CRISPR/Cas 9 Ethical Dilemmas in Current Articles CRISPR/Cas 9 technology allows for the rapid and simple genetic modification of any DNA sequence, and could easily revolutionize the way researchers develop and modify new recombinant organisms. With CRISPR targeted insertions and deletions can be made in any genomic sequence, from human germ line cells, to various agriculturally important crops and livestock, to organisms considered to be pests. It also allows for inserted sequences to be heritable in target organisms. Not only does it allow for precise editing of genomic DNA, it is relatively cheap compared to other methods used to edit genomic sequences. But with this advance in genomic editing, three major ethical issues arise with the…show more content… While this goal is innately good for an increasing human population, inserted genes could potentially spread to wild plants and animals in any ecological system. (Ledford, 2015) The CRISPR/Cas 9 system, creates jumping genes that can insert into any organism that has a homologous target sequence, resulting in unintended modifications of non-target organisms. (Beets, 2016) Any animal or crop modified with CRISPR/Cas 9 would have to be screened to ensure target sequences do not exist in wild populations where the genetically modified organisms would be present. This need would make it nearly impossible to ensure that CRISPR genes didn’t spread in wild populations, as we have yet to discover and sequence every organism, in every possible environment to be able to ensure containment of CRISPR modified genes. To a point it has to be determined, to what extent should we modify organisms, and do the benefits outweigh the risks. The potential for unintended gene transfer in other populations is high, and the results could be severe depending on the thought and research done prior to the development of CRISPR/Cas 9 edited crops and…show more content… Organisms with the modified X chromosome would have CRISPR sequences that jump and replicate into every X chromosome, ensuring all successive generations would have two copies of the recombinant gene, guaranteeing that it spreads through an entire population. (Ledford, 2015) Using this, edited pest organisms could be modified and released in order to reduce or eliminate wild type populations. As with modification of crops or live stock, issues arise with CRISPR genes entering non-target populations and there is potential to wreck havoc on ecological systems.(Pennisi, 2015) Another ethical issue is the potential impact of eliminating a pest species. Mosquitos quite easily could be eradicated using a gene drive, but the impacts of removing a species from any ecological system would need to be evaluated closely to ensure that it does not result in ecosystem disruptions. If an eradicated species actually played a larger role than realized, eradication would be irreversible with CRISPR edited organisms. The only way to reestablish a population would be to create another CRISPR organism that can replace or inactivate the previous gene modification, release it and hope for the best. (Check Hayden, 2016) Gene drives could result in a cycle of ecosystem disruption that can only be resolved by releasing more and more edited
