International Journal of Molecular Zoology 2024, Vol.14, No.2, 62-71 http://animalscipublisher.com/index.php/ijmz 66 3 Prevent and Control Invasive Alien Species Invasive alien species (IAS) refer to species that are not native to the natural environment and have a negative impact on the local ecosystem, economy and human health. IAS are one of the major threats to global biodiversity. They weaken or even replace local species through competition, predation, and the spread of diseases, thereby disrupting the ecological balance and affecting the survival of endangered species. To solve this problem, in recent years, scientists have begun to try to use CRISPR gene editing technology to control and eliminate invasive alien species, in order to improve the survival chances of endangered species and the ecological balance of their habitats. Figure 2 Anthropogenic induced heavy metals and other pollutants for induction of ROS and oxidative stress in fish (Adopted from Menon et al., 2023) 3.1 Using gene drive technology to control or eliminate invasive alien species Gene Drive is a technology that uses genetic editing technology to spread specific genes in a population at a higher rate than the natural inheritance probability. Unlike conventional genetic patterns, gene drive technology gives the target gene the advantage of preferential transmission during gamete formation, allowing it to spread rapidly throughout the population in a short period of time. The CRISPR gene drive system is one of the most promising gene drive technologies currently and is widely used to control and eliminate alien invasive species. Using CRISPR gene drive technology, lethal or sterile genes can be introduced into the target invasive species population, causing a significant reduction in their offspring or even sterilization, thereby achieving the goal of population control and elimination. For example, in a project to control invasive mosquitoes, scientists used gene drive technology to introduce a gene that makes female mosquitoes sterile into the mosquito genome. The results showed that the gene quickly spread to the entire mosquito population after several generations, successfully reducing the number of mosquitoes (Piaggio et al., 2017). In addition, gene drive technology has also been used to control invasive rodents. A study in New Zealand used gene drive technology to edit the genome of rodents to produce lethal or infertile offspring, thereby effectively reducing the number of invasive rodents and protecting local bird and plant diversity. This method is more selective than traditional chemical killing methods and will not have a wide impact on non-target species.
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