Team:Minnesota
Shifting Gene Drives Into Reverse: Now Mosquitoes Are The Yeast Of Our Worries
Our Project
Gene drives induce biased inheritance of specific genes and are currently being considered as a method of regulating the mosquito population; however, the ability of gene drives to spread quickly through entire populations raises ethical concerns, especially when the gene affects reproduction. In order to address this concern, we created both a gene drive and recovery drive, modelling the system in yeast. Our gene drive acts by removing the ADE2 gene from the yeast using the CRISPR/Cas system, causing the yeast to turn red, while the recovery drive replaces the ADE2 gene, allowing the yeast to return to its original color. The recovery drive is induced in the presence of tetracycline, allowing this recovery drive to be chemically induced as a safety mechanism, counteracting the work of the gene drive. This gene drive/recovery drive system could allow for regulated control of mosquito populations worldwide, the protection of information stored in DNA, and various other applications.
Presentation
Come see our presentation in room 312 from 1:30 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.
