Abstract

Gene drives represent a dynamic and controversial set of technologies with applications that range from mosquito control to the conservation of biological diversity on islands. Currently, gene drives are being developed in mice that may one day serve as an important tool for reducing invasive rodent pests, a key threat to island biodiversity and economies. Gene drives in mice are still in development in laboratories, and wild release of modified mice is likely a distant reality. However, technological changes outpace the existing capacity of regulatory frameworks, and thus require integrated governance frameworks. We suggest sustainability—which gives equal consideration to the environment, economy, and society—as one framework for addressing complexity and uncertainty in the governance of emerging gene drive technologies for invasive species management. We explore the impacts of rodent gene drives on island environments, including potential conservation and restoration of island biodiversity. We outline considerations for rodent gene drives on island economies, including impacts on agricultural and tourism losses, and reductions in biosecurity costs. Finally, we address the social dimension as an essential space for deliberation that will be integral to evaluating the potential deployment of gene drive rodents on islands.

Highlights

  • Gene drive technologies have the capacity to alter shared environments significantly on multiple scales [1,2,3,4]

  • Gene drives are being developed in house mice that may one day serve as an important tool in the reduction of invasive rodent pests, a key threat to island biodiversity and economic sustainability

  • We argue that a sustainability framework is important for invasive species management and rodent eradication schemes that include gene drive organisms, because a significant drawback to potentially using gene drive rodents for invasive species management is potential socio-political opposition [29]

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Summary

Introduction

Gene drive technologies have the capacity to alter shared environments significantly on multiple scales [1,2,3,4]. Gene drives are being developed in house mice that may one day serve as an important tool in the reduction of invasive rodent pests, a key threat to island biodiversity and economic sustainability. Technological changes can unfold quickly and far outpace the existing capacity of regulatory frameworks. This absence of clear regulatory mechanisms creates the need for governance frameworks that integrate complexity and uncertainty. Both biological and social scientists encourage transparent governance—where decisions are the result of broad and deliberative processes—and “responsible stewardship” around gene drive technologies before they are developed successfully in the lab [1,6]. Sustainability offers locally-placed but globally situated metrics for understanding the implications of gene drive technologies, where locally situated decisions are nested within global institutions and ecosystems [2]

Invasive Rodents on Islands
Gene Drives as Possible Solution
Sustainability
Environment
Economy
Society
Findings
Discussion
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