Gene-drive suppression of mosquito populations in large cages as a bridge between lab and field

CRISPR-based gene-drives targeting the gene doublesex in the malaria vector Anophelesgambiae effectively suppressed the reproductive capability of mosquito populations reared insmall laboratory cages. To bridge the gap between laboratory and the field, this gene-drivetechnology must be challenged with vector ecology.Here we report the suppressive activity of the gene-drive in age-structured An. gambiaepopulations in large indoor cages that permit complex feeding and reproductive behaviours.The gene-drive element spreads rapidly through the populations, fully supresses the populationwithin one year and without selecting for resistance to the gene drive. ApproximateBayesian computation allowed retrospective inference of life-history parameters from thelarge cages and a more accurate prediction of gene-drive behaviour under more ecologicallyrelevantsettings.Generating data to bridge laboratory and field studies for invasive technologies is challenging.Our study represents a paradigm for the stepwise and sound development of vector controltools based on gene-drive.