About this project

Monitoring Gene Drives: A living literature review on gene drive research

Gene drive technologies are advancing rapidly, with new studies continuously reshaping our understanding of their potential applications, risks, and governance challenges. In such a fast-moving field, traditional literature reviews can quickly become outdated.

Monitoring Gene Drives was created to address this gap. It provides a living literature review—a continuously updated synthesis of the latest research on gene drive systems, with a focus on biosafety, risk assessment, and regulatory governance.

Peer-reviewed research remains essential for identifying knowledge gaps and informing best practices. However, for regulators, policymakers, and practitioners, keeping up with the expanding and fragmented body of literature can be challenging due to time constraints, paywalls, and the diversity of research approaches. This platform aims to make that knowledge more accessible, structured, and actionable.

Gene drive organisms differ from conventional genetically modified organisms in a key respect: they are designed to spread in wild populations. Early applications are expected to involve species such as Anopheles and Aedes mosquitoes, screwworm flies, or invasive rodents, which can cross national borders. This raises complex ecological, regulatory, and ethical questions, and has led to ongoing international discussions under frameworks such as the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and other global processes.

To support these discussions, stakeholders require current, evidence-based, and neutral information. Monitoring Gene Drives contributes to this need by synthesising and contextualising the latest scientific developments.

About this project

Monitoring Gene Drives is an independent, continuously updated resource that consolidates recent findings across the gene drive research landscape. It is designed to support informed decision-making, policy development, and scientific understanding in a field where evidence is evolving rapidly.

The platform focuses on key areas relevant to governance and application, including:

Content is updated as new studies become available, following a structured and transparent approach to literature selection and synthesis.

The platform is intended for regulators, policymakers, researchers, and stakeholders engaged in gene drive research and governance. While some familiarity with biotechnology is helpful, the content is written to remain accessible to non-specialists.

To broaden accessibility, Monitoring Gene Drives provides multilingual content, regular newsletters, and ongoing updates reflecting the latest developments in the field.

Citation and Attribution

All articles on this platform are citable and assigned a Digital Object Identifier (DOI) to facilitate referencing. If you use this content, please ensure proper citation and attribution. A “Cite” function is available on each article page.

Funding and Independence

This project is supported through a grant from Coefficient Giving (formerly Open Philanthropy) to the Regulatory Science Group at the International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB).

Coefficient Giving does not exercise editorial control over the content of this platform. This independence ensures that Monitoring Gene Drives remains a neutral and evidence-based resource covering the evolving landscape of gene drive research.

To learn more about their Living Literature Reviews programme, please visit: Write a Living Literature Review with Support from the Abundance and Growth Fund

Feedback

We welcome feedback on potential omissions, inconsistencies, or errors. We also encourage suggestions for new topics. While articles already in the pipeline may take priority, we will do our best to accommodate new requests as quickly as possible.

Please contact us at genedrives@icgeb.org or use the Contact Form

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