ABSTRACTFertility-targeted gene drives have been proposed as an ethical genetic approach for mana... more ABSTRACTFertility-targeted gene drives have been proposed as an ethical genetic approach for managing wild populations of vertebrate pests for public health and conservation benefit.This manuscript introduces a framework to identify and evaluate target gene suitability based on biological gene function, gene expression, and results from mouse knockout models.This framework identified 16 genes essential for male fertility and 12 genes important for female fertility that may be feasible targets for mammalian gene drives and other non-drive genetic pest control technology. Further, a comparative genomics analysis demonstrates the conservation of the identified genes across several globally significant invasive mammals.In addition to providing important considerations for identifying candidate genes, our framework and the genes identified in this study may have utility in developing additional pest control tools such as wildlife contraceptives.
Genes from the female candidate list excluded from further analysis due to incomplete loss of fem... more Genes from the female candidate list excluded from further analysis due to incomplete loss of female-specific fertility in mouse knockouts.
Each gene was obtained from Mouse Genome Informatics (MGI; http://www.informatics.jax.org/) betwe... more Each gene was obtained from Mouse Genome Informatics (MGI; http://www.informatics.jax.org/) between Aug 2017 and Apr 2019, and has been functionally characterised as having female-specific infertility phenotypes. Mouse knockout models also show no-significant changes to male fertility, and appear to have no significant effect on the survival of both sexes. Such genes are promising candidate genes for various mammalian gene drive systems targeting female fertility, for the purposes of population management.
Natural selection cares nothing for animal suffering. However, it is artificial selection that go... more Natural selection cares nothing for animal suffering. However, it is artificial selection that governs the genetics of billions of domesticated animals and consequently their predisposition to well-being. Even without directed research, future insights into the genetics of mood will almost certainly enable us to substantially improve the lives of trillions of animals, posing a profound neuroethical challenge (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Live animals. FAOSTAT statistical database, 2018). The sheer magnitude of the potential change in animal well-being demands great caution in evaluating whether, when, and how to develop and apply such technologies. A single mistake, whether rhetorically or technologically, could result in a great deal of animal suffering that might otherwise be avoided. Here we outline the moral responsibilities of those who choose to engage with the problem and those who decline. We discuss possible approaches for evaluating the ef...
The promise of biotechnology is tempered by its potential for accidental or deliberate misuse. Re... more The promise of biotechnology is tempered by its potential for accidental or deliberate misuse. Reliably identifying telltale signatures characteristic to different genetic designers, termed ‘genetic engineering attribution’, would deter misuse, yet is still considered unsolved. Here, we show that recurrent neural networks trained on DNA motifs and basic phenotype data can reach 70% attribution accuracy in distinguishing between over 1,300 labs. To make these models usable in practice, we introduce a framework for weighing predictions against other investigative evidence using calibration, and bring our model to within 1.6% of perfect calibration. Additionally, we demonstrate that simple models can accurately predict both the nation-state-of-origin and ancestor labs, forming the foundation of an integrated attribution toolkit which should promote responsible innovation and international security alike.
The promise of biotechnology is tempered by its potential for accidental or deliberate misuse. Re... more The promise of biotechnology is tempered by its potential for accidental or deliberate misuse. Reliably identifying telltale signatures characteristic to different genetic designers, termed genetic engineering attribution, would deter misuse, yet is still considered unsolved. Here, we show that recurrent neural networks trained on DNA motifs and basic phenotype can reach 70% attribution accuracy distinguishing between over 1,300 labs. To make these models usable in practice, we introduce a framework for weighing predictions against other investigative evidence using calibration, and bring our model to within 1.6% of perfect calibration. Additionally, we demonstrate that simple models can accurately predict both the nation-state-of-origin and ancestor labs, forming the foundation of an integrated attribution toolkit which should promote responsible innovation and international security alike.
Natural selection cares nothing for animal suffering. However, it is artificial selection that go... more Natural selection cares nothing for animal suffering. However, it is artificial selection that governs the genetics of billions of domesticated animals and consequently their predisposition to well-being. Even without directed research, future insights into the genetics of mood will almost certainly enable us to substantially improve the lives of trillions of animals, posing a profound neuroethical challenge (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Live animals. FAOSTAT statistical database, 2018). The sheer magnitude of the potential change in animal well-being demands great caution in evaluating whether, when, and how to develop and apply such technologies. A single mistake, whether rhetorically or technologically, could result in a great deal of animal suffering that might otherwise be avoided. Here we outline the moral responsibilities of those who choose to engage with the problem and those who decline. We discuss possible approaches for evaluating the efficacy of genetic methods and the concern that over-optimizing for indirect measures of well-being may reduce the extent to which we can be confident that those phenotypes are still meaningful indicators of what we are trying to measure. Lastly, we consider the extent to which we can expect animals used in agriculture to have been subject to selective pressures that result in their improved well-being in factory environments and the implications for the question of whether we should deliberately employ genetic methods to improve animal well-being.
