Leveraging DNA repair mechanisms in genetically engineered biocontrol

Genetic biocontrol strategies such as gene drives are garnering much attention due to the great potential to achieve population control at unprecedented speed and precision. Several endogenous DNA repair pathways can facilitate or counteract the success of gene drives. Current studies focus on HDR and NHEJ pathways and employ various detection and analytical methods to assess editing events due to these DNA repair pathways. However, other DNA repair pathways, such as MMEJ and SSA, could equally be leveraged to design better gene drives. More methods for predicting, detecting, and analyzing editing events due to these diverse pathways are needed. This review explores the currently available tools and packages to assist in this venture.