The genetic breakthrough that could change humanity, explained

[Disir]

A new genetic technology called CRISPR may enable scientists to make permanent changes in a person's DNA. Here's everything you need to know:
What is CRISPR?
It's a revolutionary gene-editing technique that enables scientists to snip out a piece of any organism's DNA cheaply, quickly, and precisely — cutting and editing the code of life the way a film editor would splice an old film reel. Developed at the University of California, Berkeley, in 2012, CRISPR offers great promise, because it could provide a true cure for debilitating hereditary diseases such as Huntington's, muscular dystrophy, and sickle-cell anemia. But it is different from traditional forms of gene therapy in one key sense: CRISPR can be used to edit genes on the human germ line, so that those changes are passed down through generations — permanently altering the human gene pool. That capability has given new urgency to theoretical discussions about designer babies, mutants, and scientists "playing God." In December, an international group of scientists called for an immediate moratorium on inheritable human genome editing until CRISPR's risks have been assessed. "Everything I've learned here says we're not ready to be doing this yet," said Nobel Prize–winning biologist David Baltimore.

How does CRISPR work?
The technique was adopted from certain types of bacteria that have developed a gene-editing mechanism to defend against viruses. With an enzyme called Cas9 that acts like a molecular scissors, the bacteria cut out key genes of the viruses and store them, so their immune system recognizes and wards off those viruses every time it encounters them. In creating CRISPR, scientists learned to use Cas9 to cut out a target gene within any cell, replace it with another gene if needed, and neatly stitch the ends of the DNA back together. The entire process takes just days, can be used to alter dozens of genes in all kinds of living organisms, and costs as little as $30. "In the past, it was a student's entire Ph.D. thesis to change one gene," says geneticist Bruce Conklin. "CRISPR just knocked that out of the park." As a result, genetic research is nearing a breakthrough that could transform the world.
How so?
CRISPR is already being used to make certain crops invulnerable to killer fungi, and scientists have also created a strain of mosquitoes with malaria-blocking genes that the insects successfully passed on to 99.5 percent of their offspring. But the technique's most promising application is as a potential cure for hereditary diseases. In theory, scientists could use CRISPR to cure single-gene defects like Huntington's by editing out the disease-carrying gene from the DNA of a fetus in the womb — permanently erasing the disease from the person's germ line, so the offspring would also be saved. Sounds simple enough, but as a team of Chinese researchers discovered last year, modifying the actual human genome is fraught with difficulties.
What happened in China?
A team at Sun Yat-sen University in Guangzhou attempted to modify the germ line in dozens of human embryos, hoping to snip out a defective gene that causes a deadly blood disorder. The study caused shock waves in the scientific community — but also highlighted the practical difficulties of DNA editing in higher organisms. Of the 86 embryos used — all of which were nonviable — just four manifested the new gene designed to replace the defective one. Worse, there were inexplicable mutations in genes that weren't targeted by the researchers. "The number of unintended effects is precisely why this technique is not appropriate for use in clinical applications," bioethics professor R. Alta Charo told Wired.
The genetic breakthrough that could change humanity, explained

I really hate this little format of question/answer crap. It really irritates me. However, it is an interesting read if you can keep from lashing out at the site.

 

[S.J.]

I hope it's not something we rush into.

 

[The Great Goose]

It'll go horribly wrong.

 

[Lucy Hamilton]

A new genetic technology called CRISPR may enable scientists to make permanent changes in a person's DNA. Here's everything you need to know:
What is CRISPR?
It's a revolutionary gene-editing technique that enables scientists to snip out a piece of any organism's DNA cheaply, quickly, and precisely — cutting and editing the code of life the way a film editor would splice an old film reel. Developed at the University of California, Berkeley, in 2012, CRISPR offers great promise, because it could provide a true cure for debilitating hereditary diseases such as Huntington's, muscular dystrophy, and sickle-cell anemia. But it is different from traditional forms of gene therapy in one key sense: CRISPR can be used to edit genes on the human germ line, so that those changes are passed down through generations — permanently altering the human gene pool. That capability has given new urgency to theoretical discussions about designer babies, mutants, and scientists "playing God." In December, an international group of scientists called for an immediate moratorium on inheritable human genome editing until CRISPR's risks have been assessed. "Everything I've learned here says we're not ready to be doing this yet," said Nobel Prize–winning biologist David Baltimore.

