Hack Your Genes
2021
Term 01
Research summary
Gene-editing technology has the potential in making humans less miserable.
If we told humans in the 1970s that in a few decades telephones with touch screens will be used to find recipes of your favourite foods, dating will be done online, and that robots will automate a lot of jobs, they would have laughed in our face. All the things mentioned above are now a reality. We are at a similar point with gene editing. For the longest time, selective breeding was used to strengthen the useful traits of plants and animals until we discovered DNA. Ever since its discovery scientists have been meticulously trying to study its nature and manipulate it for the benefit of humans.
The revolutionary and now leading gene-editing technology known as CRISPR, which works by harnessing the ability of the bacterial RNA- guided endonuclease, Cas9 has made tremendous strides in treating diseases like color blindness, haemophilia and other single- gene/ chromosomal disorders.
Despite its successes, a lot of sceptics think of it as immoral and want it to be stopped. In a world where, not just death, but also the pain caused by diseases and aging are a major reason for human suffering.
Gene-editing technology has the potential in making humans less miserable.
If we told humans in the 1970s that in a few decades telephones with touch screens will be used to find recipes of your favourite foods, dating will be done online, and that robots will automate a lot of jobs, they would have laughed in our face. All the things mentioned above are now a reality. We are at a similar point with gene editing. For the longest time, selective breeding was used to strengthen the useful traits of plants and animals until we discovered DNA. Ever since its discovery scientists have been meticulously trying to study its nature and manipulate it for the benefit of humans.
The revolutionary and now leading gene-editing technology known as CRISPR, which works by harnessing the ability of the bacterial RNA- guided endonuclease, Cas9 has made tremendous strides in treating diseases like color blindness, haemophilia and other single- gene/ chromosomal disorders.
Despite its successes, a lot of sceptics think of it as immoral and want it to be stopped. In a world where, not just death, but also the pain caused by diseases and aging are a major reason for human suffering.