A Helium Balloon launched 300 meters above ground at Mengong, inorder to collect insects or all organisms that are transported by the wind from one location to another
Despite significant progress in malaria control through improved treatment and vector control measures since the 2000s, recent years have witnessed a concerning stall due to the increasing prevalence of drug and insecticide resistance. To overcome these critical challenges, this Wellcome Trust-funded project (2022-2026) unites leading research institutions across Africa and the UK to investigate the potential of CRISPR-Cas9 based gene drives as an innovative and promising new approach for malaria control. Gene drive technology offers a powerful mechanism to rapidly disseminate desired traits, such as reduced mosquito fertility or the inability to transmit malaria parasites, throughout wild mosquito populations, even with limited initial releases.
This collaborative initiative unites leading researchers from notable African institutions such as the Centre for Research in Infectious Diseases (CRID), the Institut de Recherche en Sciences de la Santé (IRSS), the Malaria Research and Training Centre (MRTC), and Ifakara Health Institute, alongside UK universities including the University of Oxford and Imperial College London. By generating critical scientific evidence across these domains, this collaborative project aims to provide robust data and insights to inform public and policymakers’ decisions regarding the ethical, safe, and efficient application of gene drives for malaria control in Africa
Role of CRID – Amount Awarded: £470,000.00
As the lead institution for genomics within this consortium, CRID plays a pivotal role in understanding mosquito gene flow across Cameroon. Its responsibilities include: Leading genomic studies to characterize mosquito populations; Providing genomic expertise and support to other project teams; Facilitating knowledge transfer and capacity-building in genomics for other African partner institutions; Investigating public knowledge and perception of gene drive technologies within the Cameroonian context, recognizing the crucial role of societal understanding and acceptance for future implementation. The team at CRID working on the project comprises: Prof Charles Wondji, Principal Investigator; Dr Sougal Ngambia, Lead; Dr Estelle Mewamba, Post-doctoral researcher and Dum-Buo Nnamdi, Social scientist.
CRID is specifically focused on understanding the migration patterns of insecticide resistance and immunity genes in Anopheles population to predict the spread of transgenes. This involves employing advanced next-generation sequencing techniques—amplicon and whole genome sequencing—on mosquito populations in Cameroon to generate vital data for developing effective gene drive strategies. CRID is taking a proactive approach to understanding the social landscape surrounding gene drives.
