Foundation for the national institutes of health — working group on malaria gene drive testing path
Open Philanthropy, 2016
Abstract
The Open Philanthropy Project issued a grant to the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health (FNIH) to assemble a working group to establish a consensus pathway for field testing mosquitoes modified with gene drives, a technology that could help eradicate malaria by manipulating mosquito populations. The working group, composed of approximately 20 experts, aimed to offer guidelines on safely and ethically field testing this technology for its possible wide adoption. The hope underlying this initiative was to hasten the time to authorized deployment if the technology is subsequently deemed feasible, safe, and ethical. The article does acknowledge substantial risks and uncertainties surrounding both the development and introduction of gene drives and notes risk of potential delay in deployment due to the consensus process. The development and outcomes of the working group were earmarked for follow-up review and public dissemination upon completion. – AI-generated abstract.
