CRISPR Gene Editing Teach-Out

In this lesson, we will consider how the public feels about gene editing and CRISPR technology. The conversation is an important one, so how does it take place?

In this first video, Daniel Thiel discusses public attitudes and how we appropriately assess them. Daniel is a Visiting Assistant Professor at Oakland University and a recent University of Michigan graduate.

Françoise Baylis is a Distinguished Research Professor of Philosophy at Dalhousie University and author of Altered Inheritance: CRISPR and the Ethics of Human Genome Editing. Françoise provides a brief introduction to bioethics and then underlines the importance of including diverse voices in ethical discussions. Next, she expands on the notion of broad societal consensus and suggests that “we ought all to have a say in what happens to the human genome as we embark on this project of anticipating modifications to the human genome.”

Ron Cole-Turner is the H. Parker Sharp Professor of Theology and Ethics emeritus at the Princeton Theology Seminary. In his segment, he discusses how public discourse around gene editing has changed over time. He also mentions the international summit on human gene editing.international summit on human gene editing. The next summit will be held in 2023 and will use opinion polls to represent public opinion. It is important to note that this is a limited way of involving the public in these important conversations.

Finally, we hear from Ben Hurlbut, an Associate Professor at Arizona State University and an expert on the changing relationships in biomedical research and innovation. In this talk, he explores who is included and excluded from conversations about biotechnology, what questions get prioritized or ignored, and how problems are framed. There is a long history of discussions surrounding the human genome. However, meaningful inclusion of the public continually does not happen with the argument that the technology is not advanced enough to make the conversations worthwhile. The result is that technologies do evolve over time and there has not been sufficient discussion about their consequences.

In this talk, Ben also mentions He Jiankui, the scientist who engineered human embryos. Ben and others will speak more on He Jiankui’s actions and the ethical implications in the lesson on Impacts of Human Gene Editing.