Scientists target rabbit fertility in radical new pest-control plan
Scientists at the University of Melbourne are developing a gene drive technology to suppress rabbit fertility by making female offspring infertile while leaving males unaffected, aiming to drastically reduce wild rabbit populations. The project, led by Dr. Ellen Cottingham at Mt Rothwell Wildlife Sanctuary, leverages advances in gene editing and IVF techniques to address the resurgence of rabbits, which cause over $200 million in agricultural damage annually.
Researchers at the University of Melbourne are working on a groundbreaking pest-control method to curb Australia’s exploding rabbit population. Dr. Ellen Cottingham, a research fellow, collects tissue samples from euthanized rabbits at Mt Rothwell Wildlife Sanctuary near Melbourne to develop a gene drive—genetic modification that renders female offspring infertile while preserving male fertility. This would trigger a rapid population collapse, as the gene spreads faster than natural inheritance due to rabbits’ high reproductive rate. The project responds to the failure of traditional biological controls like calici and myxoma viruses, which have lost effectiveness, allowing rabbit numbers to surge. Feral rabbits now cost Australia over $200 million annually in agricultural losses, with additional environmental and control costs. The team, including international experts like Polish IVF specialist Dr. Kasia Filimonow and clinical embryologist Dr. Naomi Tappe, combines genetics, ecology, and reproductive science to refine the technique. The gene drive relies on modified rabbits bred in laboratories, using advances from human IVF technology originally developed in Australia for sheep. Dr. Tappe, who transitioned from human reproduction research, helps optimize sperm extraction and embryo techniques. The team aims to identify fertility-related genes in both male and female rabbits to ensure the gene drive’s success. If successful, the method could be released within six years, offering a long-term solution to rabbit overpopulation. The project builds on global progress in gene drive research, with Australian scientists leading the effort to protect agriculture and ecosystems from invasive species.
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