CRISPR: Its Potential And Concerns In The Genetic Engineering Field – Forbes

Imagine computers taking over the world. This scenario has been the grounds for many movies such as The Terminator. The debate over whether AI is dangerous or not has been a popular topic since the birth of the technology. As Elon Musk cautioned at SXSW 2018, AI is far more dangerous than nukes.

The same can be said about CRISPR, the new genetic engineering tool with the potential to delay aging, cure cancer and forever change the human species for better or worse. While it has been slowly gaining traction in the media and was discovered as early as 1993, CRISPR remains widely unknown despite the magnitude of its potential.

In my work focusing on AI, carbon offsetting, blockchain and CRISPR, I'm seeking to understand the big problems that I believe we will tackle this century. I'm currently networking with promising biolabs in Japan to increase my CRISPR expertise, and I would like to share what I've learned.

Now is the time to start educating yourself about CRISPR, keeping an eye on the market and establishing yourself as an industry leader.

How have we already changed life itself?

We have been engineering life since the dawn of time through selective breeding, but after discovering DNA, scientists began to take the process to a whole new level.

In the 1960s and 70s, scientists used radiation to cause random mutations in the hopes of creating something useful by pure chance. Sometimes it worked. A famous 1994 example is the FLAVR SAVR tomato, which was given an extra gene to suppress the buildup of a rotting enzyme to increase its shelf life.

In 2016, the first baby was born using the three parent genetic technique for maternal infertility.

What is CRISPR?

CRISPR (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats) is part of bacteria's immune system against bacteriophages, viruses that inject their DNA and hijack bacterias genomes to act as factories.

When a bacterium survives this attack, it saves part of the genetic code of the virus to form a protein (e.g. Cas9), which in turn scans the bacterium's insides for virus DNA matching the sample. If it finds any, the virus DNA gets cut out, effectively repelling the attack. This DNA archive is what we call CRISPR.

Here's the game-changer: Scientists discovered that it is programmable. In other words, programming it will give us the ability to modify, add or remove DNA parts with relative ease. This has the potential to cut gene editing costs, reduce the time to conduct experiments and vastly lower the complexity of the process.

Its potential applications are not limited to genetic diseases, either. Being able to edit DNA is opening up research possibilities for fighting other diseases, including cancer. It has the potential to slow aging and extend our lifespan. It can alter our bodies, leading to talk that it could eventually give us superhuman powers.

Are ethical concerns warranted?

Just like GMOs, there is also a lot of controversy and ethical debate surrounding CRISPR. It is sometimes referred to as Pandora's box.

Every parent wants a healthy child, but once genetic modification becomes commonplace in reproduction, I predict it won't be long before purely aesthetic changes are requested. This could ultimately lead to a cliff between genetically enhanced and unenhanced humans, where designer babiesare considered superior.

We have come quite a long way since the initial discovery, but CRISPR is still in its infancy. As precise as Cas9 editing is, errors are being made. Should germinal genes be edited, these changes could potentially be passed on.

However, at this point, I do not believe the question is whether it is good or bad. We have already been altering human DNA and will continue to do so. In my opinion, improper regulations are only likely to incentivize less transparent research in a more dangerous environment.

What are some early stage best practices for industry leaders?

Progress is slow but steady. The topic is complex and is far less tangible than, say, blockchain. Investments will require very patient pockets, due to potential temporary bans on clinical research using CRISPR. But with the sheer magnitude of its potential, I believe there won't be any industry that won't be affected by it in the future.

If, like me, you're a business leader getting involved in this industry, there are a few best practices you can keep in mind. Should your regulator become too much of a roadblock for your project despite your best efforts to be transparent and compliant consider moving it to a different jurisdiction. I predict others will do the same if U.S. regulations become stricter and slow the process.

As with AI, it's important to apply necessary caution. Projects must be transparent and compliant with regulators. The danger, if regulators become too uncooperative, is that CRISPR projects will move to less regulated spaces. Avoid jurisdictions that turn a blind eye to riskier procedures and experiments.

I believe ethical concerns need to be addressed logically. We have already crossed many boundaries, and there will always be those who are willing to do what others are not. That's why it's in everyone's best interest to discuss ethical concerns and bring critical thinking as an active part of research and development.

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CRISPR: Its Potential And Concerns In The Genetic Engineering Field - Forbes