Table 4.
Potential novel aspects of gene drive modified insects compared to genetically modified insects (GMIs) that do not contain an engineered gene drive and other disease vector/pest control strategies that involve the release of non‐GMIs (in the scope of this GMO Panel Scientific Opinion)
| Potential novel aspects | Comparators | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GMIs that do not contain an engineered gene drive (primarily RIDL, fsRIDL)a | Natural gene drives and Wolbachia‐mediated pathogen interference (PI) | Sterile insect technique (SIT) | Wolbachia‐mediated incompatible insect technique (IIT) | Classical biological control (CBC) | |
| Preferential inheritance [of a transgenic construct] | No | Yes [No] | No | No | No |
| Intended spatial and temporal scale of spread of the genetic modification(s) of interest | Spatially temporally restricted | Spatially temporally unrestricted (case‐specific) | Spatially temporally restricted | Spatially temporally restricted | Spatially temporally unrestricted (case specific) |
| Scale of population suppression | Local (at present) | NA | Local and area‐wide | Local (at present) | Case specific |
| Population modification strategies [involving transgenes] | No [No] | Yes [No] | NA | NA | NA |
| Target non‐domesticated or wild species in non‐managed environments | Yes (case specific) | Yes (case specific) | Yes (case specific) | Yes (case specific) | Yes (case specific) |
| Spatio‐temporal controllability | Yes | No (case specific) | Yes | Yes | No (case specific) |
fsRIDL: release of insects carrying a dominant female lethal transgene; RIDL: release of insects carrying a dominant lethal transgene.
a
GMIs contributing to the direct enhancement of production systems through enhanced stress tolerance, performance or fitness characteristics are not covered.