ABSTRACTFertility-targeted gene drives have been proposed as an ethical genetic approach for mana... more ABSTRACTFertility-targeted gene drives have been proposed as an ethical genetic approach for managing wild populations of vertebrate pests for public health and conservation benefit.This manuscript introduces a framework to identify and evaluate target gene suitability based on biological gene function, gene expression, and results from mouse knockout models.This framework identified 16 genes essential for male fertility and 12 genes important for female fertility that may be feasible targets for mammalian gene drives and other non-drive genetic pest control technology. Further, a comparative genomics analysis demonstrates the conservation of the identified genes across several globally significant invasive mammals.In addition to providing important considerations for identifying candidate genes, our framework and the genes identified in this study may have utility in developing additional pest control tools such as wildlife contraceptives.
Genes from the female candidate list excluded from further analysis due to incomplete loss of fem... more Genes from the female candidate list excluded from further analysis due to incomplete loss of female-specific fertility in mouse knockouts.
Each gene was obtained from Mouse Genome Informatics (MGI; http://www.informatics.jax.org/) betwe... more Each gene was obtained from Mouse Genome Informatics (MGI; http://www.informatics.jax.org/) between Aug 2017 and Apr 2019, and has been functionally characterised as having female-specific infertility phenotypes. Mouse knockout models also show no-significant changes to male fertility, and appear to have no significant effect on the survival of both sexes. Such genes are promising candidate genes for various mammalian gene drive systems targeting female fertility, for the purposes of population management.
Natural selection cares nothing for animal suffering. However, it is artificial selection that go... more Natural selection cares nothing for animal suffering. However, it is artificial selection that governs the genetics of billions of domesticated animals and consequently their predisposition to well-being. Even without directed research, future insights into the genetics of mood will almost certainly enable us to substantially improve the lives of trillions of animals, posing a profound neuroethical challenge (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Live animals. FAOSTAT statistical database, 2018). The sheer magnitude of the potential change in animal well-being demands great caution in evaluating whether, when, and how to develop and apply such technologies. A single mistake, whether rhetorically or technologically, could result in a great deal of animal suffering that might otherwise be avoided. Here we outline the moral responsibilities of those who choose to engage with the problem and those who decline. We discuss possible approaches for evaluating the ef...
The promise of biotechnology is tempered by its potential for accidental or deliberate misuse. Re... more The promise of biotechnology is tempered by its potential for accidental or deliberate misuse. Reliably identifying telltale signatures characteristic to different genetic designers, termed ‘genetic engineering attribution’, would deter misuse, yet is still considered unsolved. Here, we show that recurrent neural networks trained on DNA motifs and basic phenotype data can reach 70% attribution accuracy in distinguishing between over 1,300 labs. To make these models usable in practice, we introduce a framework for weighing predictions against other investigative evidence using calibration, and bring our model to within 1.6% of perfect calibration. Additionally, we demonstrate that simple models can accurately predict both the nation-state-of-origin and ancestor labs, forming the foundation of an integrated attribution toolkit which should promote responsible innovation and international security alike.
The promise of biotechnology is tempered by its potential for accidental or deliberate misuse. Re... more The promise of biotechnology is tempered by its potential for accidental or deliberate misuse. Reliably identifying telltale signatures characteristic to different genetic designers, termed genetic engineering attribution, would deter misuse, yet is still considered unsolved. Here, we show that recurrent neural networks trained on DNA motifs and basic phenotype can reach 70% attribution accuracy distinguishing between over 1,300 labs. To make these models usable in practice, we introduce a framework for weighing predictions against other investigative evidence using calibration, and bring our model to within 1.6% of perfect calibration. Additionally, we demonstrate that simple models can accurately predict both the nation-state-of-origin and ancestor labs, forming the foundation of an integrated attribution toolkit which should promote responsible innovation and international security alike.
Natural selection cares nothing for animal suffering. However, it is artificial selection that go... more Natural selection cares nothing for animal suffering. However, it is artificial selection that governs the genetics of billions of domesticated animals and consequently their predisposition to well-being. Even without directed research, future insights into the genetics of mood will almost certainly enable us to substantially improve the lives of trillions of animals, posing a profound neuroethical challenge (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Live animals. FAOSTAT statistical database, 2018). The sheer magnitude of the potential change in animal well-being demands great caution in evaluating whether, when, and how to develop and apply such technologies. A single mistake, whether rhetorically or technologically, could result in a great deal of animal suffering that might otherwise be avoided. Here we outline the moral responsibilities of those who choose to engage with the problem and those who decline. We discuss possible approaches for evaluating the efficacy of genetic methods and the concern that over-optimizing for indirect measures of well-being may reduce the extent to which we can be confident that those phenotypes are still meaningful indicators of what we are trying to measure. Lastly, we consider the extent to which we can expect animals used in agriculture to have been subject to selective pressures that result in their improved well-being in factory environments and the implications for the question of whether we should deliberately employ genetic methods to improve animal well-being.
Uploads
Papers by Rey Edison
Books by Rey Edison