CRISPR & Synthetic Life
Genomic research has been dependent on the simultaneous development of technology. The Human Genome Project forced the development of gene-sequencing technology in the 1980s and from its completion and through its many revised versions it has contributed to a growing interest in not only genomic understanding, but also genomic manipulation. CRISPR-Cas9 (CRISPR) is a gene-editing tool announced in 2012 by Dr. Doudna and her research team, which can be used to alter DNA. CRISPR is by far the cheapest and easiest way to manipulate our genes, allowing scientists to disable certain genes by cutting them off from the rest of the sequence, replace faulty genes, turn genes on or off without altering the DNA, or even exchange one of the code’s letters for another. In other words, CRISPR is a realization of the type of gene-editing that was hoped for when the Human Genome Project was set in motion, a tool for altering DNA that could be used to eradicate disease (Leford 2015). However, this abrupt and accelerating approach to not only the medical field, but all aspects of biological life leaves cause for concern. While many researchers meet CRISPR’s developmental speed with enthusiasm, others express social, ethical and environmental concern for the implications of this technology. This concern proved to be warranted, as news broke that CRISPR technology was used to modify human embryos. Using CRISPR to modify embryos meant that it had been used to make germline modifications which have unknown impacts for future generations (Cyranoski & Reardon 2015). Beyond the obvious unknowns and valid eugenic fears associated with the use of CRISPR, there remains even the feasibility of this technology to be consistently useful in making the DNA edits that many researchers hope it is capable of. In agriculture, where CRISPR is already being used, the precision and effective delivery of CRISPR machinery remains an issue (Gao 2018). In humans, the promise of genomic medicine and disease prevention is still facing potential hurdles including our own human immune system as CRISPR is developed from a bacteria to which we have built up an immunity (Zhang 2018). Today, CRISPR remains an ever-present news topic with business articles suggesting its replacement, medical journals reporting its success, and many addressing the ethical implications of this type of gene-editing technology.
Suggested Reading
Doudna, J., S. Sternberg. 2017. A Crack in Creation: Gene Editing and the Unthinkable Power to Control Evolution.
The implications of DNA data storage are wide ranging and should be understood through the nuanced historical, political, infrastructural and social context of DNA research and technology. Each of the modules on this site offer a unique way for you to conceptualize and question genomic media.