Homing CRISPR targeting miR184 in Anopheles gambiae - Imperial College

African malaria mosquito

Intended use

Reduction of transmission of malaria pathogen by this vector (to reduce morbidity and mortality from malaria in Sub-Saharan Africa)

Readiness of Technology

5 - Limited proof of concept in laboratory

Project leader

Windbichler N

Institution

Imperial College London, UK

Publications

Verkuijl et. al, 2025

Authors name for system

suppression-modification gene drive targeting mRNA gene miR-184

Class of Technology

Homing gene drive

Field(s) of application

Vector control

Additional notes

This gene drive is deigned to achieve both population modification and suppression. The drive targets an miRNA involved in gene regulation whose function is not well characterised.

Description of system

Homing gene drive targeting miR184

For specialists

Notes on readiness of technology

'We observed cleavage-resistant miR-184 alleles in 2 of the 6 cage populations. To what extent these miR-184 allele variants also represent functional or partially functional miRNA alleles we did not address here given the identification of only a single non-transgenic mosquito and the complexity of the ΔmiR-184 phenotype.'

Research in target organism

✔

Research in model organism

✖

Intended for release

✔

Intended direct effects

Population suppression/eradication