Why engineering evolution is a contest between cure and chaos
The commentary says gene drives could help control mosquito-borne diseases, but their ecological and governance risks require phased testing and regulation.
- Gene drives are engineered DNA elements that spread through a population faster than normal inheritance.
- The commentary presents gene drives as a possible tool against malaria and dengue.
- CRISPR/Cas9 is one of the modern tools that has made synthetic gene drives feasible.
- Population-suppressing drives are designed to reduce mosquito numbers.
Gene drives are engineered DNA elements that can spread through a population faster than normal inheritance. The commentary says this makes them a potentially powerful tool for controlling mosquitoes that transmit diseases such as malaria and dengue, but not a simple cure-all.
The biological idea behind gene drives is not entirely artificial. Viruses, transposable elements, and other selfish genetic material already propagate themselves in nature, although evolution and ecological pressures limit their spread.
UPSC may test the scientific basis of gene drives, their use in vector control, and the policy trade-off between public-health benefits and ecological or governance risks.
