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takyon writes:

Members of the International Union for Conservation of Nature have approved a motion that would prohibit research or trials using "gene drives":

Scientists from around the world are currently gathered in Hawaii for an international conservation congress, where they've spent the last week discussing the most pressing issues facing the environment today. One topic on the table is a form of genetic editing called "gene drive" technology, which can be used to alter — or even wipe out — entire species. And while some experts have argued that the practice could be a useful conservation tool, others have warned that its impact on the environment could be devastating should it get out control.

Members of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), which is holding its World Conservation Congress in Honolulu through Sept. 10, recently approved a motion that would prohibit the organization from supporting or endorsing any research or field trials on the use of gene drives until a comprehensive assessment of the technology's effects has been undertaken.

The motion is nonbinding and does not dictate the regulations that individual countries may choose to establish for themselves. But it does reflect a growing concern among both scientists and environmentalists about the technology's potential power to irrevocably alter species and reshape ecosystems. [...] In an open letter aimed at members of the IUCN, worried environmentalists expressed their concern about the technology's implications. "Given the obvious dangers of irretrievably releasing genocidal genes into the natural world, and the moral implications of taking such action, we call for a halt to all proposals for the use of gene drive technologies, but especially in conservation," they wrote.

However, it's important to note that gene drive technology can take several different forms, and some are safer than others, said Floyd Reed, an associate professor of biology at the University of Hawaii. Reed's lab is currently involved in gene drive research on fruit flies, with plans to begin moving forward with mosquitoes next. Reed's research involves a genetic phenomenon known as "underdominance," which can be used to implement a type of drive system that potentially can be halted before it gets out of control. In this system, a trait's ability to spread is dependent on what percentage of the population has it to begin with.

Also at Phys.org (AFP).

Original Submission