SOEC I
ing the bioluminescence produced by numerous species allows us to “illuminate” all the way
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CRISPR, a powerful yet simple gene editing technology that can be used to manipulate human genes and many other species. The idea was adapted from a naturally occurring genome
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The benefits of cross species knowledge does not stop at just human needs. Understand-
editing system in bacteria. The fragile ethics and concept of “designer genetics” that surround CRISPR, makes it a challenging technology to harness. The science of CRISPR, at its fundamentals, uses enzymes to bind to DNA and cuts it to shut the gene off. Using CRISPR could result in living things, from plants to people, becoming resistant to gene oriented diseases. This brings to light the conflict between the “right to health” and the “right to disability”. In the attempt to eliminate a certain harmful gene it may lead to a more 24
down to a micro level. Organisms’ naturally produced light has been used by civilizations for
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Which leads us to the controversial
harmful consequence.
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centuries. Tribes used glowing fungi and miners contained and benefited from lighting bugs. There even have been proposals for using bioluminescence as a harnessed form of green energy. A form of species identification called "quorum sensing", similar to echo location, is used by Aliivibrio fischeri to count its neighbors. Researchers use bioluminescence in a similar way, by genetically inserting it into cells to track and understand the dynamics between cells and disease.
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Utilizing the differences across species will help us understand better how we work as well as shed light on our animalistic traits that we so definitely classify as human.
However, beyond the ethical code that hinders CRISPR from completely editing some diseases away, our bodies contain far too many cells to edit each one and remove a genetic disease. However, there is application for CRISPR beyond human alteration that would still ultimately be beneficial for humans. The issue of CRISPR lies in the fact of its simplicity and accessibility to alter genes with unforeseen consequences, making it far more harmful than helpful in the long run if done incorrectly.
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