Wed Mar 27, 2019 6:43 am (PDT) . Posted by:
"Rick Laferriere" ri_lymeinfo
*Mice Against Ticks: an experimental community-guided effort to prevent
tick-borne disease by altering the shared environment *
Buchthal J, Evans SW, Lunshof J, Telford SR 3rd, Esvelt KM.
/Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological
Sciences/, 2019 May 13;374(1772):20180105.
https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2018.0105
Abstract
Mice Against Ticks is a community-guided ecological engineering project
that aims to prevent tick-borne disease by using CRISPR-based genome
editing to heritably immunize the white-footed mice (/Peromyscus
leucopus/) responsible for infecting many ticks in eastern North
America. Introducing antibody-encoding resistance alleles into the local
mouse population is anticipated to disrupt the disease transmission
cycle for decades.
Technology development is shaped by engagement with community members
and visitors to the islands of Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard,
including decisions at project inception about which types of disease
resistance to pursue. This engagement process has prompted the
researchers to use only white-footed mouse DNA if possible, meaning the
current project will not involve gene drive. Instead, engineered mice
would be released in the spring when the natural population is low, a
plan unlikely to increase total numbers above the normal maximum in autumn.
Community members are continually asked to share their suggestions and
concerns, a process that has already identified potential ecological
consequences unanticipated by the research team that will likely affect
implementation. As an early example of CRISPR-based ecological
engineering, Mice Against Ticks aims to start small and simple by
working with island communities whose mouse populations can be lastingly
immunized without gene drive.
*Free, full text*: https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2018.0105
tick-borne disease by altering the shared environment *
Buchthal J, Evans SW, Lunshof J, Telford SR 3rd, Esvelt KM.
/Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological
Sciences/, 2019 May 13;374(1772):20180105.
https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2018.0105
Abstract
Mice Against Ticks is a community-guided ecological engineering project
that aims to prevent tick-borne disease by using CRISPR-based genome
editing to heritably immunize the white-footed mice (/Peromyscus
leucopus/) responsible for infecting many ticks in eastern North
America. Introducing antibody-encoding resistance alleles into the local
mouse population is anticipated to disrupt the disease transmission
cycle for decades.
Technology development is shaped by engagement with community members
and visitors to the islands of Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard,
including decisions at project inception about which types of disease
resistance to pursue. This engagement process has prompted the
researchers to use only white-footed mouse DNA if possible, meaning the
current project will not involve gene drive. Instead, engineered mice
would be released in the spring when the natural population is low, a
plan unlikely to increase total numbers above the normal maximum in autumn.
Community members are continually asked to share their suggestions and
concerns, a process that has already identified potential ecological
consequences unanticipated by the research team that will likely affect
implementation. As an early example of CRISPR-based ecological
engineering, Mice Against Ticks aims to start small and simple by
working with island communities whose mouse populations can be lastingly
immunized without gene drive.
*Free, full text*: https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2018.0105
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