With Dr Lara Marks I published an article for the Conversation commenting on the recent application by researchers at Francis Crick institute to the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority to use CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing technologies to the human embryos:

“This is a controversial move, which would make the UK the only country in the world apart from China to carry out such research. […] The recent call by US scientists for a temporary pause “in the application of germ-line modification for clinical application in humans while the implications of such activity are discussed” has added a new intensity to the debate and reveals a potential bioethical divide between the US and the UK. The proposed moratorium has been hailed in some quarters as a positive step toward preserving the public’s trust and safety but because of its narrow focus on the germ-line, it also prevents alternative views from surfacing in the debate and constrains the boundaries of the much called-for public engagement with the issue”.

To continue reading click here:

https://theconversation.com/the-public-must-speak-up-about-gene-editing-beyond-embryo-modification-48623