Significance of Advance in Genetic Egineering

ACTG: A single letter can change anyone's fate. These four letters represent the molecules that make up human DNA, which is subject to potentially deadly or disabling mutations from the moment of conception. For over sixty years, we have known the structure of DNA and for over a decade we have known every letter in our DNA. But despite discovering genetic changes associated with many cancers and other genetic diseases, we have only just discovered how to directly edit DNA. The idea of giving the best to our children, and helping them be their best, has long been a quest for parents. Many people wonder whether the altering of an embryos genetic makeup is beneficial to society or just straight inhumane.

        In the past this was the realm of science fiction but the ability to manufacture a designer baby has recently taken a significant step closer to reality.Soon it will be a sin for parents to have a child that carries the heavy burden of genetic disease. We are entering a world where we have to consider the quality of our children(Edwards 6). Modern molecular genetic techniques have brought us to the brink of Edwards' consideration of the quality of our children and not just in terms of disease. James Watson also suggested opening the door to tinkering with the genomes of our children: If we could make better human beings by knowing how to add genes, why shouldn't we? In the last years a new method of genome editing has been discovered CRISPR bringing genetic editing closer than ever before. What makes CRISPR different from other known gene editing techniques is that it is cheap, easy and quick to work with. It has made genetic editing widely accessible to a lot of researchers with the result that thousands of researchers are now working to refine it. Before long, we may even see the method being used to genetically modify human beings.

        Genetic engineers now have the chance to broaden their fields' applications. However, genetic engineering is very unpredictable and could be dangerous, and continuing the research of genetic engineering only furthers the risks. Genetically engineered organisms having many different pros and cons and in the end could either drastically advance civilization or be its demise.

        Due to the new way of editing called CRISPR, many debates have spurred up arguing whether it is ethically right or not to edit human dna. Over the last year, the use of gene technology to modify humans and future humans has spurred on international debate, not least prompted by the emergence of a new technology known as CRISPR, which can be used to edit our genetic material(Kraad 2). Human DNA is something that hasn't been tampered with throughout time and nations don't feel too keen about letting it all of sudden be changed. Not only that but many people are very uneasy about any unknown consequences down the road. It will raise numerous ethical dilemmas that will affect today's generation of young people as they are the ones who will have to live with the unknown risks that the CRISPR technology is associated with(Mikkelsen 8). Developers of CRISPR claim it brings little risk but this process hasn't been used much to actually be determined. With little research on genetic editing, many nations are limiting editing of genetics to some to all use until enough data proves that it is completely safe. Only time will tell whether the views of society change with more research and scientist confirmation on the matter.

        Genetic Editing also plays a big part in the lives of parents, because they'll be the one deciding if they would want to raise a child with tampered genetics. This yearning to maintain the mysteries surrounding reproduction will likely temper the development of strategies to alter our genome and affect the genetic identities of our offspring(Klipstein 2). The number one group of people that are against genetic editing are parents. Parents want their kids to be successful but they also want that mystery of how the baby will turn out, not a baby with any of its' dna altered. In my experience as an obstetrician and reproductive endocrinology and infertility subspecialist, people want to have, not the best possible baby, but rather their own baby. They want a child whose traits they continually discover and who reflects them in ways that are not predictable(Klipstein 3). Parents don't want a super baby, but a baby that resembles them in some way with new traits to go along as well. The child may not get a certain disease or diseases, but you won't get the true experience of the mystery of raising a child.

        When Chinese researchers first edited the genes of a human embryo in a lab dish in 2015, it sparked global outcry and pleas from scientists not to make a baby using the technology, at least for the present. According to Chinese medical documents posted online this month, a team at the Southern University of Science and Technology, in Shenzhen, has been recruiting couples in an effort to create the first gene-edited babies(Regalado 2). Just recently, a scientist named He Jiankui in China announced that he had created the world's first genetically edited babies. He said that he had altered a gene in the embryos, before having them implanted in the mother's womb, with the goal of making the babies resistant to infection with H.I.V. But his previous work is known to many experts in the field, who said ” many with alarm ” that it was entirely possible he had(Kolata 4). He has not published the research in any journal and did not share any evidence or data that definitively proved he had done it. While the United States and many other countries have made it illegal to alter the genes of human embryos, it is not against the law to do so in China, but the practice is opposed by many researchers there.

        Genetic Engineering is also debated among farmers where it helps produce crops easier and faster. Every major scientific evaluation of GMO technology has concluded that GMOs are safe for human consumption and are a benefit to the environment(Naam 5). It leads to better growth rate, taste and nutrition of crops like tomatoes, potatoes, rice and soybean. Genetic engineering produces new variants with increased yield and improved nutritional qualities. GMOs and nuclear power are two of the most effective and most important green technologies we have(Naam 2). Crops can survive on lands that are currently not suited for cultivation. Genetic manipulation can be carried out to meliorate the nutritional value and increase the rate of growth of crops. The science of genetic engineering, also referred to as foods Biotechnology, may be utilized to ameliorate the taste of food.

Genetic engineering could help prevent life-threatening and incurable diseases like cancer, Alzheimer's disease, even HIV/AIDS. It is possible to increase the average lifespan of an individual to 100-150 years. And not just a longer life, but a healthy, long life, free from diseases and disorders(Klipstein 6). There are cases like cardiomyopathy or susceptibility to viruses, that can be overcome with the help of this technology. Better drugs could be produced that are disease or gene specific and attack the specific genetic mutation in an individual, to help overcome a disease or disorder. Right now people are interested in genetic engineering to help the human race. That's a noble cause, and that's where we should be heading(Horner 1). Many people want to live a longer, healthier life or are just afraid of death. Such people with a love of life, can place their bets on it to help them live longer.

