For years, researchers have used gene-altering techniques to try to produce a fuel, drug, or crop with a specific quality, but a new technology called ‘gene drive’ is not nearly so limited in scope. It is conceived of as a way to alter the world outside the lab or beyond the boundaries of a farm field.
This powerful but reckless new technique manipulates nature by changing the genes of organisms in the wild. Fortunately, the team behind the research is calling for a public debate on the wisdom of implementing such a technology. This approach is very unusual in the scientific community. Typically, a new technology is developed and deployed before the public has had a chance to fully weigh in, as with genetically modified food.
Find the original article with more details at The Boston Globe
The research paper can be found at eLife