CRISPR: How genome editing will change the world forever

Genetic modification in one form or another has been around for centuries. With the passage of time, we have seen the progression from breeding and selection to inserting genes into other organisms so that they can make things for us (think insulin). On September 7th, KAT-O hosted a TechTalk in Cape Town, where speaker Dr Janine Scholefield presented a talk on an exciting new technology, called CRISPR/Cas9.

What’s the deal with genetic modification?

It’s a big topic, GM. All the ethical issues surrounding it. It was the reason I didn’t major in Genetics. Funnily enough, I’ve found myself right back there, working closely with genetics in what I’m studying (and loving it). GM has both good and bad points, but I think it often gets a bad rap with no thought of the good it can do. What if you could save a thousand lives by being able to genetically engineer a vaccine into a staple food crop?