CRISPR Controversy – A conversation with Stanford Prof. Henry Greely
On the show today we welcome Professor Henry Greely from Stanford to talk a about the recent developments in the genetic field and particularly the latest controversy around CRISPR technology. Professor Greely is the Director at the Center for Law and Biosciences at Stanford, he’s a Professor of Genetics at the Stanford School of Medicine, and a Chair at the Steering Committee of the Center for Biomedical Ethics. Inside this episode we get a background on gene-editing and CRISPR technology. Prof. Greely breaks down the basic story of Dr. He Jiankui, a Chinese scientist who conducted a gene-editing experiment with twin babies, causing serious concerns in the scientific community and raising ethical questions. From there we discuss alternatives to CRISPR and ways in which the technology could be utilized more conscientiously in the future. In this context, we will also give some attention to the global position of China and the political landscape. For all this and more be sure to tune in!