We hear warnings of theoretical doomsdays and mutant clones yet, the reality is genetic engineering on this level could change lives and families in the very way treatments deemed ethical already do. For hundreds of years, people have died from mosquitos infected with the Malaria virus yet, we havn’t had any way to cure. It affects the poverty stricken regions of Africa and currently kills hundreds of thousands each year.
In recent years a new technology has surfaced called Crispr, a genetic editing drive that could potentially kill off the infected mosquitos. Yet, some still worry about the risks involved, but fail to see that gene editing tool like Crispr do not cause dangers to the environment. When a new process, called Crispr, that…show more content… Field trials are the main concern for many who rebut the idea of such a process being set in motion. But they fail to see the green grass in this process. The gene drive could be controlled through a population even if the said population goes rogue with the gene and resists even the strongest drugs. In an article written by Kevin Servick for Science magazine, he states, “Molecular biologist Jennifer Doudna of the University of California (UC), Berkeley, will, according to DARPA’s news release, look for “anti-CRISPR proteins” that could prevent unwanted editing”(Servick). This method effectively shuts down the Crispr gene if the gene would develop parasitic tendencies or possibly transfer organisms. Another method of control involves using, “ ...a fluorescent protein through the population. The proteins will glow red under a special light, a visual cue showing how far the drive gets before resistance weeds it out” (Borel). The main concern for scientists focuses on the control variable of the field tests. Making the genes traceable will provide the researchers with a way of following the gene throughout generations to ensure it stays where it is supposed to be. It could also be used to show scientists where a new gene needs to be inserted. If one set becomes irrelevant or outdated, the process could be restarted and
