Science journalists from Ghana and Nigeria discover gene drive, a technology in the making at Imperial College London

Target Malaria UK hosted a delegation of science journalists from Ghana and Nigeria who were visiting Imperial College London. The journalists had the opportunity to learn about several research projects based at Imperial relating to the African continent, particularly in the fields of health and adaptation to climate change.

Target Malaria offered them the opportunity to go behind the scenes of a research project that has the potential to complement the range of current interventions against malaria and help save numerous lives.

Dr Federica Bernardini introduced the delegation to gene drive technologies and how gene drive differs from other vector control interventions. The journalists also had the opportunity to enter the lab and learn more about how mosquito colonies are reared and maintained generation after generation in lab settings. They also observed a transgenic mosquito larva under the microscope and interacted with the Target Malaria UK team.

For African journalists, this event offered a rare opportunity to deepen their understanding of a technology that is often discussed in policy, public‑health, and community‑engagement contexts across the continent. It provided them with essential background for reporting accurately and confidently on gene drive science and the promise this tool holds for a malaria-free future.