Revising Bat DNA May Hold Key to Preventing Future Pandemics

As the world continues to recover from the past year’s global pandemic while simultaneously tamping down new COVID-19 outbreaks, scientists are hard at work evaluating strategies for preventing the next viral disaster. Two scientists believe that the editing of bat DNA may hold the key to pandemic prevention. They recommend using a gene drive to alter the DNA of bats to ensure they do not become infected with any type of coronavirus. The effectiveness of this strategy depends on the theory that SARS-CoV-2 originated in bats and then transmitted to humans. The gene drive technology is currently being used to prevent infection transmission from mosquitoes and mice to humans. Click here to read more.