How does CRISPR work?
The technique was adopted from certain types of bacteria that have developed a gene-editing mechanism to defend against viruses. With an enzyme called Cas9 that acts like a molecular scissors, the bacteria cut out key genes of the viruses and store them, so their immune system recognizes and wards off those viruses every time it encounters them. In creating CRISPR, scientists learned to use Cas9 to cut out a target gene within any cell, replace it with another gene if needed, and neatly stitch the ends of the DNA back together. The entire process takes just days, can be used to alter dozens of genes in all kinds of living organisms, and costs as little as $30. "In the past, it was a student's entire Ph.D. thesis to change one gene," says geneticist Bruce Conklin. "CRISPR just knocked that out of the park." As a result, genetic research is nearing a breakthrough that could transform the world.
How so?
CRISPR is already being used to make certain crops invulnerable to killer fungi, and scientists have also created a strain of mosquitoes with malaria-blocking genes that the insects successfully passed on to 99.5 percent of their offspring. But the technique's most promising application is as a potential cure for hereditary diseases. In theory, scientists could use CRISPR to cure single-gene defects like Huntington's by editing out the disease-carrying gene from the DNA of a fetus in the womb — permanently erasing the disease from the person's germ line, so the offspring would also be saved. Sounds simple enough, but as a team of Chinese researchers discovered last year, modifying the actual human genome is fraught with difficulties.
What happened in China?
A team at Sun Yat-sen University in Guangzhou attempted to modify the germ line in dozens of human embryos, hoping to snip out a defective gene that causes a deadly blood disorder. The study caused shock waves in the scientific community — but also highlighted the practical difficulties of DNA editing in higher organisms. Of the 86 embryos used — all of which were nonviable — just four manifested the new gene designed to replace the defective one. Worse, there were inexplicable mutations in genes that weren't targeted by the researchers. "The number of unintended effects is precisely why this technique is not appropriate for use in clinical applications," bioethics professor R. Alta Charo told Wired.
The genetic breakthrough that could change humanity, explained

I really hate this little format of question/answer crap. It really irritates me. However, it is an interesting read if you can keep from lashing out at the site.

I think this is good, I support it. This would eradicate Hereditary Diseases, all babies would be born 100% perfect, which is what we've always wanted.

We simply don't want defective people in society, this is not good having them.

 

[Disir]

I think it will be years before we reach that point.

 

[Coyote]

I keep thinking of that movie Gattica.

 

[The Great Goose]

A new genetic technology called CRISPR may enable scientists to make permanent changes in a person's DNA. Here's everything you need to know:
What is CRISPR?
It's a revolutionary gene-editing technique that enables scientists to snip out a piece of any organism's DNA cheaply, quickly, and precisely — cutting and editing the code of life the way a film editor would splice an old film reel. Developed at the University of California, Berkeley, in 2012, CRISPR offers great promise, because it could provide a true cure for debilitating hereditary diseases such as Huntington's, muscular dystrophy, and sickle-cell anemia. But it is different from traditional forms of gene therapy in one key sense: CRISPR can be used to edit genes on the human germ line, so that those changes are passed down through generations — permanently altering the human gene pool. That capability has given new urgency to theoretical discussions about designer babies, mutants, and scientists "playing God." In December, an international group of scientists called for an immediate moratorium on inheritable human genome editing until CRISPR's risks have been assessed. "Everything I've learned here says we're not ready to be doing this yet," said Nobel Prize–winning biologist David Baltimore.

How does CRISPR work?
The technique was adopted from certain types of bacteria that have developed a gene-editing mechanism to defend against viruses. With an enzyme called Cas9 that acts like a molecular scissors, the bacteria cut out key genes of the viruses and store them, so their immune system recognizes and wards off those viruses every time it encounters them. In creating CRISPR, scientists learned to use Cas9 to cut out a target gene within any cell, replace it with another gene if needed, and neatly stitch the ends of the DNA back together. The entire process takes just days, can be used to alter dozens of genes in all kinds of living organisms, and costs as little as $30. "In the past, it was a student's entire Ph.D. thesis to change one gene," says geneticist Bruce Conklin. "CRISPR just knocked that out of the park." As a result, genetic research is nearing a breakthrough that could transform the world.
How so?
CRISPR is already being used to make certain crops invulnerable to killer fungi, and scientists have also created a strain of mosquitoes with malaria-blocking genes that the insects successfully passed on to 99.5 percent of their offspring. But the technique's most promising application is as a potential cure for hereditary diseases. In theory, scientists could use CRISPR to cure single-gene defects like Huntington's by editing out the disease-carrying gene from the DNA of a fetus in the womb — permanently erasing the disease from the person's germ line, so the offspring would also be saved. Sounds simple enough, but as a team of Chinese researchers discovered last year, modifying the actual human genome is fraught with difficulties.
What happened in China?
A team at Sun Yat-sen University in Guangzhou attempted to modify the germ line in dozens of human embryos, hoping to snip out a defective gene that causes a deadly blood disorder. The study caused shock waves in the scientific community — but also highlighted the practical difficulties of DNA editing in higher organisms. Of the 86 embryos used — all of which were nonviable — just four manifested the new gene designed to replace the defective one. Worse, there were inexplicable mutations in genes that weren't targeted by the researchers. "The number of unintended effects is precisely why this technique is not appropriate for use in clinical applications," bioethics professor R. Alta Charo told Wired.
The genetic breakthrough that could change humanity, explained

I really hate this little format of question/answer crap. It really irritates me. However, it is an interesting read if you can keep from lashing out at the site.

