---
title: "Gene Drive: Definition, Mechanism, Governance"
description: "A gene drive is a genetic engineering technique that allows a gene to spread rapidly through a population, impacting biodiversity and pest control efforts."
url: "https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/glossary/gene-drive"
---

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Model Diplomat Research Team · Last reviewed June 22, 2026

TL;DR

- A gene drive is a genetic engineering technique that biases inheritance so a chosen gene spreads through a sexually reproducing population faster than Mendelian rules permit.
- How does a gene drive differ from ordinary CRISPR gene editing?
- What is the difference between a suppression drive and a replacement drive?
- Can a gene drive be confined or reversed once released?
- Which international instruments govern gene drives?

[Civil Service & Diplomatic Exams](https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/civil-services/glossary)Updated June 22, 2026

A gene drive is a genetic engineering technique that biases inheritance so a chosen gene spreads through a sexually reproducing population faster than Mendelian rules permit.

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In 2018 Andrea Crisanti's team at Imperial College London used a CRISPR gene drive targeting the doublesex gene to collapse a caged population of Anopheles gambiae malaria mosquitoes within eleven generations.

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