Big Picture Science for April 17, 2023 - CRISPR Mosquitoes

Big Picture Science - CRISPR Mosquitoes

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.

Download podcast at - https://bigpicturescience.org/episodes/crispr-mosquitoes

You can listen to this and other episodes at http://bigpicturescience.org/, and be sure to check out Blog Picture Science, the companion blog to the radio show.

Get early access to ad-free versions of every episode by joining us on Patreon. Thanks for your support!