CRISPR Mosquitoes*

Big Picture Science

Science, Technology

4.6 • 986 Ratings

🗓️ 15 July 2024

⏱️ 53 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

The powerful gene editing tool CRISPR is already being tested on animal and plant cells. It has even been used on humans. How might this revolutionary tool change our lives? On the one hand, it could cure inherited diseases and rid the world of malaria-spreading mosquitoes. On the other hand, scientists using it are accelerating evolution and introducing novel genetic combinations that could transform our biological landscape in unforeseen ways. We explore the ramifications of this revolutionary technology. Guests: Nathan Rose – Molecular biologist and head of malaria programs at U.K. based biotech company, Oxitec. Hank Greely – Law professor and director of the Center for Law in the Biosciences at Stanford University and author of “CRISPR People: The Science and Ethics of Editing Humans.” Antonio Regalado – Senior Editor for Biomedicine, MIT Technology Review. *Originally aired April 17, 2023 Featuring music by Dewey Dellay and Jun Miyake Big Picture Science is part of the Airwave Media podcast network. Please contact [email protected] to inquire about advertising on Big Picture Science. You can get early access to ad-free versions of every episode by joining us on Patreon. Thanks for your support! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	You're listening to an airwave media podcast.
0:04.0	This is Jeff Stein, the host of American Carnage, a new American history podcast which
0:09.8	debuted with the epic story of John Brown told across five episodes.
0:15.0	If you want the deepest dive anywhere about how one old man and his ragtag army
0:20.6	changed the trajectory of all of American history.
0:23.2	You're going to want to check us out.
0:24.7	You will learn everything you ever wanted to know about John Brown and his role
0:28.3	ending the most evil institution in the history of the country.
0:31.8	Find American carnage wherever you get your podcasts. There are still questions and ethical issues surrounding the powerful gene editing technique
0:50.2	known as CRISPR, but there's no doubt that it is already changing lives. We're not
0:55.2	talking here about designer babies, although we will in this episode, but
0:59.4	editing human DNA to cure diseases and save lives. I no longer have experience severe pain and
1:06.8	stop my life just to be in the hospital for long periods of time. My children
1:11.5	no longer have a fear of losing their mom to sickle cell disease.
1:15.0	But the gene editing tool is only a decade old and like all new technology,
1:19.0	the implications are still somewhat of a black box.
1:22.0	By using it to modify animal and... are still somewhat of a black box.
1:22.8	By using it to modify animal and plant cells, scientists are accelerating evolution and
1:28.6	introducing novel genetic combinations that could transform our biological landscape in unforeseen ways, but imagine
1:37.1	ridding the world of malaria spreading mosquitoes.
1:40.5	So how do we balance the uncertainties of CRISPR technology with its promise?
1:45.0	This is Big Picture Science from the SETI Institute, and I'm Seth Shostak.
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