I think this is good, I support it. This would eradicate Hereditary Diseases, all babies would be born 100% perfect, which is what we've always wanted.

We simply don't want defective people in society, this is not good having them.

And baldness.

 

[S.J.]

A new genetic technology called CRISPR may enable scientists to make permanent changes in a person's DNA. Here's everything you need to know:
What is CRISPR?
It's a revolutionary gene-editing technique that enables scientists to snip out a piece of any organism's DNA cheaply, quickly, and precisely — cutting and editing the code of life the way a film editor would splice an old film reel. Developed at the University of California, Berkeley, in 2012, CRISPR offers great promise, because it could provide a true cure for debilitating hereditary diseases such as Huntington's, muscular dystrophy, and sickle-cell anemia. But it is different from traditional forms of gene therapy in one key sense: CRISPR can be used to edit genes on the human germ line, so that those changes are passed down through generations — permanently altering the human gene pool. That capability has given new urgency to theoretical discussions about designer babies, mutants, and scientists "playing God." In December, an international group of scientists called for an immediate moratorium on inheritable human genome editing until CRISPR's risks have been assessed. "Everything I've learned here says we're not ready to be doing this yet," said Nobel Prize–winning biologist David Baltimore.

How does CRISPR work?
The technique was adopted from certain types of bacteria that have developed a gene-editing mechanism to defend against viruses. With an enzyme called Cas9 that acts like a molecular scissors, the bacteria cut out key genes of the viruses and store them, so their immune system recognizes and wards off those viruses every time it encounters them. In creating CRISPR, scientists learned to use Cas9 to cut out a target gene within any cell, replace it with another gene if needed, and neatly stitch the ends of the DNA back together. The entire process takes just days, can be used to alter dozens of genes in all kinds of living organisms, and costs as little as $30. "In the past, it was a student's entire Ph.D. thesis to change one gene," says geneticist Bruce Conklin. "CRISPR just knocked that out of the park." As a result, genetic research is nearing a breakthrough that could transform the world.
How so?
CRISPR is already being used to make certain crops invulnerable to killer fungi, and scientists have also created a strain of mosquitoes with malaria-blocking genes that the insects successfully passed on to 99.5 percent of their offspring. But the technique's most promising application is as a potential cure for hereditary diseases. In theory, scientists could use CRISPR to cure single-gene defects like Huntington's by editing out the disease-carrying gene from the DNA of a fetus in the womb — permanently erasing the disease from the person's germ line, so the offspring would also be saved. Sounds simple enough, but as a team of Chinese researchers discovered last year, modifying the actual human genome is fraught with difficulties.
What happened in China?
A team at Sun Yat-sen University in Guangzhou attempted to modify the germ line in dozens of human embryos, hoping to snip out a defective gene that causes a deadly blood disorder. The study caused shock waves in the scientific community — but also highlighted the practical difficulties of DNA editing in higher organisms. Of the 86 embryos used — all of which were nonviable — just four manifested the new gene designed to replace the defective one. Worse, there were inexplicable mutations in genes that weren't targeted by the researchers. "The number of unintended effects is precisely why this technique is not appropriate for use in clinical applications," bioethics professor R. Alta Charo told Wired.
The genetic breakthrough that could change humanity, explained

I really hate this little format of question/answer crap. It really irritates me. However, it is an interesting read if you can keep from lashing out at the site.

I think this is good, I support it. This would eradicate Hereditary Diseases, all babies would be born 100% perfect, which is what we've always wanted.

We simply don't want defective people in society, this is not good having them.

It could also create mosters, something we DON'T want. And what about after the technology is acquired by not so ethical people? Iran now has nuclear technology and we all know what they want to do with it. What if ISIS had the technology to create 9 ft. warriors? Better think this through.

 

[Lucy Hamilton]

A new genetic technology called CRISPR may enable scientists to make permanent changes in a person's DNA. Here's everything you need to know:
What is CRISPR?
It's a revolutionary gene-editing technique that enables scientists to snip out a piece of any organism's DNA cheaply, quickly, and precisely — cutting and editing the code of life the way a film editor would splice an old film reel. Developed at the University of California, Berkeley, in 2012, CRISPR offers great promise, because it could provide a true cure for debilitating hereditary diseases such as Huntington's, muscular dystrophy, and sickle-cell anemia. But it is different from traditional forms of gene therapy in one key sense: CRISPR can be used to edit genes on the human germ line, so that those changes are passed down through generations — permanently altering the human gene pool. That capability has given new urgency to theoretical discussions about designer babies, mutants, and scientists "playing God." In December, an international group of scientists called for an immediate moratorium on inheritable human genome editing until CRISPR's risks have been assessed. "Everything I've learned here says we're not ready to be doing this yet," said Nobel Prize–winning biologist David Baltimore.

