Regulating the expression of gene drives is key to increasing their invasive potential and the mitigation of resistance

Homing-based gene drives use a germline source of nuclease to copy themselves at specific target sites in genome and bias their inheritance. Such can be designed spread deliberately suppress populations malaria mosquitoes by impairing female fertility. However, strong unintended fitness costs the drive propensity generate resistant mutations limit drive’s potential spread. Alternative regulatory sequences element confer improved fecundity carrier individuals reduced for site resistance. This is explained rates end-joining repair DNA breaks from parentally deposited embryo, which produce heritable that reduce penetrance. We tracked generation selection over course invasion population. Improved show faster dynamics, increased suppressive effect later onset Our results regulation expression as important choice when developing robust homing-based population suppression.