A gene drive can be designed to disrupt a mosquito gene essential for survival or reproduction. Researchers restrict its expression to the germline, such that individuals that have one copy of the inserted genetic element (the gene drive) still have a functioning copy of the mosquito gene in the rest of their bodies where it is needed. Through the germline, the gene drive spreads, increasing the proportion of gametes that carry it. When two mosquitoes carrying the gene drive mate, none of their offspring would inherit a functional copy of the essential gene, decimating the population.
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Physical forces generated outside a cell can be transmitted to the cytoskeleton via cell-surface receptors known as integrins and associated protein complexes called focal adhesions. Once believed to act ...
