CRISPR ethics for everyone

CRISPRpedia is an online encyclopedia on CRISPR developed by the Innovative Genomics Institute. A new chapter, devoted entirely to the bioethics of gene editing, has recently been added to existing sections on CRISPR in nature, CRISPR technology, applications in medicine, and applications in agriculture. The ability to edit the genomes of people, embryos, plants and animals raises both old and new questions. How do we decide what uses are legitimate and desirable? Who gets to make these decisions? How can we ensure safety and fair access?
Answers to these and other pressing questions have been compiled by UC Berkeley bioethicist Jodi Halpern, in collaboration with communications strategist Hope Henderson. Check it out!

Seeing the forest for the CRISPR trees

Plant species are threatened by pathogens and pests, and the climate crisis is making things worse. CRISPR could help address some forest health threats, by making trees more resilient. But intervening in a complex ecosystem is a big decision. What are the alternatives? What are the uncertainties? Let’s think about a specific example, the American chestnut, and watch this iBiology video. 

MetaCRISPR, how to edit microbiomes

Jill Banfield and Jennifer Doudna (photo by Keegan Houser)

The best way to summarize the new metaCRISPR approach, recently published in Nature Microbiology, is the Twitter thread by Jill Banfield:

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