Someone Will Eventually Use CRISPR to Try to Make a Dragon or Unicorn
The world's top geneticists decided to spend the vast majority of last week discussing how to keep new genetic editing tools from ultimately destroying the human race. A noble goal, sure. But considerably less time has been spent discussing how genetically editing other species might change the idea of "nature" as we know it.
A future where the gene editing technique CRISPR/Cas9 is used by DIY biologists,genetic engineering startups, and even artists create fanciful organisms straight out of sci-fi is not just possible—it's likely, argue two of the country's top bioethicists.
"Why should we not expect dwarf elephants, giant guinea pigs, or genetically tamed tigers?" Hank Greely of Stanford School of Medicine and Alta Charo of the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine write in the essay “CRISPR Critters and CRISPR Cracks.” "Or—dare we wonder—the billionaire who decides to give his 12-year-old daughter a real unicorn for her birthday?"
Greely and Charo argue that such overlooked or even "frivolous" uses of the gene editing technique CRISPR/Cas9 could fall through regulatory cracks and may ultimately have a greater impact on our environment than human editing ever would.
Greely and Charo note that gene editing has already been used by artist Eduardo Kac to create a green rabbit; that genetically modified "GloFish" can be purchased in most places in the United States; and that startups are already advertising color-changing flowers on Kickstarter. Can a real-life "dragon" or other organisms created as "spectacles" be far behind?
"Basic physics will almost certainly combine with biological constraints to prevent the creation of flying dragons or fire-breathing dragons—but a very large reptile that looks at least somewhat like the European or Asian dragon (perhaps even with flappable if not flyable wings) could be someone's target of opportunity," they write.
Complete story at site
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And here we go!
The world's top geneticists decided to spend the vast majority of last week discussing how to keep new genetic editing tools from ultimately destroying the human race. A noble goal, sure. But considerably less time has been spent discussing how genetically editing other species might change the idea of "nature" as we know it.
A future where the gene editing technique CRISPR/Cas9 is used by DIY biologists,genetic engineering startups, and even artists create fanciful organisms straight out of sci-fi is not just possible—it's likely, argue two of the country's top bioethicists.
"Why should we not expect dwarf elephants, giant guinea pigs, or genetically tamed tigers?" Hank Greely of Stanford School of Medicine and Alta Charo of the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine write in the essay “CRISPR Critters and CRISPR Cracks.” "Or—dare we wonder—the billionaire who decides to give his 12-year-old daughter a real unicorn for her birthday?"
Greely and Charo argue that such overlooked or even "frivolous" uses of the gene editing technique CRISPR/Cas9 could fall through regulatory cracks and may ultimately have a greater impact on our environment than human editing ever would.
Greely and Charo note that gene editing has already been used by artist Eduardo Kac to create a green rabbit; that genetically modified "GloFish" can be purchased in most places in the United States; and that startups are already advertising color-changing flowers on Kickstarter. Can a real-life "dragon" or other organisms created as "spectacles" be far behind?
"Basic physics will almost certainly combine with biological constraints to prevent the creation of flying dragons or fire-breathing dragons—but a very large reptile that looks at least somewhat like the European or Asian dragon (perhaps even with flappable if not flyable wings) could be someone's target of opportunity," they write.
Complete story at site
__________________________________________________________________
And here we go!