How does CRISPR work?
The technique was adopted from certain types of bacteria that have developed a gene-editing mechanism to defend against viruses. With an enzyme called Cas9 that acts like a molecular scissors, the bacteria cut out key genes of the viruses and store them, so their immune system recognizes and wards off those viruses every time it encounters them. In creating CRISPR, scientists learned to use Cas9 to cut out a target gene within any cell, replace it with another gene if needed, and neatly stitch the ends of the DNA back together. The entire process takes just days, can be used to alter dozens of genes in all kinds of living organisms, and costs as little as $30. "In the past, it was a student's entire Ph.D. thesis to change one gene," says geneticist Bruce Conklin. "CRISPR just knocked that out of the park." As a result, genetic research is nearing a breakthrough that could transform the world.
How so?
CRISPR is already being used to make certain crops invulnerable to killer fungi, and scientists have also created a strain of mosquitoes with malaria-blocking genes that the insects successfully passed on to 99.5 percent of their offspring. But the technique's most promising application is as a potential cure for hereditary diseases. In theory, scientists could use CRISPR to cure single-gene defects like Huntington's by editing out the disease-carrying gene from the DNA of a fetus in the womb — permanently erasing the disease from the person's germ line, so the offspring would also be saved. Sounds simple enough, but as a team of Chinese researchers discovered last year, modifying the actual human genome is fraught with difficulties.
What happened in China?
A team at Sun Yat-sen University in Guangzhou attempted to modify the germ line in dozens of human embryos, hoping to snip out a defective gene that causes a deadly blood disorder. The study caused shock waves in the scientific community — but also highlighted the practical difficulties of DNA editing in higher organisms. Of the 86 embryos used — all of which were nonviable — just four manifested the new gene designed to replace the defective one. Worse, there were inexplicable mutations in genes that weren't targeted by the researchers. "The number of unintended effects is precisely why this technique is not appropriate for use in clinical applications," bioethics professor R. Alta Charo told Wired.
The genetic breakthrough that could change humanity, explained

I really hate this little format of question/answer crap. It really irritates me. However, it is an interesting read if you can keep from lashing out at the site.

I think this is good, I support it. This would eradicate Hereditary Diseases, all babies would be born 100% perfect, which is what we've always wanted.

We simply don't want defective people in society, this is not good having them.

It could also create mosters, something we DON'T want. And what about after the technology is acquired by not so ethical people? Iran now has nuclear technology and we all know what they want to do with it. What if ISIS had the technology to create 9 ft. warriors? Better think this through.

My family historically have always supported Eugenics, this is now about to become the dream come true....perfect babies, perfect peoples.

 

[Disir]

A new genetic technology called CRISPR may enable scientists to make permanent changes in a person's DNA. Here's everything you need to know:
What is CRISPR?
It's a revolutionary gene-editing technique that enables scientists to snip out a piece of any organism's DNA cheaply, quickly, and precisely — cutting and editing the code of life the way a film editor would splice an old film reel. Developed at the University of California, Berkeley, in 2012, CRISPR offers great promise, because it could provide a true cure for debilitating hereditary diseases such as Huntington's, muscular dystrophy, and sickle-cell anemia. But it is different from traditional forms of gene therapy in one key sense: CRISPR can be used to edit genes on the human germ line, so that those changes are passed down through generations — permanently altering the human gene pool. That capability has given new urgency to theoretical discussions about designer babies, mutants, and scientists "playing God." In December, an international group of scientists called for an immediate moratorium on inheritable human genome editing until CRISPR's risks have been assessed. "Everything I've learned here says we're not ready to be doing this yet," said Nobel Prize–winning biologist David Baltimore.

