Recommendations for laboratory containment and management of gene drive systems in arthropods

Authors: BENEDICT, MARK - Centers For Disease Control And Prevention (CDC) - United States; BIER, ETHAN - University Of California; BURT, AUSTIN - Imperial College; CAPURRO, MARGARETH - Universidade De Sao Paulo; DE BARRO, PAUL - Csiro European Laboratory; Handler, Alfred - Al; HAYES, KEITH - Csiro European Laboratory; MARSHALL, JOHN - University Of California; TABACHNICK, WALTER - University Of Florida; ADELMAN, ZACH - Texas A&M University

Submitted to: Vector-Borne and Zoonotic Diseases
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 10/3/2017
Publication Date: 1/1/2018
Citation: Benedict, M.Q., Bier, E.A., Burt, A., Capurro, M.L., De Barro, P., Handler, A.M., Hayes, K.R., Marshall, J.M., Tabachnick, W.J., Adelman, Z.N. 2018. Recommendations for laboratory containment and management of gene drive systems in arthropods. Vector-Borne and Zoonotic Diseases. 18(1):2-13. https://doi.org/10.1089/vbz.2121.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1089/vbz.2017.2121

Interpretive Summary: The creation of transgenic, or genetically modified (GMO) strains of economically important insects for the development of more effective biological control programs is a major goal of Scientists at the USDA, Agricultural Research Service, Center for Medical, Agricultural and Veterinary Entomology, Gainesville, Florida. New methods of controlling insect pests or improving beneficial insects will involve driving genetic modifications into existing insect populations in the field. But until these genetically modified insects are fully tested, and deemed safe for release into the environment, stringent safeguards must be in place for laboratory handling, containment and possible shipment to ensure against an unintended release or escape. The USDA, Agricultural Research Service scientists in collaboration with national and international colleagues assessed the safety issues and levels of containment necessary for particular insect species and the types of invasive genetic factors that been incorporated into them. This is expected to serve as a guideline for insectary management and regulatory authorities, including institutional biosafety committees and governmental agencies, who will be involved in approving the methods of handling, transfer, and release of these insects.

Technical Abstract: The advent of widely accessible and versatile molecular tools for creating “driving transgenes” and other invasive genetic factors presents regulatory, ethical and environmental challenges that must be addressed to ensure safe use of this technology. Here we discuss driving transgenes and invasive genetic factors generally and recommend measures that should be considered to safely contain transgenes and to prevent their unintended contamination of the environment. The potential of driving transgenes to increase their number in natural populations presents challenges that require additional safety measures not provided by previous recommendations used to ensure arthropods are not accidentally released into the environment. In addition to providing physical containment and segregation, invasive genetic factors require greater attention to strain management, including their distribution and analysis. Here we focus on insects containing such factors with recommendations for those who are creating them, institutional biosafety committees charged with ensuring safety, funding agencies providing support, and anyone managing insectaries handling these materials and those who will be receiving insects - transgenic or not - from these facilities. We give specific examples of efforts to modify mosquitoes for mosquito-borne disease control, but similar issues are relevant to other arthropods that are important to both human health and agriculture.