Gene Drives on the Horizon Advancing Science, Navigating Uncertainty, and Aligning Research

231 Pages·2017·7.74 MB·English

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Gene Drives on the Horizon Advancing Science, Navigating
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ISBN 978-0-309-43787-5 | DOI 10.17226/23405
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GET THIS BOOK Committee on Gene Drive Research in Non-Human Organisms: Recommendations for
Responsible Conduct; Board on Life Sciences; Division on Earth and Life
Studies; National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
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Gene Drives on the Horizon Advancing Science, Navigating Uncertainty, and Aligning Research with Public Values

Gene Drrives on the Horrizon
Advanccing Science, NNavigatting Unccertaintty,
and AAligningg Research withh Publicc Valuess

Commmittee on Geene Drive Reesearch in Non-Human OOrganisms:
Recommmendations ffor Responsible Conducct

Board onn Life Sciencces

Divvision on Eaarth and Lifee Studies

Copyright National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
G e n e D r i v e s o n t h e H o r i z o n A d v a n c i n g S c i e n c e , N a v i g a t i n g U n c e r t a i n t y , a n d A l i g n i n g R e s e a r c h w i t h P u b l i c V a l u e s
THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES PRESS 500 Fifth Street, NW Washington, DC 20001

This activity was supported by Contract No. 040815 with the Foundation for the National Insti-
tutes of Health, Contract No. 10002551/10002584 with the US Department of Health and Human
Services/National Institutes of Health. The activities received additional support from the Na-
tional Academy of Sciences Biology and Biotechnology Fund. Any opinions, findings, conclu-
sions, or recommendations expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of
any organization or agency that provided support for the project.

International Standard Book Number-13: 978-0-309-43787-5
International Standard Book Number-10: 0-309-43787-3
Library of Congress Control Number: 2016946673
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Suggested citation: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2016. Gene
Drives on the Horizon: Advancing Science, Navigating Uncertainty, and Aligning Research with
Public Values. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/23405.

C o p y r i g h t N a t i o n a l A c a d e m y o f S c i e n c e s . A l l r i g h t s r e s e r v e d .
Gene Drives on the Horizon Advancing Science, Navigating Uncertainty, and Aligning Research with Public Values

Thhe National Accademy of Sciiences was estaablished in 1863 by an Act of Congress, ssigned by
Preesident Lincolnn, as a private, nnongovernmenntal institution to advise the naation on issues related to
sciience and technnology. Membbers are electedd by their peerrs for outstanddiing contributioons to re-
seaarch. Dr. Ralphh J. Cicerone is president.

Thhe National Accademy of Enggineering was established in 1964 under thee charter of thee National
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eleected by their ppeers for extraoordinary contribbutions to engiineering. Dr. CC. D. Mote, Jr.,, is presi-
dennt.

Thhe National Accademy of Meddicine (formerlly the Institute of Medicine) wwas establishedd in 1970
undder the charter of the Nationaal Academy off Sciences to addvise the nationn on medical aand health
issuues. Members are elected by their peers forr distinguished contributions to medicine annd health.
Drr. Victor J. Dzauu is president.

Thhe three Academmies work toggether as the NNational Acadeemies of Sciennces, Engineerring, and
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Leearn more about the Natioonal Academiies of Sciencces, Engineeriing, and Meddicine at
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Copyright National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
Gene Drives on the Horizon Advancing Science, Navigating Uncertainty, and Aligning Research with Public Values
Copyright National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
Gene Drives on the Horizon Advancing Science, Navigating Uncertainty, and Aligning Research with Public Values
COMMITTEE ON GENE DRIVE RESEARCH IN NON-HUMAN ORGANISMS:
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR RESPONSIBLE CONDUCT

Co-Chairs

JAMES P. COLLINS, Arizona State University
ELIZABETH HEITMAN, Vanderbilt University Medical Center

Members

NICOLE L. ACHEE, University of Notre Dame
VICKI CHANDLER, NAS,1 Minerva Schools at Keck Graduate Institute
JASON A. DELBORNE, North Carolina State University
BRANDON S. GAUT, University of California, Irvine
STEPHEN HIGGS, Kansas State University
GREGORY E. KAEBNICK, The Hastings Center
ANN KINGIRI, African Centre for Technology Studies
WAYNE LANDIS, Western Washington University
LYNN RIDDIFORD, NAS,1 Howard Hughes Medical Institute
JOYCE TAIT, University of Edinburgh
LISA A. TANEYHILL, University of Maryland
JOSEPH TRAVIS, Florida State University
PAUL E. TURNER, Yale University
DAVID E. WINICKOFF, University of California, Berkeley; Organisation for Economic
Co-operation and Development, Paris

Project Staff

KEEGAN SAWYER, Project Director
AUDREY THÉVENON, Associate Program Officer
ROBIN MILLER, Christine Mirzayan Science and Technology Policy Graduate Fellow
FRANCES SHARPLES, Director, Board on Life Sciences
ANGELA KOLESNIKOVA, Administrative Assistant
ANNE FRANCES JOHNSON, Editor

1National Academy of Sciences.
v
Copyright National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
Gene Drives on the Horizon Advancing Science, Navigating Uncertainty, and Aligning Research with Public Values
BOARD ON LIFE SCIENCES

