Designer Babies Research Paper

Humans have been engineering life for thousands of years. Through selective breeding we strengthened useful traits in plants and animals and made them adaptable to our needs (YourGenome, 2017). When Francis Crick and James Watson presented their model of the DNA-molecule in 1953, new fields in biology were developed, and amongst them was genetic engineering. The interest to map and alter the genetic code of organisms made this field remarkably widespread and in 1972 the first direct manipulation of DNA was executed by biochemist Paul Berg who combined the genetic information of two different viruses (GNN, [No date]). Since then the field of genomics has advanced, and in 2002 molecular biologists learned to delete or replace specific genes using …show more content…
This aspect has come up with the term "designer babies", and it has become subject for a heavy ethical debate. The idea of designer babies is that children who develop from embryos that are genetically modified are ensured the possession of certain desired characteristics or traits (Gale, 2017). One reason the genetic material of embryos might be altered is to eliminate inherited defects. By editing out the genes associated with the defect in their child's embryo, parents can avoid passing on their faulty genes to their children. However, a second, more controversial reason the genetic material of embryos might be altered is to enhance or optimize specific traits, such as intelligence or athleticism. Researchers believe that this technique could potentially be used to design babies capabilities that exceed the normal range of human function (Gale, 2017). Supporters assert that it could increase human potential, eliminate disease, and improve the quality of life. Critics, however, argue that it interferes with natural biological processes, creates unfair advantages for genetically enhanced individuals, and involves unforeseen risks (Gale, 2017). Another aspect is that genetically modified embryos could create a gap in society. Individuals with genetically enhanced genomes could be perceived as "better" by society, and what people …show more content…
It costs less and is more accurate than previous DNA-editing techniques and has a wide range of potential use. However, it is likely to be many years before CRISPR-Cas9 is routinely used in humans. Much research is still based on animal tests and attempts on isolated human cells and there is still a lot of work to avoid 'off target' effects, where the CRISPR-Cas9 system cuts a different gene than the one that was intended to be edited (YourGenome, 2016). Nevertheless, the possibility that this technology could in the future eliminate complex diseases, such as cancer, is of great interest to researchers today. Still, there are concerns about the potentials of the CRISPR-Cas9 system. Non-therapeutic use of this technology could lead to unfair advantages of the genetically enhanced individuals and many fear that this could lead to the beliefs of eugenics. However, denouncing the technology of genetic engineering would only mean that the research of thousands of scientists throughout history would go unacknowledged and that interest of scientific research would be discouraged. Instead we should participate to make sure that further research is guided by caution, reason, oversight, and

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