The BBC article “Gene Editing Wipes Out Mosquitoes in the Lab” discusses work using a gene editing technique to suppress caged mosquito populations Anopheles gambiae, which transmits malaria. In 2016 there were 216 million cases of malaria in 91 countries and 445,000 people were killed globally. This study was published in the journal Nature Biotechnology. A CRISPR-Cas9 gene drive was used to target the doublesex gene to reduce egg production and eliminate the population. The study found that the doublesex (Agdsx) gene in the human malaria vector Anopheles gambiae contains 7 exons spanning 85 regions of chromosome 2R and is encoded by two transcripts, dsx-female (AgdsxF) and dsx-male (AgdsxM), which regulate the differentiation of the two sexes. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay The AgdsxF transcript contains a common 5' segment with a specific exon (exon 5, which is highly conserved and is expressed only in female mosquitoes) and the common 3' region while the AgdsxM consists of only the common segments 5' and 3' and the specific region is transcribed as the non-coding 3' untranslated region in females. The Pam (protospacer-adjacent motif) of the gRNA (highlighted in blue). Non-coding regions are white, coding regions of exons are shaded black. To find out whether this is an acceptable target for a gene drive aimed at eliminating the mosquito population, the border between intron 4 and exon 5 of dsx was disrupted. Anopheles gambiae embryos were injected with a source of Cas9 and a single-guide RNA (sgRNA) in combination with a homology-directed repair (HDR) template to insert an eGFP transcription unit. To generate heterozygous and homozygous mutants, scientists bred transformed individuals. Diagnostic PCR with primers extended to the insertion site was used to determine the genotype. The study confirms that CRISPR-Cas9 successfully blocked the formation of functional AgdsxF. In the homozygous mutant females present in the population they showed an intersexual phenotype and complete sterility while male development was unaffected. The scientists found that replacing the 3xP3:GFP transcription unit with a dsxFCRISPRh allele will have a drastic effect on the reproductive capacity of the population. The cage was set up with a population of wild-type mosquitoes with heterozygous individuals carrying dsxFCRISPRh. The study concludes that the pulse reached maximum frequency by generation 7, by generation 8 no eggs were produced, demonstrating that the population was sterile, and thereafter the population collapsed. Total egg production in each generation. The black arrow's population collapses completely. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay The dsxFCRISPRh gene drive targeting dsx exon 5 could lead to an effective population control trial. This drive has many characteristic features such as high heritable bias, homozygous females are unproductive and do not bite, heterozygous individuals are fully productive, which makes this drive to be successful in future field tests. With recommendations from the US National Academy of Sciences, further investigations need to be rigorously evaluated in natural landscapes with environmental conditions such as the presence of predators, competitions for food.