Scope

The database includes:

• Laboratory research and modelling on gene drives as reported in the academic literature and other sources such as press releases from funders and universities

• Proposals for gene drives as identified from the natural sciences literature

• Proposals deriving from other academic literature (such as literature relating to policy or ethics) are included at our discretion, for example if such proposals designate novel targets

The database covers literature up to 1 September 2024.

At present our database covers gene drives and the closely related field of ‘sex ratio distorters’.

We do not cover:

• Technologies where the intention is not for modifications to persist in the environment, such as the modified insects so far released into the environment.

• Genetically modified crops (unless these carried gene drives).

• Genetically modified trees (unless these carried gene drives).

• So called 'gene drives' in non-sexually reproducing entities such as viruses and bacteria.

In the future, we may expand the scope to cover proposed technologies with similar capacities to gene drives, such as so called ‘Horizontal Environmental Genetic Alteration Agents’ (HEGAAs) based on modified viruses.