Beth Shapiro says time-limited gene drives could suppress invasive cheatgrass

What was said

"There's cheat grass everywhere and it's highly flammable and it grows along the roads and it's Mediterranean in origin. And the only way we are ever going to get the cheat grass down enough to be able to let the native California grasses come back is if we get rid of the cheat grasses for a few generations."

Dr Beth Shapiro argues that gene drives, if designed with safety measures and limited to a set number of generations, could be used to reduce invasive cheatgrass. She says cheatgrass is highly flammable and shallow-rooted, and claims lowering it could help native grasses recover and reduce fire risk.