Scientist's Claim of Genetically-Edited Babies Renews Ethics Concerns
By Michael Krasny,
KQED [features CGS' Marcy Darnovsky]
| 11. 28. 2018
A scientist in China announced this week that he had created the world's first genetically-edited human babies. In an announcement that shocked many, including scientists and ethicists, He Jiankui said he altered a gene in the embryos of twin girls to make them resistant to H.I.V. Forum talks about the future and ethics of using new gene editing tools like CRISPR to create genetically-altered humans.
Guests:
Marcy Darnovsky, executive director, Center for Genetics and Society
Dr. Fyodor Urnov, visiting researcher, Innovative Genomics Institute at UC Berkeley; former vice president, Sangamo
Dr. Alex Marson, head of UC San Francisco's Marson Lab
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