It seems as though we have a superpower. It is not being able to shoot lasers out of our eyes, turn into a raging green monster or fly around New York City in a red cape. We have a Tony Stark superpower… our minds. Science has enabled us to edit genes to eradicate certain genetic diseases. By altering an embryo’s genes we are able to switch on/off genes or replace genes that cause genetic diseases.

This new technology beats natural selection, it fast tracks evolution. Something this powerful brings benefits for women who can’t have children and people living with genetic diseases. Millions of people could access this and use it to better their lives or their children’s lives. It seems immoral to have this ability and not use it. However, with everything comes a plethora of fears and consequences. With any new idea there is an evil twist of that idea. Like Pandora’s Box.

How can we regulate gene editing? Once we introduce this technology into the world people will use it for anything. Not just to eradicate diseases but to produce babies that are physically and intellectually superior. One could ‘design’ their baby in a lab.

Dr Josiah Zayner argues that having a world with intellectual and healthy people would build a brilliant society. Far point. But imagine if Hitler had this technology, Hitler’s idea of a brilliant society was one race, one bloodline. The Lebensborn programme, that made Aryan race women bare children with SS army men, would have been far more effective and fast. With even greater lasting impacts on society.

Dr Zayner may have superhero intentions but someone has to be the supervillain.

Welcome to the unpredictability of science. The controversy of science. But it all fuels research. Once upon a time, in vitro fertilisation (IVF) was a major controversy but today their is a minority of people that actively oppose it. It could be the same with gene editing.

Additionally, millions would not benefit gene editing even though they could. Drugs are extremely expensive, especially in the USA. The FDA and Pharmaceutical companies want to make profit so they inflate prices. Most people can not afford this treatment. People like Dr Zayner are trying to make biohacking kits more accessible to every day people so that they do not have to rely on doctors and governments. How safe is injecting yourself with CRISPR (gene editing software)? I prefer the office of my trained doctor who went to medical school.

Another thing I have been researching, independent of this topic, is biological weapons. With gene editing, superbugs can be engineered to resist vaccines and antibiotics. Pathogens can be made more contagious, harmful and deadly. Biological weapons of mass destruction could become a global threat as big as nuclear warfare is. An epidemic could wipe out whole demographics of a population. Politically, gene editing opens more doors for warfare.

I am open to eradicating diseases. I am optimistic about the use of this technology. Whether the Western world use it or not, the rest of the world will develop it and use it how they please. But the West usually starts an arms race and regrets proliferating scientific developments.

I think if anything, 2020 has taught us that nature transcends. After we meddled in it we received global warming, bush fires, mass flooding and a pandemic as a counter attack. The organic world is far more powerful than we are. I hate to be a Romanticist but William Wordsworth could really show you the terrifying nature before us through poetry.

I recommend watching Unnatural Selection, a Netflix Series. It provides an insight into the world of biohackers and their own fears/ dreams.

I also recommend a TedTalk: How CRISPR lets us edit our DNA (TedGlobal- London). The speaker is Jennifer Doudna, who along with Emmanuelle Charpentier invented CRISPR technology

Tuesday 8th September 2020