CRISPR Gene Editing: Opening the Box On A Brand New World
On 15 May 2019, The Guardian published an article by Ian Sample titled: “World’s first living organism with fully redesigned DNA created.” The new organism, called Syn 61, “is a microbe with a completely synthetic and radically altered DNA code” and survives on its own. The technology has the potential to help in the treatment of many diseases. In an accompanying video, Professor Jennifer Doudna defends the use of Crispr gene editing, saying it is not likely going to be used to create designer babies, but could potentially solve harmful genetic mutations and alter traits in future generations.
Rarely do I read or hear anything esoteric in a scientific publication, but a couple of obscure references in this article and video combo caught my attention. They touched on both Christian symbolism and dreams. The creation of the Syn 61 microbe happened around Christmas and Sample’s article recounts how the scientists in the lab displayed a photo of the holy family wherein the image of the Christ child was replaced with a plate of bacteria. Then, in the video, Doudna recounts a dream she had in which Adolf Hitler asked her how gene editing technology works.
The nativity scene could be taken as a sample of laboratory humor and the dream had personal implications for Doudna, but they both seemed out of place in an article about scientific discovery, perhaps because they both hinted at something deeper going on in the discussion of altering life’s genetic code. (Not to mention the dark humor of a human-designed organism named Syn).
Once an invention has been created or a discovery is made, it is out of the box and in our hands, so to speak. The use of a technology is then determined by human beings and the decisions we make are based on values. Alfred Nobel and Fritz Haber are among the world’s greatest and most influential scientists, and yet, their discoveries, bent toward uses in warfare, caused death on scales hitherto unseen. Advanced explosives and chemical warfare have had immeasurable effects on our ability to kill one another. Science and technology are facets of intellect, their application is a facet of value. And we, as a species, exhibit a host of competing values.
Doudna claims that Crispr technology has “the power to change the very nature of what makes us human.” She recommends that the technology of gene alteration be used with safety, prioritization for the needy, access for the public, and engagement so that everyone has a voice in how it’s used. Her warm wishes highlight the fact that scientists rarely, if ever, determine how their discoveries are used. Neither do they determine who gets to benefit from a technology once it has been created. Most of us don’t. Who then controls the safety of said technology and who would suffer from any potential harm? Scientists merely open the box on new technology. Once it is out, it is out.
As our technology advances, science continues to outpace our ability to assimilate new creations into our value structure or envision the long-term effects of our newly created artifacts. It wasn’t until the country had been covered in DDT that we recognized the damage it was causing to all forms of life. It wasn’t until the roads were full of cars and the air full of smog that we recognized the harm that burning fossil fuels was doing to our lungs and the atmosphere. How will future generations view the historically recent mass consumption of pesticides and genetically modified foods for instance? We don’t know yet. How do hundreds of hours of smartphone use influence the way we think and feel? We’ll see. How will an experimental vaccine affect the health of millions of people? Its anyone’s guess. How will gene editing change who we are? We have barely a clue, since we are simultaneous gods and lab rats in our own experiment.
We can be brilliant creators. In the course of our lives and human history, our creation is, in part, ourselves. We couldn’t put science back in the box if we wanted to. But if science is only as “good” as we are, how then can we ensure that we are good stewards of our knowledge with all of its power and potential? While that question begs an answer, it might be a good idea to take a closer look at the Nativity scene. Or simply contemplate any image that represents your highest ideal. And if Hitler ever visits you in a dream, pay damn close attention to what he wants.
Source Article:
“World’s first living organism with fully redesigned DNA created,” by Ian Sample, The Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/science/2019/may/15/cambridge-scientists-create-worlds-first-living-organism-with-fully-redesigned-dna
