene Drive Projects
Select one or more options to filter by taxonomic groups.
Animalia
Chordata (incl. vertebrates e.g. mammals and birds)
Mammalia (mammals)
Rodentia (rodents)
Muridae (mice, rats, and gerbils)
Rattus (rats)
Common rat or black rat
Readiness of Technology
1 - Gene drive proposedPublications
Intended use
To control/ eliminate invasive populations on islands
Type of system
Not specified – t-haplotype and homing CRISPR both mentioned
Common rat or black rat
Readiness of Technology
1 - Gene drive proposedPublications
Intended use
To eradicate invasive populations on islands
Type of system
T-haplotype sex ratio distorter (carrying SRY cargo)
Common rat or black rat
Readiness of Technology
1 - Gene drive proposedPublications
Intended use
To eradicate invasive populations in New Zealand
Type of system
Homing CRISPR
Sciuridae (squirrels)
Sciurus (incl. most bushy tailed squirrels)
Grey squirrel
Readiness of Technology
2a - Gene drive proposed with supporting theoretical workPublications
Intended use
To ‘control a targeted grey squirrel population’ to reduce impacts on biodiversity and damage to property in the UK (where it is invasive)
Type of system
Homing CRISPR + Cleave and Rescue [Toxin Antidote] CRISPR combination, with ‘daisy-field’
Grey squirrel
Publications
Intended use
To control populations of this species to reduce impacts on biodiversity and forestry in the UK (where it is invasive)
Type of system
NA- Stakeholder engagement study
Animalia
Mollusca (incl. snails)
Gastropoda (slugs and snails)
Hygrophila (freshwater snails)
Readiness of Technology
3 - Preliminary laboratory work publishedPublications
Intended use
To modify snail populations to increase their immunity to schistosome infection, thereby disrupting the schistosome lifecycle and reducing transmission to humans.
Type of system
Not specified but cites examples of homing CRISPR
Readiness of Technology
2a - Gene drive proposed with supporting theoretical workPublications
Intended use
To modify snail populations to increase their immunity to schistosome infection, thereby disrupting the schistosome lifecycle and reducing transmission to humans
Type of system
Homing CRISPR
No common name
Readiness of Technology
2b - Gene drive proposed with preliminary laboratory work fundedPublications
Intended use
Modification of natural snail populations to reduce schistosomiasis prevalence and transmission
Type of system
Several approaches proposed
Nematoda (roundworms)
Chromadorea (class of roundworms)
Rhabditida (order of roundworms)
Readiness of Technology
4a - Active research on gene drive constructionPublications
Intended use
to ‘test and optimize daisychain, daisyfield, and daisy quorum drives—including for daisy restoration—in fast-reproducing laboratory populations of worms…‘
Type of system
Daisy-chain drive, daisyfield drive, daisy quorum drive
Platyhelminthes (flatworms)
Trematoda (flukes)
Diplostomida (order of flukes)
Blood fluke
Readiness of Technology
4a - Active research on gene drive constructionPublications
Intended use
To suppress schistosome parasites to thereby reduce human morbidity and mortality from schistomiasis
Type of system
Z linked W-shredder, with variable parameters (as described by Holman, 2019)