How does CRISPR work?
The technique was adopted from certain types of bacteria that have developed a gene-editing mechanism to defend against viruses. With an enzyme called Cas9 that acts like a molecular scissors, the bacteria cut out key genes of the viruses and store them, so their immune system recognizes and wards off those viruses every time it encounters them. In creating CRISPR, scientists learned to use Cas9 to cut out a target gene within any cell, replace it with another gene if needed, and neatly stitch the ends of the DNA back together. The entire process takes just days, can be used to alter dozens of genes in all kinds of living organisms, and costs as little as $30. "In the past, it was a student's entire Ph.D. thesis to change one gene," says geneticist Bruce Conklin. "CRISPR just knocked that out of the park." As a result, genetic research is nearing a breakthrough that could transform the world.
How so?
CRISPR is already being used to make certain crops invulnerable to killer fungi, and scientists have also created a strain of mosquitoes with malaria-blocking genes that the insects successfully passed on to 99.5 percent of their offspring. But the technique's most promising application is as a potential cure for hereditary diseases. In theory, scientists could use CRISPR to cure single-gene defects like Huntington's by editing out the disease-carrying gene from the DNA of a fetus in the womb — permanently erasing the disease from the person's germ line, so the offspring would also be saved. Sounds simple enough, but as a team of Chinese researchers discovered last year, modifying the actual human genome is fraught with difficulties.
What happened in China?
A team at Sun Yat-sen University in Guangzhou attempted to modify the germ line in dozens of human embryos, hoping to snip out a defective gene that causes a deadly blood disorder. The study caused shock waves in the scientific community — but also highlighted the practical difficulties of DNA editing in higher organisms. Of the 86 embryos used — all of which were nonviable — just four manifested the new gene designed to replace the defective one. Worse, there were inexplicable mutations in genes that weren't targeted by the researchers. "The number of unintended effects is precisely why this technique is not appropriate for use in clinical applications," bioethics professor R. Alta Charo told Wired.
The genetic breakthrough that could change humanity, explained

I really hate this little format of question/answer crap. It really irritates me. However, it is an interesting read if you can keep from lashing out at the site.

I think this is good, I support it. This would eradicate Hereditary Diseases, all babies would be born 100% perfect, which is what we've always wanted.

We simply don't want defective people in society, this is not good having them.

It could also create mosters, something we DON'T want. And what about after the technology is acquired by not so ethical people? Iran now has nuclear technology and we all know what they want to do with it. What if ISIS had the technology to create 9 ft. warriors? Better think this through.

My family historically have always supported Eugenics, this is now about to become the dream come true....perfect babies, perfect peoples.

Is that right?

 

[S.J.]

A new genetic technology called CRISPR may enable scientists to make permanent changes in a person's DNA. Here's everything you need to know:
What is CRISPR?
It's a revolutionary gene-editing technique that enables scientists to snip out a piece of any organism's DNA cheaply, quickly, and precisely — cutting and editing the code of life the way a film editor would splice an old film reel. Developed at the University of California, Berkeley, in 2012, CRISPR offers great promise, because it could provide a true cure for debilitating hereditary diseases such as Huntington's, muscular dystrophy, and sickle-cell anemia. But it is different from traditional forms of gene therapy in one key sense: CRISPR can be used to edit genes on the human germ line, so that those changes are passed down through generations — permanently altering the human gene pool. That capability has given new urgency to theoretical discussions about designer babies, mutants, and scientists "playing God." In December, an international group of scientists called for an immediate moratorium on inheritable human genome editing until CRISPR's risks have been assessed. "Everything I've learned here says we're not ready to be doing this yet," said Nobel Prize–winning biologist David Baltimore.

How does CRISPR work?
The technique was adopted from certain types of bacteria that have developed a gene-editing mechanism to defend against viruses. With an enzyme called Cas9 that acts like a molecular scissors, the bacteria cut out key genes of the viruses and store them, so their immune system recognizes and wards off those viruses every time it encounters them. In creating CRISPR, scientists learned to use Cas9 to cut out a target gene within any cell, replace it with another gene if needed, and neatly stitch the ends of the DNA back together. The entire process takes just days, can be used to alter dozens of genes in all kinds of living organisms, and costs as little as $30. "In the past, it was a student's entire Ph.D. thesis to change one gene," says geneticist Bruce Conklin. "CRISPR just knocked that out of the park." As a result, genetic research is nearing a breakthrough that could transform the world.
How so?
CRISPR is already being used to make certain crops invulnerable to killer fungi, and scientists have also created a strain of mosquitoes with malaria-blocking genes that the insects successfully passed on to 99.5 percent of their offspring. But the technique's most promising application is as a potential cure for hereditary diseases. In theory, scientists could use CRISPR to cure single-gene defects like Huntington's by editing out the disease-carrying gene from the DNA of a fetus in the womb — permanently erasing the disease from the person's germ line, so the offspring would also be saved. Sounds simple enough, but as a team of Chinese researchers discovered last year, modifying the actual human genome is fraught with difficulties.
What happened in China?
A team at Sun Yat-sen University in Guangzhou attempted to modify the germ line in dozens of human embryos, hoping to snip out a defective gene that causes a deadly blood disorder. The study caused shock waves in the scientific community — but also highlighted the practical difficulties of DNA editing in higher organisms. Of the 86 embryos used — all of which were nonviable — just four manifested the new gene designed to replace the defective one. Worse, there were inexplicable mutations in genes that weren't targeted by the researchers. "The number of unintended effects is precisely why this technique is not appropriate for use in clinical applications," bioethics professor R. Alta Charo told Wired.
The genetic breakthrough that could change humanity, explained

I really hate this little format of question/answer crap. It really irritates me. However, it is an interesting read if you can keep from lashing out at the site.

