Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats, better known by its acronym, CRISPR, is a biochemical technology that allows scientists to precisely edit DNA sequences in cells in a way that the revised genes can be passed on to the next generation. This technology brings with it both promise and dread. On the one hand, it […]
Gene Editing and Cautionary Tales
Science fiction is full of cautionary tales about genetically engineered human beings. That technology is fiction no more. The journal Science recently named the CRISPR-CAS9 gene editing technique the most significant scientific breakthrough of 2015. Jun Jiu Huang of Sun Yat-sen University in Guangzhou, China used the technique on non-viable in-vitro fertilization embryos to turn […]
The Genome – Promise and Peril
Tonight, we resume our look at the genome, the science of D-N-A, the genetic code for life as we know it. We’ll look at recent advances — and setbacks — for the once promising field of genetic-based personal medicine, including the FDA’s decision to shut down medical predictions by 23-and-me, a well-known consumer genetic company.
Patenting The Human Genome
You made your genetic code yourself. But do you own it? UW’s Shubha Ghosh tells us why that’s a more challenging question than you might think.