In 1973, one of the earliest uses of genetic engineering was created called Gene Splicing, the process by which the DNA of an organism is cut and another gene is inserted. (Horner 4). Gene splicing was first used to manufacture large amounts of insulin, which was created using cells of E. coli bacteria. Interferon, which is used to kill certain viruses and cancer cells, is also a product of genetic engineering. Another byproduct is a type of human growth hormone, which is used to treat dwarfism and is produced through genetically engineered bacteria and yeasts. Today, research in the field of human genetic engineering continues to be used in the production of a variety of drugs and hormones for medical advantages.

An extreme idea of the future of meat production involves the engineering of entirely new forms of meat. "A vast organ culture of immortal muscle cells supplied with a steady stream of crude nutrients and harvested by hacking off a slab"(Zimmer 10). The idea of this sounds extremely unappealing to most but it is clear that the efficiency of meat production would rocket as the result of such an advance. In addition, the resources saved in such forms of meat production could be used elsewhere for human benefit. The FDA gave the green light to genetically modified salmon on Thursday after an approval process that lasted 20 years, marking the first genetically engineered animal approved for human consumption(Marshall 1).  While many scientists are now celebrating the approval of genetically modified meat for food science and a move toward sustainable proteins in our future, consumer and environmental groups are already preparing a lawsuit to challenge its approval. The new genetically modified salmon is produced by Massachusetts-based AquaBounty Technologies and grows to market size in half the time of its natural counterparts. The salmon is an Atlantic salmon that has been spliced with genes from Chinook salmon and an ocean pout to speed up its maturation process.

An example of another controversial but potentially beneficial form of genetic engineering is the alteration of pig DNA to suit human immunology. Recently the problem of organ donor shortage has become apparent due to increases in road safety and life saving technology. A simple solution is to use pig organs which function in similar ways and have a similar size to human organs. The immunology of pigs is also similar to that of humans but there is still the problem of organ rejection. Human antibodies would recognize the pig tissue as foreign and either destroy it or cause harm to the recipient. The solution would be to change the genetic properties of the pig tissue by introducing human DNA that won't be rejected by the human immune system. The obvious benefits would be a ready supply of organs not dependant on the death of a healthy person as well as advance preparation time for the transplant to minimise the risk of rejection(Zimmer 15). The main problem consists of the possible introduction of new diseases to humans. A particular retrovirus has been discovered which, harmless to pigs, has the potential to cause severe ill effects in humans.

Any new organisms created by genetic engineering could present an ecological problem on the world. Certain changes in a plant or animal could cause unpredicted allergic reactions in some people(Williams 3). The changes that a genetically engineered species would make on the environment of a region are unpredictable. Just like an exotic species, the release of a new genetically engineered species would also have the possibility of causing an imbalance in the ecology of a region. One major concern is that once an altered gene is placed in an organism, the process cannot be reversed(Williams 6). An accident or an unknown result could present several problems. An accident in engineering the genetics of a virus or bacteria could result in a stronger type, which, if released, could start a serious epidemic. Even worse, accidents in human genetic engineering could cause problems ranging from minor medical problems, to death.

Lots of people don't realize the possibility that one of the most serious scenarios is the destructive use of genetic engineering. This is the ability to engineer organisms that can kill large numbers of people, perhaps almost everyone, in a global pandemic(arXiv 6).Terrorist groups or armies could develop more powerful biological weaponry. These weapons could be resistant to medicines, or even targeted at people who carry certain genes. That's because the same technology that allows researchers to design viruses and vaccines for specific genetic targets also allows them to design organisms that can spread and kill(arXiv 7). Genetically engineered organisms used for biological weapons might also reproduce faster, which would create larger quantities in shorter periods of time, increasing the level of devastation.

Recently, genetic engineers have possessed the ability to create anti-material organisms that can degrade infrastructure and man-made materials, and malicious people can use these organisms to tear down society's infrastructures and economies. In Houston Texas, microbes have been known to degrade the concrete in the city's sewage systems, and the city has spent millions of dollars trying to contain the problem(Prentice 8). In nature, there are many organisms with the ability to degrade infrastructure and man-made materials. These microbes cost governments and industries millions of dollars in biodeterioration and biodegradation damages. For instance, bacteria are the leading cause of road and runway deterioration. High-tech companies, such as airlines and fuel companies, constantly have their facilities and machinery being degraded away by anti-material organisms. These natural organisms cause enough damage to infrastructure, and fixing the damage is expensive and time consuming(Sunshine Project 2). Similarly to the artificially made poliovirus, genetic engineers have the potential to recreate or improve these naturally occurring anti-material organisms. In theory, malicious people could unleash genetically engineered anti-material organisms on infrastructures worldwide, and this would create an expensive cleanup project for governments and companies. With these expensive damages, genetically engineered organisms can destroy economies.

Despite all of these current concerns, the potential for genetic engineering is tremendous. However, further testing and research will be required to educate society on the pros and cons of genetic engineering. There is no doubt that this technology will continue to present more intriguing and breakthrough changes that will dramatically change the world, just hopefully for the better.

Human genetic engineering, the application of scientific methods, procedures, and technologies that allow manipulation of genetic material in order to alter the hereditary traits, is a topic that had been debated about for many years. The field of human genetic engineering is growing and changing at a tremendous pace. Future advance in genetic engineering could possibly eliminate diseases, deformities, prolong life, and overall improve human life.

Cite this page