AFAIU, current mature gene drive solutions depend on sexual reproduction. Protozoa usually reproduce asexually, and Plasmodium falciparum in particular is haplo

AFAIU, current mature gene drive solutions depend on sexual reproduction. Protozoa usually reproduce asexually, and Plasmodium falciparum in particular is haploid--only one set of chromosomes--during the part of its lifecycle in humans where it principally reproduces.[1] I'm not a scientist but I think this poses unique and probably more difficult engineering problems for building and using a gene drive, and we're not nearly as far along the curve in understanding and resolving them. [1] The process is pretty complex: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plasmodium_falciparum#Meiosis https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plasmodium_falciparum#Meiosis Seems like maybe there's opportunity there when it infects the mosquito, though: "Such gametes can fuse within the mosquito to form a diploid (2N) plasmodium zygote, the only diploid stage in the life cycle of these parasites."