Researchers are starting to harness the potential of this much-hyped gene editing technique – with coming applications in medicine, biology and agriculture.
Gene drives could prove useful for controlling mosquitoes which spread diseases like malaria, dengue and zika virus.
from www.shutterstock.com
Insecticides and mosquito nets only get you so far. Synthetic biologists are ready to take the battle against mosquito-borne disease to the level of DNA – which might spell the insects’ ultimate doom.
The solutions presented by GM crops are rarely tested against the other options. Take a look at our philosophy of farming and it all starts to make sense.
Gene editing allows us to eliminate any misspellings, introduce beneficial natural variants, or perhaps cut out or insert new genes.
Libertas Academica/Flickr
Should the gathering of experts from around the world that’s considering the scientific, ethical, and governance issues linked to research into gene editing ring alarm bells?
Genetic changes to embryos will not only affect the person that embryo becomes but also all their descendants.
anna gutermuth/Flickr
The challenges of feeding a hungry planet are many. Gene editing crops to be more productive, nutritious or hardy could help, but concerns about GMOs abound.
Female Aedes aegypti mosquitoes transmit dengue fever when enjoying blood meals.
James Gathany
Annihilate the Aedes aegypti mosquito population and you’d stop dengue fever from infecting up to 100 million people worldwide annually. Here are some high-tech methods under development.
The genetic modification of humans make many people feel very uncomfortable.
Tatiana Vdb/Manuel/Flickr
The first case of genetically engineering a human embryo to cure a congenital disease is a technical breakthrough but raises troubling ethical questions.
In the future, our DNA could be different by design.
DNA by Seamartini Graphics/www.shutterstock.com
In this final instalment of GM in Australia – a series looking at the facts, ethics, regulations and research into genetically modified crops – Heather Bray and Rachel Ankeny explore the murky world of…
The private sector has driven GM research – but in whose interests?
International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center/Flickr
In this fifth instalment of GM in Australia – a series looking at the facts, ethics, regulations and research into genetically modified crops – Sky Croeser outlines how most GM research is profit-driven…
In this fourth instalment of GM in Australia – a series looking at the facts, ethics, regulations and research into genetically modified crops – Christopher Mayes examines ethical issues surrounding GM…
Delicious and nutritious … and safe.
Sarah Gilbert/Flickr
Ashley Ng, WEHI (Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research)
In this third instalment of GM in Australia – a series looking at the facts, ethics, regulations and research into genetically modified crops – Ashley Ng explains how GM foods are determined safe to eat…
Visiting Professor in Biomedical Ethics, Murdoch Children's Research Institute; Distinguished Visiting Professor in Law, University of Melbourne; Uehiro Chair in Practical Ethics, University of Oxford