The science behind the revolutionary CRISPR gene-editing technology and the ethical dilemmas that follow
Reg will introduce listeners to DNA, the heredity material of all organisms, in a way that makes the profound nature of this extraordinary substance readily accessible to those not trained as scientists. DNA is the embodiment of the code that directs life. Revolutionary advances, exemplified by CRISPR gene-editing technology, give researchers the ability to rewrite the genetic information encoded in DNA. CRISPR can be used to repair harmful mutations or to improve the genetics of organisms to desired ends, including humans. Never before has man been able to alter DNA, and thereby, heredity, so precisely and at will. In one nefarious example, CRISPR designer babies were conceived and delivered in China in 2018. Gene-editing technology poses disturbing ethical questions for humanity. How these questions are addressed will affect the trajectory of all species, including our own.
