ProfessorNikolai Windbichler

Dr. Nikolai Windbichler is Professor of Genetic Engineering at Imperial College London and a Principal Investigator of the Transmission Zero research collaboration that aims to develop transmission-blocking gene drives for malaria mosquito population replacement. 

Nikolai has worked in the field of insect genome engineering for nearly two decades and combines his expertise in genetics with an engineering-driven mindset towards biological systems. He is an expert in the molecular genetics of the malaria mosquito and in the development of novel genetic control strategies for insect disease vectors and insect pests of agriculture. He has successfully led projects funded by the ERC, the BBSRC and the Gates Foundation. He has also led multiple industry funded projects supported by partners like Corteva.

Nikolai obtained his PhD in Genetics from the University of Vienna and moved to Imperial College in 2006 to develop genetic control technologies for the malaria mosquito as a postdoctoral researcher in the group of Professor Andrea Crisanti.

Nikolai has taken the idea of using selfish genes for the control of disease vector populations from simply a theoretical concept to the first proof of principle demonstration that a class of such genes, driving endonucleases, could rapidly spread through caged mosquito or fly populations in a self-sustaining manner. This work resulted in the successful demonstration of the first gene drive system - a finding that has kick-started this research field. He pioneered the first successful steps towards the long-elusive goal of creating a meiotic sex-distortion system for genetic control. During this time, he also generated the first sexually sterile strain of transgenic Anopheles gambiae mosquitoes, the first transgenic insect strain legally imported to Africa and the first genetically modified insect that was released into the environment by the TargetMalaria consortium in Burkina Faso.

In 2024 the Transmission Zero team engineered local Anopheles gambiae inside purpose built CL3 containment facilities in Tanzania and produced a transgenic mosquito strain with non-autonomous gene-drive capability that blocked genetically diverse Plasmodium falciparum isolates taken from naturally infected children, with the modification inherited efficiently when Cas9 was supplied by a second strain. This was the first time a genetically engineered mosquito had been generated in Africa and the first transgenic Anopheles strain that had been tested in a malaria endemic country for it's propensity to block transmission and it's capability for gene drive.

Nikolai has also been involved in various initiatives to address the ethical and ecological questions that are raised by prospect of the application of gene drives in the environment.

⠀⢠⡀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⢸⣧⣤⣄⣀⣀⣀⣤⠶⢺⠟⢛⠷⣦⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠰⠾⣷⠒⠒⣻⠿⠋⢡⠞⠁⡰⠋⣰⠛⣇⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⢻⡖⠋⠀⣠⠞⠁⢀⠞⠁⡴⠁⢰⢿⡀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⢻⣤⠞⠁⠀⡰⠋⢀⡜⠁⣰⠃⢸⡇⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠻⣦⣀⠞⠁⢀⡞⠀⣰⠃⢀⢿⡇⠀⠀⣀⣀⣤⣤⣄⣀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠈⠙⠲⠦⣯⣤⣴⣧⡤⠾⢾⡟⢛⡿⠋⣡⠋⢀⠞⢉⡿⢦⡀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠸⡷⠋⢀⡴⠁⣰⠋⢀⡞⠁⣤⢿⡄⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢿⣠⠎⠀⡴⠁⣠⠏⢀⡞⠁⢀⣷⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠸⣇⢠⠞⠀⡴⠁⡴⠋⣠⠞⣁⣹⣤⢤⡤⠤⣤⣄⣀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠘⢷⣤⣎⣠⣞⣤⠾⠟⠛⠛⢻⠀⣸⠁⢠⠇⠀⣹⠻⢦⡀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢸⣇⠇⢠⠏⢀⡴⠁⢀⡼⢻⣆⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢸⡿⢀⠏⢀⠞⢀⡴⠋⢀⣠⢿⡄⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⣧⠎⡰⢋⡴⢋⣠⣶⣯⣿⣿⣿⠲⡶⢤⣄⡀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠙⢾⣵⣯⠾⠿⠛⠉⠉⠫⣽⣿⢸⠁⢀⡞⠛⢶
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠈⣿⡌⢀⡞⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢹⢇⠞⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⣿⡏⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⣛⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