Part One:
Discuss the following:
- How do perceptions in science change over the years?
- Do you feel that science moves faster or slower than before? Why?
- What might future research of gene technology look like?
- How have past scientific advancements affected you personally?
- How do current scientific advancements (like CRISPR) affect you personally?
How fast is science moving now?
Part Two:
Geneticist Jennifer Doudna was involved in introducing and co-inventing the technology for editing genes, called CRISPR-Cas9. The tool allows scientists to make precise edits to DNA strands, which is leading to treatments for genetic diseases; however, criticisms do exist such as the creation of so-called "designer babies." Please watch the 2015 video which features Doudna's review of how CRISPR-Cas9 works and calls to the scientific community to pause and discuss the ethics of this tool.
Exercise
Open the exercise to begin the activity. Follow the instructions in the document.