Authors /
Dylan P. Marashi
Dylan P. Marashi has a bachelors of science in biochemistry from Seattle Pacific University and is about to begin graduate study at the Center for Bioethics at Harvard Medical School. He is interested in distributive justice, genetic engineering, and human subject research.
Gene editing, race, and the social contract
Imagine Jennifer Doudna working in the lab overnight, her eyes sore, her head pulsing, and her mind swirling with an existential crisis. Utilizing a bacterial cell’s self-defense mechanism, the geneticist has mastered the ability to reproduce and guide gene-editing technology, otherwise known as CRISPR-Cas9. This technology could save countless lives, cure genetic diseases, and reverse the effects of cancer. But it could also advance efforts at human enhancement, leading to a revival of modern eugenics.
In December, the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Medicine held a three-day summit on CRISPR technology.
Free Newsletters
From theological reflections to breaking religion news to the latest books, the Christian Century's newsletters have you covered.