The US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency ( DARPA ) has committed $ 65 m in grants to scientists working on gene - editing technologies . The primary focus of the research will be gene drives , a technique capable of quickly spreading genetic modifications through populations of organisms . Gene drives could be used to fight malaria , for instance , by eradicating a specific strain of mosquito . There are , however , concerns over errors , or the accidental release of gene - drive organisms . DARPA has a Safe pilot program designed to temper the research on gene drives , but biosecurity is fast being outpaced by progress , according to Renee Wegrzyn , director of the initiative .
The US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has committed $65m in funding to scientists working on gene-editing technologies. The primary focus of the research will be gene drives, a technique capable of quickly spreading genetic modifications through populations of organisms. Gene drives could be used to fight malaria, for instance, by eradicating a specific kind of mosquito. There are, however, concerns over errors, or the accidental release of gene-drive organisms. DARPA has a Safe Genes initiative designed to temper the research on gene drives, but biosecurity is fast being outpaced by progress, according to Renee Wegrzyn, head of the initiative.