Do you ever wonder that if parents could make intelligent, cute or a baby with a dominant feature? What will happen to the world if it becomes possible?
Everything about humans is stored in their DNA, and DNA further can be divided into various genes which trigger everything about individuals from hair color to mood, anger or even anxiety.
We all come to the point where our parents wanted something in us to be changed, or where we want something in our kid to be changed. What if gene editing could trigger the desired attributes in humans? Can there be any ethical issue involved? If we get to produce the desired children, will there be the beginning of superhumans? The gene editing can make it possible to change.
So basically these are genes which dictate our existence and even some diseases.
Being intelligent, or angry that depends upon the gene. Once gene editing is allowed, it can help parents in influencing the trait they want to be highlighted in babies- for example,- height, color, intelligence, physical capacity etc.
On November 28th, 2018 a researcher from Chinese University of a science of technology left the world surprised by claiming that he had altered the gene of a human embryo that eventually resulted in the birth of twin girls.
Believe it or not, it would be the first instance of human offspring having been produced with specific desired attributed. It is produced by using newly-developed tools of gene “Editing.”
The genes were “edited” to ensure that they do not get infected with HIV, the virus that caused AIDS.
Let's understand about Gene Editing
How does Gene Editing Works?
Genome editing techniques make use of certain proteins that can cut DNA in a precise, targeted location.
Although this family or protein was discovered in the 1960s, it is only since around 2005 that the ability of some of them to make precisely targeted cuts at almost any position in the genome has been recognized and utilized by scientists.
Although this family or protein was discovered in the 1960s, it is only since around 2005 that the ability of some of them to make precisely targeted cuts at almost any position in the genome has been recognized and utilized by scientists.
Among the recent genome editing technologies, CRISPR-based methods are particularly promising to owe to their relative efficiency, low cost; and ease of use and the prospect of making edits at multiple sited in the genome in a single process.
Why it is controversial?
Experts worry meddling with the genome of an embryo could cause harm not only to the individual but also future generations that inherit these same changes.
Gene editing itself is experimental and is still associated with off-target mutation, capable of causing genetic problems early and later in life, including the development of cancer.
This experiment exposes healthy normal children to risks of gene editing for no real necessary benefit.
Many countries, including the UK, have laws that prevent the use of genome editing in embryos for assisted reproduction in humans.
Advanced Genetic Engineering – Superhuman will extinct humanity.
Superhumans are found in comics or in religion, so in the day to day life people can not imagine that it is going to be possible to create a smarter and better version of humans.
The method is advanced genetic engineering, and at present, this is being used in crops, humans, bacteria and other living entities. No matter how much we ignore science but in the day to day life, it is all filled with science from this reading instrument to the time you fall asleep.
Genetic engineering also brought a remarkable change in the world, and there have been a lot of advantages of the technologies.
Genetic Engineering for ordinary people to understand is- modification in a part of DNA to improve certain features or to fight disease etc.
Scientific methods brought gene editing tools to eliminate the diseases, and that was done through CRISPR/Cas9. This tool targets the change in the genome of living cells. The technique has been in practice since 2012 and was discovered in 1993.
This Technology has proven to be powerful as it made it easy to alter the DNA and modify the gene functions. Due to this technology crops can be improved so are the humans. Cas9 protein is an enzyme that cuts foreign DNA.
Some Benefits
This gene editing tool has been a great help, and there various things which have been achieved by the tool. Some of them are given below-
· In April 2017, a team of researchers released research in the journal Science that they had programmed a CRISPR molecule to find strains of viruses, such as Zika, in blood serum, urine and saliva.
· On Aug. 2, 2017, scientists revealed in the journal Nature that they had removed a heart disease defect in an embryo successfully using CRISPR.
· On Jan. 2, 2018, researchers announced that they may be able to stop fungi and other problems that threaten chocolate production using CRISPR to make the plants more resistant to disease.
· On April 16, 2018, researchers upgraded CRISPR to edit thousands of genes at once, according to research published by the journal Bio News.
Ethical Concerns
Germline editing- When editing is done in human embryos and reproductive cell, this is known as Germline editing. This editing tool can help to pass a potential trait from parent to children. Or maybe it can trigger certain genes which can create better intelligence and superhuman-like future humans.
Chaos in the human world
This can bring chaos in the world, for example – the rich might take all advantage of human modifications. The superiority of some people can extinct others as history is filled with such examples- like Hitler’s assumptions of being the ‘superior’ one.
Chaos in the Natural World
In crops, certain editing may impact the ecological environment as certain traits can be spread beyond the target populations to other organisms through cross-breeding.
Physicist Stephen Hawkins’s Warning
According to the scientist, in his book before death titled as “Brief Answers to the Big Questions”, he cautioned against the gene editing technologies.
He suggested that the advanced genetic engineering might lead to a new species of superhumans that could destroy the rest of humanity.
Apocalyptic scenario
According to the book, genetic engineering would favor people who could afford to make themselves better, smarter, more resistant to disease and live longer.
Once super humans appear, there would be significant political problems with unimproved humans, who won’t be able to compete and will die due to unimportance.
Possible Solutions
There should be laws to prevent genetic engineering in humans to enhance their features; however, it seems impossible to prevent it.
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