Chair

JAMES P. COLLINS, Arizona State University

Members

ENRIQUETA C. BOND, Burroughs Wellcome Fund
ROGER D. CONE, Vanderbilt University
NANCY D. CONNELL, Rutgers, New Jersey Medical School
JOSEPH R. ECKER, Salk Institute for Biological Studies
SARAH C.R. ELGIN, Washington University, St. Louis
LINDA G. GRIFFITH, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
ELIZABETH HEITMAN, Vanderbilt University Medical Center
RICHARD A. JOHNSON, Global Helix LLC
JUDITH KIMBLE, University of Wisconsin, Madison
MARY E. MAXON, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
JILL P. MESIROV, University of California, San Diego
KAREN E. NELSON, J. Craig Venter Institute
CLAIRE POMEROY, Albert and Mary Lasker Foundation
MARY E. POWER, University of California, Berkeley
MARGARET RILEY, University of Massachusetts, Amherst
LANA SKIRBOLL, Sanofi
JANIS WEEKS, University of Oregon

Staff

FRANCES SHARPLES, Director
KATIE BOWMAN, Senior Program Officer
JO HUSBANDS, Senior Scholar
JAY LABOV, Senior Scholar
KEEGAN SAWYER, Program Officer
MARILEE SHELTON-DAVENPORT, Senior Program Officer
AUDREY THÉVENON, Associate Program Officer
BETHELHEM MEKASHA, Financial Associate
JENNA OGILVIE, Research Associate
ANGELA KOLESNIKOVA, Administrative Assistant
AANIKA SENN, Senior Program Assistant

vi
Copyright National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
Gene Drives on the Horizon Advancing Science, Navigating Uncertainty, and Aligning Research with Public Values
Preface

Historians of science and engineering illuminate how discoveries related to theory, obser-
vation, and technology change our understanding of the natural world and the ways in which we
interact with the organisms around us. Occasionally, the pace of discovery in a particular re-
search area is so rapid it is impossible to miss. If the current pace of change in general genetics is
thrilling, the pace of change in gene drive research is breathtaking. Not surprisingly, the depth,
breadth, and practical implications of scientific advances in gene drive research are simultane-
ously raising many challenges at the interface of science and society.
The National Institutes of Health and the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health
asked the Board on Life Sciences of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Med-
icine to convene a consensus committee to summarize current understanding of the scientific
discoveries related to gene drives and their accompanying ethical, legal, and social implications.
This report reflects the committee’s consensus conclusions regarding the state of the sci-
ence and expectations for responsible research. The committee’s analyses are based on reviews
of the multidisciplinary literature, interviews of experts, and presentations from natural and so-
cial scientists working at the leading edges of research on gene drives and related technologies.
Appropriate for such a task, the committee’s 16 members have diverse interdisciplinary expertise
and a range of backgrounds across the natural and social sciences, ethics, and the law. The com-
mittee often had to re-examine fundamental aspects of genetics, population biology, probability,
public policy, and the law in order to understand the full scope of gene drive research and its
effects. To ensure that the audience has a common understanding of the scientific, social, and
regulatory knowledge essential to responsible research with gene drives, the report also outlines
some of these fundamentals before moving to the complex picture we ultimately describe.
This report would not have been possible without the exceptional contributions of the
Academies staff members: Keegan Sawyer, Audrey Thévenon, Robin Miller, Nancy Huddleston,
and Frances Sharples. Angela Kolesnikova provided the committee with outstanding logistical
support. We acknowledge gratefully all of their efforts.
A special thanks goes out to our colleagues on the committee for their thoughtful review
and analysis of an enormous amount of information some of which changed on a daily or weekly
basis as new discoveries were made. It was an honor to work with all of them.

James P. Collins, Co-Chair
Elizabeth Heitman, Co-Chair
Committee on Gene Drive Research in
Non-Human Organisms: Recommendations
for Responsible Conduct

vii
Copyright National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
Gene Drives on the Horizon Advancing Science, Navigating Uncertainty, and Aligning Research with Public Values

Copyright National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
Gene Drives on the Horizon Advancing Science, Navigating Uncertainty, and Aligning Research with Public Values

Acknowledgment of Reviewers

This report has been reviewed in draft form by individuals chosen for their diverse per-
spectives and technical expertise. The purpose of this independent review is to provide candid
and critical comments that will assist the institution in making its published report as sound as
possible and to ensure that the report meets institutional standards for objectivity, evidence, and
responsiveness to the study charge. The review comments and draft manuscript remain confiden-
tial to protect the integrity of the process. We wish to thank the following individuals for their
review of this report:

Austin Burt, Imperial College
R. Alta Charo, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Roger D. Cone, Vanderbilt University
Rebecca A. Efroymson, Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Fred Gould, North Carolina State University
Anthony A. James, University of California, Irvine
Calestous Juma, Harvard University
James Lavery, St. Michael’s Hospital and University of Toronto
Morven A. McLean, International Life Sciences Institute Research Foundation
Stephen S. Morse, Columbia University
Robert D. Newman, US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Sarah P. Otto, University of British Columbia
Kenneth Oye, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Ronald Sandler, Northeastern University

Although the reviewers listed above have provided many constructive comments and sug-
gestions, they were not asked to endorse the report’s conclusions or recommendations, nor did
they see the final draft of the report before the release. The review of this report was overseen by
Stephen Barthold, University of California, Davis, and Barbara Hansen, University of South
Florida. They were responsible for making certain that an independent examination of this report
was carried out in accordance with institutional procedures and that all review comments were
carefully considered. Responsibility for the final content of this report rests entirely with the au-
thoring committee and the institution.

ix
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