Just 15 years ago, scientists successfully mapped the human genome, identifying all the genes that make us who we are. These genes determine our eye color and our blood type. They affect our height, our risk of heart disease, how strong our bones are, and even our body odor. And sometimes they cause life-threatening diseases like cystic fibrosis and breast cancer.
Our genes affect everything from height to heart disease. What happens when we can edit them?
Episode two of Vox’s new Netflix show tackles designer DNA.
Now we have the technology to edit our genes. Scientists have figured out how to reprogram an ancient bacterial immune system called “CRISPR” to track down and edit genes in any organism, allowing us to tinker with the source code of life.
Some researchers believe this is the future of medicine — that we could cure genetic diseases and massively reduce human suffering. But it also raises some thorny ethical questions. Could it be used for enhancement, not just diseases? Should we edit the DNA of human embryos?
How far is too far?
Vox tackled this question in the second episode of our new show with Netflix, Explained. We’ll have new episodes every Wednesday, on topics ranging from gene editing to monogamy to the racial wealth gap, and more. If you like our videos, then you’ll love this show; it’s our most ambitious video project to date.
To watch, search “Explained” on Netflix or go to Netflix.com/explained. Click the “My List” button to make sure you don’t miss an episode!
Learn more about CRISPR:
How CRISPR lets us edit our DNA (a TED talk by Jennifer Doudna, whom we interviewed for this episode)
Jennifer Doudna, a Pioneer Who Helped Simplify Genome Editing (Andrew Pollack, New York Times)
A biologist explains CRISPR in five levels of difficulty (Wired with Neville Sanjana, whom we also interviewed for this episode)
What is human?: What the answers mean for human rights. (John H. Evans, whom we also interviewed for this episode)
CRISPR will be a huge story in 2017. Here are 7 things to look for. (Eliza Barclay and Brad Plumer, Vox)
As D.I.Y. Gene Editing Gains Popularity, ‘Someone Is Going to Get Hurt’ (Emily Baumgaertner, New York Times)
The Wired Guide to Crispr (Megan Molteni, Wired)
