Mathematical model evaluates sex-ratio-distorting gene drives for Aedes aegypti population suppression

A preprint posted to bioRxiv on 5 July 2026 describes a mathematical framework for evaluating tunable sex-ratio distorter gene drives in Aedes aegypti, the primary mosquito vector for dengue, Zika, chikungunya, and yellow fever. The authors focus on the M locus — the dominant male-determining locus in Aedes aegypti — and model genome editors that target the corresponding m-chromosome specifically during spermatogenesis, with the effect of biasing offspring sex ratios towards males and thereby suppressing populations over successive generations.

The modelling work examines how the tunability of such systems — the ability to adjust the strength of sex-ratio distortion — affects the dynamics of population suppression and the potential for drive spread beyond target populations. Aedes aegypti belongs to a mosquito subfamily characterised by homomorphic sex-determining chromosomes (that is, the sex chromosomes look alike under a microscope), which has historically complicated the design of sex-ratio distorters in this species. The authors argue their framework provides a basis for evaluating the feasibility of different drive architectures before laboratory implementation.

This preprint has not yet been peer-reviewed. Researchers working in vector control, population genetics, and gene-drive biosafety will find the modelling approach relevant. The work also connects to broader discussions about regulatory and ecological frameworks for field deployment of gene drives, a topic of active debate in the genetics and public health communities.