Gene Drive Monitoring: Large-Scale Insect Assessment with Targeted Sequencing — 5/21/25

As gene drive technology moves closer to real-world use in malaria mosquitoes, how can we actually track its spread—and its impact on other species? In this talk, we explore scalable, DNA-based monitoring tools that could answer those big questions. You’ll hear about two exciting projects from the Wellcome Sanger Institute: 🔬 ANOSPP – A global sequencing panel that can identify any Anopheles mosquito species, detect Plasmodium infections, and potentially pick up gene drive modifications. It’s already been used on nearly 100,000 wild mosquitoes around the world. 🧬 BIOSCAN UK – A massive DNA barcoding project tracking insect biodiversity across the UK with monthly traps at 100 sites. So far, researchers have sequenced over 100,000 wild insects, giving them a powerful view of arthropod diversity over space and time. Together, these tools offer a glimpse into how we might monitor gene drive mosquitoes at scale—detecting their presence, their impact on ecosystems, and even their resistance traits, all with just a bit of DNA. If you’re curious about the future of vector monitoring, biodiversity tracking, and how genomics can power safe gene drive deployment, this one’s for you. #GeneDrive #Malaria #Mosquitoes #DNASequencing #VectorControl #EnvironmentalMonitoring #Biodiversity #Anopheles #eDNA #BIOSCAN #ANOSPP #SangerInstitute Presented by Dr. Mara Lawniczak