World’s first CRISPR therapy greenlit
Jen Jiang reports on a revolutionary gene editing therapy to treat beta-thalassaemia and sickle cell disease.
CRISPR
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Homo sapiens 2.0
Marianna Birkitt describes biohacking science and the lack thereof, arguing for better policy regulation of the biohacking zone.
CRISPR and viruses: How phages can weaponise the popular gene-editing tool
Izzie Farrance reports on new research finding that bacteriophages can weaponise the CRISPR gene-editing system against competing viruses.
Self-cloning rice—the holy grail of agriculture?
Lola Bell reports on a lecture by Professor Venkatesan Sundaresan on the ability to create self-cloning rice to tackle growing food demands.
Are GMOs safe? The debate over genetically altered foods
Isabel Schmidt discusses GMO crops and the debate about their safety.
Human genome editing: unlimited potential or ethical concern?
Genome editing holds the promise of revolutionizing the future of humanity from its very core, by altering the genetic instructions that define us. It is estimated that 10,000 disorders arise from single gene mutations. All these “monogenic” diseases could be eradicated by preventing those genes from being inherited. Nevertheless, this unlimited potential comes with safety…
Human genome editing is here—and you’re right to be wary.
Frederico Caso Human genome engineering has long sounded like a concept out of a Sci-Fi movie; believed to be possible sometime soon, but difficult to imagine happening right now. While engineering of the human genome might appear an implausible feat, over the last 20 years technological advancements have been turning this concept into a concrete reality….
Gene Editing: Now that we can – should we?
“Your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn’t stop to think if they should”. 25 years on, this quote from Jurassic Park by the great Jeff Goldblum rings truer than ever. While every great scientific advancement experiences some level of discussion and controversy, no field attracts more debate than that…
CRISPR’s Consequences: An Ethical Tongue Twister
By Abigail Pavey The power to create, destroy or modify life has always been a source of great debate between scientists and among society as a whole. But what happens when scientists decide to go undercover and do what they please? In November 2018, Chinese researcher He Jiankui announced to the world that he had…
Using CRISPR to create gluten-free wheat
To most people going gluten-free is a health fad, like acai berries and kale smoothies – but for some it is a necessity. 1 in every 100 people in the UK have coeliac disease, an autoimmune condition that affects the gut. The body’s immune system identifies gluten as a threat and attacks, damaging the small…
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