MasterClass by IHI: There’s a Gene in my Mosquitoes
Fredros Okumu from the Ifakara Health Institute (IHI) and Sheila Ogoma from the Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI) are hosting a Master Class on There’s a Gene in my Mosquitoes.
Date: Wednesday, March 24, 2021
Time: 2:00 pm East African Time
Speakers:
- Prof Austin Burt (Imperial College London, UK)
- Dr Tony Nolan (Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, UK)
- Prof Abdoulaye Diabate (Research Institute of Health Sciences – IRSS, Burkina Faso)
Topics:
- What are gene drives (and how different are they compared to other genetic engineering approaches)?
- What makes gene drives attractive for malaria control & elimination (evidence from labs & models)?
- How do you build an efficient gene drive product for field use (from 50/50 to 100% inheritance)?
- What are the pathways for testing and deployment of gene drive mosquitoes for malaria control?
- What are the main limitations & challenges of gene drive technologies for malaria control?
- What if we r wrong? Can gene drives be contained? Can they be recalled? What is the worst that can happen?
- Will gene drives work in all major malaria vector species in Africa?
- What are the key lessons from Target Malaria work and other initiatives in Africa (& Burkina Faso experience)?
- How would we regulate gene drives (safety, ethics, biodiversity and public opinions)?
- How do we build capabilities and experiences relevant to possible gene drive deployment in Africa?
- What do the people in malaria-endemic say?
If you’d like to attend, please register in advance in this link.
