Human CRISPR TED talk

I’ve written extensively about the potential use of CRISPR in humans, including in particular in the germline where it would lead to heritable genetic modifications.

Research using CRISPR in human embryos strictly for research purposes (not reproduction) is proceeding and in the case of non-viable embryos, such work has already been published (e.g. here), but the UK and Sweden have green-lighted researchers to study the use of CRISPR in viable human embryos as well (here and here).

Is there a clear stopping point where nobody will go beyond such work to use CRISPR in a human reproductive setting?

I don’t think so.

[ted id=2651]

In relation to these concerns, I wrote my book GMO Sapiens, and I also gave a TED talk (above) in Vienna on what it might be like if designer babies were in fact made in coming years.