Genome Editing Should we have the option to change DNA in babies?

What Is Genome Editing? What is genome editing?   What is genome editing? What Is Genome Editing? Genome editing helps scientists make specific changes in DNA to physical traits, like eye color, and disease risk. Scientists use multiple different technologies to cut the DNA and   remove, add, or replace the DNA where it was cut.   Genome editing helps scientists make specific changes in DNA to physical traits, like eye color, and disease risk. Scientists use multiple different technologies to cut the DNA and   remove, add, or replace the DNA where it was cut. 

How does this biotechnology work? The main and most talked about gene editing technology is CRISPR technology. They’ve introduced several discoveries following editing genomes such as improvement of speed, cost, accuracy and efficiency of genome edition. Homologous recombination is an earlier method scientist used for genomes editing. This method works by the exchange of genetic information between two similar strands of DNA. To perform this in the lab you must generate and isolate DNA fragments making genome sequences similar to the portion of the genome that is being editing. Then the fragments are injected into individual cells or taken up by cells by using special chemicals.

ZFN There is also a method called zinc-finger nucleases also known as ZFN to make gene editing more specific and reduce mistakes. ZFN is engineered from naturally-occurring proteins from eukaryotic organisms. They use this to bind the DNA sequences in the genome and cut DNA. The ZFN cuts the genome in a specific location which allows scientists to delete the target DNA sequence or replace is with a new DNA sequence.

Another method is transcription activator- like effector nucleases (TALENs). This method also engineers from proteins found in nature and are capable of binding to specific DNA sequences. This method has greater simplicity and much easier to engineer.

What are the issues? -Loss of individuality Baby has no matter in the decisions The parents are picking everything for the child and the kids won’t have a say (since they are fetus) and when they get older, they might not like the fact that they are not “natural”. Gap In Society There will be a gap in society because there will be kids that are considered “natural” and others that are considered “edited”. This will create conflict in the generation because we will be classifying kids by their knowledge that was given to them and therefore there will be other kids that will feel left out. For the other kids that couldn’t afford gene editing it will be harder for them to find jobs because they won’t be at the same level of intelligence as other kids. -Loss of individuality Everyone is born with their own unique traits that are different from others but when we edit these kids to be something specific that they really are not we are taking away their personal identity.   -Geneticists are not perfect  Gene editing is a very sensitive and challenging process. There is a chance that doctors can make mistakes while editing genes that can cause deformation and sickness/diseases  

What are the benefits? -We can make babies more fashionable   -We can make babies more fashionable -Babies can be more intelligent -Make a “custom” generation -Passes genes onto next generation as well -New scientific discoveries -Better understanding of genetics Who is helped: scientists, parents, potentially future generations, could benefit child? Who is hurt at risk? babies, future generations

Should individuals have the right to choose for themselves or does one decision count for everyone? Individuals should have the right to choose for themselves because if their kids are going to inherit these genes chosen by their parents it should be up to the individual because it will be their life later on not their parents. Maybe some of the choices that the parents decided to edit in the DNA of their child is something that they wouldn’t have wanted therefore the baby should be left natural. Another humans’ decisions shouldn’t affect another’s life even if it is their parent.

  What perspective do groups with other cultural, spiritual or religious views have? People with certain religion will believe that everyone should be accepted for who they are and doing this gene editing might be taking away the identity from the actual baby.   Current generations will have a strong perspective because this genetic modification will change the universe greatly. Chinese are already starting because they have the technology and they think it’s a good idea.

What /who’s rights need to be protected? Who is responsible for protecting these rights? -Babies/individuals identity -Future generations -Current generation -The government -Human kind (our generation) -Scientists -People with power such as presidents and governors

How should society adapt to advancements in this technology PROTECT THE NEXT GEN GENE EDITING   We think that genetic editing should not advance into a new technology for the reasons we listed in the last slide. If this does turn out to become a new technology and the society is forced to adapt to it we think that this technology shouldn’t get carried away and consistently using this technology or a lot of the next couple of generations will be considered “robots” This technology will be hard to adapt to since there will be people with different skills and intelligence. If this became a popular thing to do kids would just have to work harder in school to meet the same ability as the gene edited kids.

https://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/primer/genomicresearch/genomeediting THREE QUALITY SOURCES https://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/primer/genomicresearch/genomeediting http://nuffieldbioethics.org/report/genome-editing-ethical- review/genome-editing https://www.genome.gov/about-genomics/policy-issues/what-is- Genome-Editing