Watch this video, “Human Nature”:
https://video-alexanderstreet-com.libaccess.sjlibrary.org/watch/human-natureLinks to an external site.
CRISPR is a revolutionary genome modification tool. In terms of agriculture, this tool has been applied to plant research for the development of genetically modified plants. In terms of medical research, this tool can be used for treating genetic diseases by correcting genetic mutations. What makes people worry is that CRISPR may also be used for developing “designer babies”. Instead of focusing on the application of CRISPR on agriculture, let’s watch this video (published in 2020) and learn the issues related to the use of CRISPR.
Here is a mini video to talk about genetically modified tomatoes developed by CRISPR technology:
After watching the two videos, answer the following questions.
What is the CRISPR-Cas9 system? (use 2 or 3 sentences to briefly explain CRISPR-Cas9).
What are societal, ethical, and/or economic impacts of CRISPR technology? (The “Human Nature” video reviewed a few applications of CRISPR-Cas9 technology. What applications struck you the most? You may focus on one or two applications and discuss the societal/ethical/economic impacts).
What is(are) your reason(s) for being in favor of or against genome modification (in your opinion, how far should we go)?
Total word count is around 250 words (about 1 page, double-spaced).