I think this is good, I support it. This would eradicate Hereditary Diseases, all babies would be born 100% perfect, which is what we've always wanted.

We simply don't want defective people in society, this is not good having them.

It could also create mosters, something we DON'T want. And what about after the technology is acquired by not so ethical people? Iran now has nuclear technology and we all know what they want to do with it. What if ISIS had the technology to create 9 ft. warriors? Better think this through.

My family historically have always supported Eugenics, this is now about to become the dream come true....perfect babies, perfect peoples.

Yeah, unless a mistake is made. Then the dream becomes a nightmare.

 

[ScienceRocks]

I seriously believe that this is the next step in medical advances...It could cure cancer, reduce the chances of heart disease and thousands of other diseases. Human intelligence could be increased!!!

I dont understand the nightmare? Sure, we should put laws on what can and can't be done but to say no??? Is to say no to understanding the inter workings of the human body or developing vaccines.

 

[S.J.]

I seriously believe that this is the next step in medical advances...It could cure cancer, reduce the chances of heart disease and thousands of other diseases. Human intelligence could be increased!!!

I dont understand the nightmare? Sure, we should put laws on what can and can't be done but to say no??? Is to say no to understanding the inter workings of the human body or developing vaccines.

Laws won't guarantee mistakes won't be made or that unethical people won't violate them.

 

[Old Rocks]

I think it will be years before we reach that point.

If not decades. Yet, it does hold much promise.

 

[Lucy Hamilton]

A new genetic technology called CRISPR may enable scientists to make permanent changes in a person's DNA. Here's everything you need to know:
What is CRISPR?
It's a revolutionary gene-editing technique that enables scientists to snip out a piece of any organism's DNA cheaply, quickly, and precisely — cutting and editing the code of life the way a film editor would splice an old film reel. Developed at the University of California, Berkeley, in 2012, CRISPR offers great promise, because it could provide a true cure for debilitating hereditary diseases such as Huntington's, muscular dystrophy, and sickle-cell anemia. But it is different from traditional forms of gene therapy in one key sense: CRISPR can be used to edit genes on the human germ line, so that those changes are passed down through generations — permanently altering the human gene pool. That capability has given new urgency to theoretical discussions about designer babies, mutants, and scientists "playing God." In December, an international group of scientists called for an immediate moratorium on inheritable human genome editing until CRISPR's risks have been assessed. "Everything I've learned here says we're not ready to be doing this yet," said Nobel Prize–winning biologist David Baltimore.

How does CRISPR work?
The technique was adopted from certain types of bacteria that have developed a gene-editing mechanism to defend against viruses. With an enzyme called Cas9 that acts like a molecular scissors, the bacteria cut out key genes of the viruses and store them, so their immune system recognizes and wards off those viruses every time it encounters them. In creating CRISPR, scientists learned to use Cas9 to cut out a target gene within any cell, replace it with another gene if needed, and neatly stitch the ends of the DNA back together. The entire process takes just days, can be used to alter dozens of genes in all kinds of living organisms, and costs as little as $30. "In the past, it was a student's entire Ph.D. thesis to change one gene," says geneticist Bruce Conklin. "CRISPR just knocked that out of the park." As a result, genetic research is nearing a breakthrough that could transform the world.
How so?
CRISPR is already being used to make certain crops invulnerable to killer fungi, and scientists have also created a strain of mosquitoes with malaria-blocking genes that the insects successfully passed on to 99.5 percent of their offspring. But the technique's most promising application is as a potential cure for hereditary diseases. In theory, scientists could use CRISPR to cure single-gene defects like Huntington's by editing out the disease-carrying gene from the DNA of a fetus in the womb — permanently erasing the disease from the person's germ line, so the offspring would also be saved. Sounds simple enough, but as a team of Chinese researchers discovered last year, modifying the actual human genome is fraught with difficulties.
What happened in China?
A team at Sun Yat-sen University in Guangzhou attempted to modify the germ line in dozens of human embryos, hoping to snip out a defective gene that causes a deadly blood disorder. The study caused shock waves in the scientific community — but also highlighted the practical difficulties of DNA editing in higher organisms. Of the 86 embryos used — all of which were nonviable — just four manifested the new gene designed to replace the defective one. Worse, there were inexplicable mutations in genes that weren't targeted by the researchers. "The number of unintended effects is precisely why this technique is not appropriate for use in clinical applications," bioethics professor R. Alta Charo told Wired.
The genetic breakthrough that could change humanity, explained

I really hate this little format of question/answer crap. It really irritates me. However, it is an interesting read if you can keep from lashing out at the site.

I think this is good, I support it. This would eradicate Hereditary Diseases, all babies would be born 100% perfect, which is what we've always wanted.

We simply don't want defective people in society, this is not good having them.

It could also create mosters, something we DON'T want. And what about after the technology is acquired by not so ethical people? Iran now has nuclear technology and we all know what they want to do with it. What if ISIS had the technology to create 9 ft. warriors? Better think this through.

