Study title

Gene drive is an emerging biotechnology that can be used to bias the inheritance of a specific genetic trait in any population of sexually reproducing organisms. In Uganda, and in other African countries, there is interest in the possibility of using synthetic gene drives to reduce the population of the mosquito species Anopheles gambiae which is the primary transmitter of the malaria parasite plasmodium falciparum. This dataset contains transcripts of interviews conducted with a wide range of stakeholders; environmentalists, scientists, regulators and prospective implementers, on the topic of risk assessment for gene drive mosquitoes in Uganda.

Despite demands from Europe, USA and Africa for risk assessment of emerging technologies to be more inclusive, risk decisions remain highly contested, narrowly scientific and expert led. Risk assessment is a critical step in technology development yet we know very little about how to ‘open’ it up to stakeholders. The unique risks of gene drive technology make it an excellent example of this thorny problem, presenting a ‘constitutional moment’ to rethink international biotechnology governance. We address this problem through a case study of gene drive mosquitoes in Uganda to eradicate malaria, a disease with significant health and economic costs. Our team of social and natural scientists from the UK, USA and Uganda will develop new ways of thinking about and approaching risk assessment in collaboration with Ugandan stakeholders. Together, we will rethink traditional roles and distributions of expertise and allow Ugandans to take ownership of the oversight of the technology.