We Are Well On Our Way To Genetically Engineering Humans

Cute Baby. Who Was The Designer?

In 2017, whether the general population is aware of it or not — we are well on our way to genetically engineering humans. We are living in a society where non-genetically modified oranges wil be sold in one aisle and a genetically modified child in the next. Opponents talk about the dangers of genetic modifications gone wrong, or the dystopian prospect of wealthy parents ‘ordering’ genetically perfect “designer babies.” “Even unambiguously therapeutic interventions could start us down a path towards non-therapeutic genetic enhancement,” a group of scientists wrote in Nature in March. They told their colleagues around the world: “Don’t edit the human germ line.” But it may be too late. According to an anonymous researcher cited by Nature, at least four groups in China are working on genetically modifying human embryos. The MIT Technology Review reported that research groups at Harvard Medical School and at least one other centre in Boston are looking into so-called human germ line engineering, along with other scientists in China and the UK. (READ MORE)