Is CRISPR-based gene drive a biocontrol silver bullet or global conservation threat?

Webber, Bruce L.; Raghu, S.; Edwards, Owain

doi:10.1073/pnas.1514258112

Cited by 194 publications

(177 citation statements)

References 26 publications

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“…The CRISPR method was first demonstrated for double-stranded DNA in 2013 [59], and is more efficient and less expensive than previously proposed gene drive technologies [60], but we were unaware of its potential at the time of the 2014 horizon scan. The potential conservation risks and opportunities associated with using CRISPR for biological control have been thoroughly discussed [59,60] and, to the best of our knowledge, it has not yet been used as the basis for an actual species control program. However, such use of CRISPR might be considered as a candidate horizon issue, especially if implementation was likely to be extensive and occurred in the absence of a regulatory framework [60].…”

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confidence: 99%

“…The potential conservation risks and opportunities associated with using CRISPR for biological control have been thoroughly discussed [59,60] and, to the best of our knowledge, it has not yet been used as the basis for an actual species control program. However, such use of CRISPR might be considered as a candidate horizon issue, especially if implementation was likely to be extensive and occurred in the absence of a regulatory framework [60].Four of the issues highlighted this year (creating fuel from bionic leaves, reverse photosynthesis for biofuel production, manipulating coral symbionts to avoid mass coral bleaching, and extensive use of bacteria and fungi to manage agricultural pests and diseases) are products of the rapidly growing field of biotechnology. It has been suggested that the world is at the cusp…”

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confidence: 99%

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A 2018 Horizon Scan of Emerging Issues for Global Conservation and Biological Diversity

Sutherland

Butchart

Connor

et al. 2018

Trends in Ecology & Evolution

129

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We present the results of our eighth annual horizon scan of emerging issues likely to affect global biological diversity, the environment, and conservation efforts in the future. The potential effects of these novel issues might not yet be fully recognized or understood by the global conservation community, and the issues can be regarded as both opportunities and risks. A diverse international team with collective expertise in horizon scanning, science communication, and conservation research, practice, and policy reviewed 100 potential issues and identified 15 that qualified as emerging, with potential substantial global effects. These issues include new developments in energy storage and fuel production, sand extraction, potential solutions to combat coral bleaching and invasive marine species, and blockchain technology. Aims of Horizon ScanningWe have conducted an annual horizon scan of global conservation issues since 2010 with the aim of highlighting, by consensus, emerging topics that are not yet widely known in the conservation community but could have substantial effects on biological diversity worldwide in the medium to long term. Our iterative, transferable process of horizon scanning, which is designed to be both transparent and democratic, is carried out by a team with a wide range of experiences and areas of expertise.Our aim has been to focus attention and stimulate debate about these subjects, potentially leading to new research foci, policy developments, or business innovations. These responses should help to facilitate better-informed forward-planning. It is difficult to gauge the direct effects of our horizon scans on the research, policy, or business communities, except through personal communication and hearsay. However, several topics recognized in our previous horizon scans Trends This is the eighth such annual horizon scan.An international team with expertise in horizon scanning, science communication, and conservation research, practice, and policy identified 15 issues, following widespread consultation and a Delphi-like scoring process to identify the most important.The issues were wide ranging, and include sand extraction, blockchain technology, use of robotics to combat invasive species, and new developments in energy storage and fuel production. There is now substantial action on this issue internationally, with several governments, including those of the USA and the UK, introducing legislative bans on microbeads in cosmetics and detergents, and many cosmetics companies voluntarily committing to halt their use of microplastics by 2020 [2,3]. New research on the effects of microbeads has revealed biological responses in both terrestrial and aquatic environments, with evidence demonstrating that microplastics reduce the survival and fitness of earthworms Lumbricus terrestris [4] and facilitate the accumulation of sorbed organic pollutants in fish [5]. Discussion of the use of gene editing to control invasive species or disease vectors, raised in our 2014 horizon scan [6], has increased...

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confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

A 2018 Horizon Scan of Emerging Issues for Global Conservation and Biological Diversity

Sutherland

Butchart

Connor

et al. 2018

Trends in Ecology & Evolution

129

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…To date most attention has been on restoration (Daehler and Goergen 2005;Tjelmeland et al 2008;Brooks et al 2010); however, beyond localised asset protection, it remains unrealistic for extensive and remote conservation lands, and may also not in itself lead to the stable recovery of ecosystems (Reid et al 2009). In these cases, disturbance management, biocontrol and possibly the application of new genetic approaches such as CRISPR-based gene drive technology (Webber et al 2015) offer the greatest hope. There will also be circumstances where the economic, social or environmental cost of interventions is so great as to be impractical or undesirable, in which case the invaded environment becomes the 'new normal'.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Unassisted invasions: understanding and responding to Australia’s high-impact environmental grass weeds

Klinken

Friedel

2017

Aust. J. Bot.

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Abstract. Alien grass species have been intentionally introduced into Australia since European settlement over 200 years ago, with many subsequently becoming weeds of natural environments. We have identified the subset of these weeds that have invaded and become dominant in environmentally important areas in the absence of modern anthropogenic disturbance, calling them 'high-impact species'. We also examined why these high-impact species were successful, and what that might mean for management. Seventeen high-impact species were identified through literature review and expert advice; all had arrived by 1945, and all except one were imported intentionally, 16 of the 17 were perennial and four of the 17 were aquatic. They had become dominant in diverse habitats and climates, although some environments still remain largely uninvaded despite apparently ample opportunities. Why these species succeeded remains largely untested, but evidence suggests a combination of ecological novelty (both intended at time of introduction and unanticipated), propagule pressure (through high reproductive rate and dominance in nearby anthropogenically-disturbed habitats) and an ability to respond to, and even alter, natural disturbance regimes (especially fire and inundation). Serious knowledge gaps remain for these species, but indications are that resources could be better focused on understanding and managing this limited group of high-impact species. They require new management approaches, especially to counteract the advantages of ecological novelty, reduce propagule pressure and better direct the large-scale disturbance regimes that continue to shape plant communities across Australia.

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“…However, given the invasive nature of D. suzukii, additional measures should be taken to ensure containment of the drive and eradication of the species only in the non-native range. For example, both human-assisted and natural movement must be considered (Webber, Raghu, and Edwards 2015).…”

Section: The New World Screwworm: a Devastating Obligate Parasite Of mentioning

confidence: 99%

Agricultural production: assessment of the potential use of Cas9-mediated gene drive systems for agricultural pest control

Scott

Gould

Lorenzen

et al. 2017

Journal of Responsible Innovation

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Is CRISPR-based gene drive a biocontrol silver bullet or global conservation threat?

Cited by 194 publications

References 26 publications

A 2018 Horizon Scan of Emerging Issues for Global Conservation and Biological Diversity

A 2018 Horizon Scan of Emerging Issues for Global Conservation and Biological Diversity

Unassisted invasions: understanding and responding to Australia’s high-impact environmental grass weeds

Agricultural production: assessment of the potential use of Cas9-mediated gene drive systems for agricultural pest control

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