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Résumé

Several novel genetic approaches have been proposed for the control of undesirable species, aiming either for population suppression, through the expression of conditional lethality, or population replacement, by using gene drive constructs to drive desirable traits into target populations.

In this seminar, I will introduce a range of genetic strategies that are being considered for pest control, as well as the results of model-based assessments of these strategies, evaluating their feasibility and efficacy in specific environments. I will discuss the applications of these techniques to the control of the mosquito Aedes aegypti, as well as projected challenges and opportunities for the use of these approaches in agricultural systems.

L'orateur

Mathieu Legros is an evolutionary ecologist, currently working with CSIRO Agriculture & Food in Canberra, Australia, on the use of gene drive to control agricultural pests. He received his PhD in from the University Paris 6 in France and worked thereafter as a postdoctoral researcher at North Carolina State University in Raleigh, NC, USA, modelling genetic control strategies of Aedes aegypti, and at the ETH in Zurich, Switzerland, studying the evolution of drug resistance in malaria. His research interests are centered on theoretical models of population dynamics, population genetics and evolutionary dynamics, and their application for pest control and disease management.