From Curing Cancer to Designer Babies, Jennifer Doudna on the Future of Gene Editing

Breeding mosquitos resistant to the malaria virus; designing human babies that are free of genetic disorders; creating a species of unicorns. These goals are all seemingly impossible for now, but that could change in the near future, thanks to recent breakthroughs in gene-editing technology, like CRISPR/Cas9 — a new method of reorganizing genetic material. UC Berkeley Professor Jennifer Doudna, one of the first pioneers of CRISPR, joins Forum to discuss the future of gene-editing technology and its potential impact on human and non-human life.

• More: CRISPR: What You Need to Know About the Medical Science “Breakthrough of the Year” (KQED Science)
• More: CRISPR Patent War: Billions at Stake for UC Berkeley (KQED Science)
• More: Scientists Capture Crispr’s Gene-Cutting in Action (WIRED)