The Science and Ethics of Gene Drives: An Active Learning Lesson in Genetics

Coursework connecting biology to socially relevant issues and ethical questions can help students think about biology in interdisciplinary terms. Gene drives represent one topic involving both advanced biology concepts and societally relevant ethical questions. Gene drives are a genetic modification technique that could potentially be used to modify populations of wild, sexually reproducing organisms. Possible applications of gene drives include eradication of invasive species or reduction of mosquito-borne diseases, but this technology also raises significant ethical questions. Here, a biology lesson is described that teaches undergraduates about the fundamental science of gene drives. This lesson uses an active learning approach to discuss the mechanisms of gene drives, and it exposes students to an example gene drive from a previously published primary literature study. The lesson ends with a bioethics activity in which students propose their own ideas for guidelines regulating gene drives.

This course was developed by Ethan A. Rundell from Emory University and available in the platform CourseSource.