Breaking Down the Big Ones: Is CRISPR here to turn us into genetically engineered robots, or save our lives?

This is the first post of a new series, “Breaking Down the Big Ones,” in which I will break down scientific research related to genetics, pollination ecology, and horticultural research.

Image courtesy of Martin Adams on unsplashed.com.

Everything we know about our genes comes from manipulation. The manipulation may be purposeful — a scientist altering a single sequence in the DNA of a mouse embryo and observing the difference in appearance, behavior, or health of the offspring from the parents — or accidental. A mutation in the BRCA1 gene, one of the most memorable genes in the world due to the outreach by celebrities and cancer foundations, encodes a protein that no longer performs the genes normal ability to suppress the growth of tumors. This causes the overgrowth of cells, leading to cancer in humans born with breasts and ovaries.

Identifying which alterations to our DNA — whether purposeful or inherited — will cause us harm requires scientific study. To perform these studies, scientists use genetic tools. We have developed the ability to edit strands of DNA using these tools, removing certain lines of code or inserting new lines into DNA strands. Our newest development, CRISPR is one of the most exciting and ground-breaking tools in the modern genetic scientist’s toolbox.