Genetic tweaks could render the mice infertile and eliminate populations in just 25 years.
haplotype mice do on an island where mice are wreaking havoc on biodiversity, the scientists used a computer simulation of an island with 200,000 mice. The team found that adding just 256 mice with the CRISPR-alteredhaplotype could successfully drive the mouse population to zero in around 25 years. Even without CRISPR, adding mice with the normalBut models aren’t mice. In a final test, Thomas and his colleagues made the model reality.
The next step, Thomas says, will be to test the effects in real populations of mice in secure enclosures, to find out if the genetically tweakedcan stop mice from reproducing. The scientists also want to ensure that any engineered mice released into the wild have some safety mechanism in place, so other mice elsewhere remain unaffected.
The final version might target tiny mutations that only occur on one island where the pest population is isolated, Thomas suggests. If the mouse escaped onto the mainland, its altered genes would have no effect on the local mice. The scientists also want to consult with people living in the area, as officials did when genetically modified mosquitoes were
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