Gene drives: Policy report

In August 2015, 26 scientists published a letter in Science calling for safety measures for the use of a genetic technique called ‘gene drive’. A gene drive is a genetic trait that can switch off or change an existing trait in a population or add a new trait to the DNA of an organism. This trait spreads rapidly – and possibly irreversibly – throughout an entire population of an organism. An organism with a gene drive is a genetically modified organism (GMO); in the Netherlands GMOs are subject to the Genetically Modified Organisms Decree 2013 (Besluit genetisch gemodificeerde organismen milieubeheer 2013, GMO Decree). Under this Decree, activities involving GMOs must be preceded by a risk assessment. The possible risks for human health and the environment from GMOs are assessed in the Netherlands using methodologies laid down in the GMO Decree.

An example (November 2015) of a gene drive application is a malaria mosquito that can no longer transmit parasites. A gene drive enables this trait to spread very rapidly throughout the mosquito population, making malaria easier to control. In theory, this principle can be applied to any trait. In this policy report, RIVM looks at the environmental safety aspects of a gene drive. It examines whether the current method of assessing environmental safety aspects of GMOs adequately covers assessments of organisms with a gene drive.