Ethan Brown

M.S. Environmental Science Toxicology
Environmental Sciences Outstanding Graduating Masters Award Winner

Ethan began his studies in September 2019 and successfully defended this  May 2020.  While he did start his research on the risk assessment of synthetic biology at the end of his senior year, he has managed to prepare his thesis proposal, take the required graduate level classes, serve as a TA, now serves as an research assistant on one of our projects, has presented his research at the appropriate meetings, and will be attending the Ph. D. program at the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, IN with Jason Rohr.  It was a full year.

His thesis is entitled “Integrating Synthetic Biology Derived Variables into Ecological Risk Assessment Using the Bayesian Network – Relative Risk Model: Gene Drives to Control Nonindigenous M. musculus on Southeast Farallon Island”.  The research is an outgrowth of work looking toward the assessment of the use of synthetic biology in manipulating the environment  The model that he uses is a hypothetical CRISPER introduced sterility gene drive introduced to mice introduced to the Farallon Islands.  Using the MGDrive population model, the use of exposure-response models to describe toxicity, and the application of the Bayesian network relative risk model (BN-RRM) he was able to show the trade-offs in using the gene drive mouse and the application of the rodenticide in 12 different scenarios.  Contrary to much of the noisy debate regarding the use of synthetic biology in such management scenarios, the use of gene drive modified organisms will not be a panacea or a plague, but needs to be considered case by case. 

Thesis Chair: Dr Wayne Landis