Fig. 5
Pathway 3 Biodiversity: Potentially cumulative Cas9/gRNA off-target or retargeted nuclease activity in dsxFCRISPRh transgenics could cause broader tolerances for humidity, temperature, salinity, or egg desiccation to reduce densities of valued species or ecosystem services. Were the transgenic to show off-target or retargeted mutations leading to a broadening of tolerance for environmental conditions, this could result in increased competition from variants with existing species in its current range, as well as new competition from variants with new species in new range. Variants with broadened tolerance for humidity and temperature could also show extended survival into dry season compared to non-transgenic. The net effect of a population suppression gene drive could ultimately reduce this specific harm by reducing the density of mosquitoes, including variants. For this pathway, the first tier of the analysis plan would involve bioinformatic and molecular assessments of the potential for off-target or retargeted mutations to occur in the transgenic. In the event of such mutations being detected, a second tier of phenotypic characterisations would then be performed