Christopher Krueger
BME PhD Defense Presentation

Date: 2023-05-18
Time: 13:00 China standard time (01:00 EDT)
Location / Meeting Link: JinGuang Building 103

Committee Members:
Cheng Zhu, PhD (co-advisor); Zhifei Dai, PhD (co-advisor); Jeff Xi, PhD; Antony Chen, PhD; Bo Zhang, PhD (PKU College of Life Sciences)


Title: Development and characterization of active genetic tools for invasive fish species control in a zebrafish model

Abstract:
Population control tools have great potential for both ecological and agricultural applications. Invasive species are a growing threat worldwide, and commonly used methods for invasive species control, such as barriers or poisons, risk unintended damage to non-target species. Agricultural use of proprietary genetic modifications is increasingly common, and population control tools are important both for protecting intellectual property and for protecting wild unmodified populations. Genetic tools can provide species specificity, making them attractive tools for population control. Active genetic elements, engineered transgenes which can function in cells to generate dynamic genetic changes within a cell and organism, can generate changes in population genetics with unique heritable patterns. We developed active genetic tools targeting reproduction in a zebrafish model, and characterized their suitability for control of aquatic invasive species. First, a heritable sex-specific sterility system allows for suppression of reproductive potential in populations that can be maintained over generations with reduced costs compared to sterile male release technique. Second, a gene drive system targeting fertility genes could rapidly spread a sterility phenotype throughout a population causing population collapse. Our results inform tools for invasive species population control and provide novel insights on gene drive research in vertebrates.