New gene editing technology could make us superhuman; scientists warn of danger
Genetic engineering is not new, but techniques have been adapting and getting better and scientists have gotten so good at it that they can change almost any part of the genome. Genome editing is an extremely powerful tool that may allow scientists to change any part of the genome, altering things like hair color, height, size and more in humans. It may even allow us to pass genes to our children.
The power of this new technology is cause for alarm and some scientists have issued a moratorium on human genome edits until we can better understand the implications of changing our nature. The process is cheap and easy, so people have stood up to make sure rogue geneticists don't go on a runaway experimental disaster.
The new technology is called clustered regularly inter-spaced short palindromic repeats, better known as CRISPR. Using an RNA guided protein, they search through the cells genetic material until they find a sequence of DNA that matches the RNA guide. The DNA helix is opened and cut and repair enzymes seal the gap, possibly by inserting new information by the experimenter. It is groundbreaking. The potenbtials are vast, including healing disease and ageing.
This has not stopped leading biologists from issuing a moratorium to prevent an unseen destruction of the biology; for all we know we have created the atomic power of gene therepy. It is quite possible that we are about to overthrow the entire medical industry and nature of untamed biology.
http://www.iflscience.com/health-and-medicine/genome-editing-poses-ethical-problems-we-cannot-ignore
http://www.nature.com/news/don-t-edit-the-human-germ-line-1.17111
Image Credit: http://porteuslab.stanford.edu/