My family historically have always supported Eugenics, this is now about to become the dream come true....perfect babies, perfect peoples.

Is that right?

Do you know the issue of Eugenics is very old, for instance Plato talked about what he called "Selective Mating" aka Selective Breeding, that only the strongest and healthiest should be allowed to breed.

What we'd call modern Eugenics really began with Francis Galton, who was Charles Darwin's cousin. In 1883, Galton gave Selective Breeding it's name Eugenics. Francis Galton wrote his famous book in 1883 "Inquiries into Human Faculty and It's Development", an excellant scientific study.

Yes my family got involved in Eugenics in about 1890, it's all very exhaustive to elaborate, as it stretches many, many decades, deep into the 20th Century.

Edited to correct size of print and spelling error.

 

[Disir]

A new genetic technology called CRISPR may enable scientists to make permanent changes in a person's DNA. Here's everything you need to know:
What is CRISPR?
It's a revolutionary gene-editing technique that enables scientists to snip out a piece of any organism's DNA cheaply, quickly, and precisely — cutting and editing the code of life the way a film editor would splice an old film reel. Developed at the University of California, Berkeley, in 2012, CRISPR offers great promise, because it could provide a true cure for debilitating hereditary diseases such as Huntington's, muscular dystrophy, and sickle-cell anemia. But it is different from traditional forms of gene therapy in one key sense: CRISPR can be used to edit genes on the human germ line, so that those changes are passed down through generations — permanently altering the human gene pool. That capability has given new urgency to theoretical discussions about designer babies, mutants, and scientists "playing God." In December, an international group of scientists called for an immediate moratorium on inheritable human genome editing until CRISPR's risks have been assessed. "Everything I've learned here says we're not ready to be doing this yet," said Nobel Prize–winning biologist David Baltimore.

How does CRISPR work?
The technique was adopted from certain types of bacteria that have developed a gene-editing mechanism to defend against viruses. With an enzyme called Cas9 that acts like a molecular scissors, the bacteria cut out key genes of the viruses and store them, so their immune system recognizes and wards off those viruses every time it encounters them. In creating CRISPR, scientists learned to use Cas9 to cut out a target gene within any cell, replace it with another gene if needed, and neatly stitch the ends of the DNA back together. The entire process takes just days, can be used to alter dozens of genes in all kinds of living organisms, and costs as little as $30. "In the past, it was a student's entire Ph.D. thesis to change one gene," says geneticist Bruce Conklin. "CRISPR just knocked that out of the park." As a result, genetic research is nearing a breakthrough that could transform the world.
How so?
CRISPR is already being used to make certain crops invulnerable to killer fungi, and scientists have also created a strain of mosquitoes with malaria-blocking genes that the insects successfully passed on to 99.5 percent of their offspring. But the technique's most promising application is as a potential cure for hereditary diseases. In theory, scientists could use CRISPR to cure single-gene defects like Huntington's by editing out the disease-carrying gene from the DNA of a fetus in the womb — permanently erasing the disease from the person's germ line, so the offspring would also be saved. Sounds simple enough, but as a team of Chinese researchers discovered last year, modifying the actual human genome is fraught with difficulties.
What happened in China?
A team at Sun Yat-sen University in Guangzhou attempted to modify the germ line in dozens of human embryos, hoping to snip out a defective gene that causes a deadly blood disorder. The study caused shock waves in the scientific community — but also highlighted the practical difficulties of DNA editing in higher organisms. Of the 86 embryos used — all of which were nonviable — just four manifested the new gene designed to replace the defective one. Worse, there were inexplicable mutations in genes that weren't targeted by the researchers. "The number of unintended effects is precisely why this technique is not appropriate for use in clinical applications," bioethics professor R. Alta Charo told Wired.
The genetic breakthrough that could change humanity, explained

I really hate this little format of question/answer crap. It really irritates me. However, it is an interesting read if you can keep from lashing out at the site.

I think this is good, I support it. This would eradicate Hereditary Diseases, all babies would be born 100% perfect, which is what we've always wanted.

We simply don't want defective people in society, this is not good having them.

It could also create mosters, something we DON'T want. And what about after the technology is acquired by not so ethical people? Iran now has nuclear technology and we all know what they want to do with it. What if ISIS had the technology to create 9 ft. warriors? Better think this through.

My family historically have always supported Eugenics, this is now about to become the dream come true....perfect babies, perfect peoples.

Is that right?

Do you know Eugenics is very old, for instance Plato talked about what he called "Selective Mating".

What we'd call modern Eugenics really began with Francis Galton, who was Charles Darwin's cousin. In 1883, Galton gave selective breeding it's name Eugenics. Francis Galton wrote his famous book in 1883 "Inquiries into Human Faculty and It's Development", an excellant scientific study.

