A frank look at the ethics of breakthrough genetic technologies

TRANSCRIPT

A just-concluded summit looked at the state of human genome editing, where the scandal of China’s CRISPR babies was fresh in the minds of many. But attendees also heard of the exciting promise that gene editing therapy holds for sickle cell disease, a condition that touches millions. Can we all have a say in managing this fast-moving technology? How do we weigh the danger against the benefits? Watch Françoise Baylis, author of Altered Inheritance: CRISPR and the Ethics of Human Genome Editing, Ben Hurlbut of Arizona State University, and Josephine Johnston of The Hastings Center in a special virtual event as they examine critical takeaways from the summit–and next steps for our society.