Yes my family got involved in Eugenics in about 1890, it's all very exhaustive to elaborate, as it streches many, many decades, deep into the 20th Century.

Do tell. I'm familiar with eugenics. I'm not familiar with your families involvement.

 

[Lucy Hamilton]

I think this is good, I support it. This would eradicate Hereditary Diseases, all babies would be born 100% perfect, which is what we've always wanted.

We simply don't want defective people in society, this is not good having them.

It could also create mosters, something we DON'T want. And what about after the technology is acquired by not so ethical people? Iran now has nuclear technology and we all know what they want to do with it. What if ISIS had the technology to create 9 ft. warriors? Better think this through.

My family historically have always supported Eugenics, this is now about to become the dream come true....perfect babies, perfect peoples.

Is that right?

Do you know Eugenics is very old, for instance Plato talked about what he called "Selective Mating".

What we'd call modern Eugenics really began with Francis Galton, who was Charles Darwin's cousin. In 1883, Galton gave selective breeding it's name Eugenics. Francis Galton wrote his famous book in 1883 "Inquiries into Human Faculty and It's Development", an excellant scientific study.

Yes my family got involved in Eugenics in about 1890, it's all very exhaustive to elaborate, as it streches many, many decades, deep into the 20th Century.

Do tell. I'm familiar with eugenics. I'm not familiar with your families involvement.

I'd rather not darling, it's best to not elaborate about many things when you're in my family, unless surrounded by peoples who understand.

Sorry if that seems a bit cryptic.

 

[Disir]

It could also create mosters, something we DON'T want. And what about after the technology is acquired by not so ethical people? Iran now has nuclear technology and we all know what they want to do with it. What if ISIS had the technology to create 9 ft. warriors? Better think this through.

My family historically have always supported Eugenics, this is now about to become the dream come true....perfect babies, perfect peoples.

Is that right?

Do you know Eugenics is very old, for instance Plato talked about what he called "Selective Mating".

What we'd call modern Eugenics really began with Francis Galton, who was Charles Darwin's cousin. In 1883, Galton gave selective breeding it's name Eugenics. Francis Galton wrote his famous book in 1883 "Inquiries into Human Faculty and It's Development", an excellant scientific study.

Yes my family got involved in Eugenics in about 1890, it's all very exhaustive to elaborate, as it streches many, many decades, deep into the 20th Century.

Do tell. I'm familiar with eugenics. I'm not familiar with your families involvement.

I'd rather not darling, it's best to not elaborate about many things when you're in my family, unless surrounded by peoples who understand.

Sorry if that seems a bit cryptic.

Yet, it was important enough to you to bring it up.

 

[waltky]

Quite a breakthrough...

DNA 'tape recorder' to trace cell history
Fri, 27 May 2016 - Researchers invent a DNA "tape recorder" that can trace the family history of every cell in a body.

Researchers have invented a DNA "tape recorder" that can trace the family history of every cell in an organism. The technique is being hailed as a breakthrough in understanding how the trillions of complex cells in a body are descended from a single egg. "It has the potential to provide profound insights into how normal, diseased or damaged tissues are constructed and maintained," one UK biologist told the BBC. The work appears in Science journal. The human body has around 40 trillion cells, each with a highly specialised function. Yet each can trace its history back to the same starting point - a fertilised egg.

Developmental biology is the business of unravelling how the genetic code unfolds at each cycle of cell division, how the body plan develops, and how tissues become specialised. But much of what it has revealed has depended on inference rather than a complete cell-by-cell history. "I actually started working on this problem as a graduate student in 2000," confessed Jay Shendure, lead researcher on the new scientific paper. "Could we find a way to record these relationships between cells in some compact form we could later read out in adult organisms?"

Zebrafish​

Overcoming failure

The project failed then because there was no mechanism to record events in a cell's history. That changed with recent developments in so called CRISPR gene editing, a technique that allows researchers to make much more precise alterations to the DNA in living organisms. The molecular tape recorder developed by Prof Shendure's team at the University of Washington in Seattle, US, is a length of DNA inserted into the genome that contains a series of edit points which can be changed throughout an organism's life. Each edit records a permanent mark on the tape that is inherited by all of a cell's descendants. By examining the number and pattern of all these marks in an adult cell, the team can work back to find its origins.

Developmental biologist James Briscoe of the Crick Institute, in London, UK, calls it "a creative and exciting use" of the CRISPR technique. "It uniquely and indelibly marks cells with a 'barcode' that is inherited in the DNA. This means you can use the barcode to trace all the progeny of barcoded cells," he said. Jay Shendure collaborated with molecular biologist Alex Schier of Harvard University to prove the technique on a classic lab organism - the zebrafish. Not only did they show the technique works, they could trace the lineage of hundreds of thousands of cells in mature fish. They also showed it has the power to change perceptions about biological development.

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