In November of 2018, Chinese CRISPR researcher He Jiankui sparked international outrage after announcing his experiment to create genetically modified twins using CRISPR. Despite what this event may seem to say about Chinese research ethics, China actually has strict regulations put in place to prevent incidents like these from occurring. They are also at the forefront of CRISPR research, using the genome editing tool in the agricultural industry to efficiently feed their massive population with restricted resources and space. The technology used in the twin experiment is also nothing new and mysterious. CRISPR is a well researched natural defense tool discovered back in 1993.
CRISPR, which stands for “clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats”, uses a guide RNA to guide a separate piece of DNA to a specific target in the genome of a cell, where the Cas9 enzyme cuts the current DNA in place. The cell’s natural DNA repair machinery then heals the cut area with the DNA bound to the guide RNA, implementing the DNA into the genome. While there are other methods to edit the genome, CRISPR is relatively cheap, safe, and specific to it’s target.
The cause for concern should not be how little we know about this tool, but instead for how well we know it’s potential. The same tool that helps China grow better crops can also bring back the woolly mammoth or dinosaurs back from extinction. By extracting DNA from bones and other remains of extinct animals, Many species have had their genomes partially sequenced. These genomes can be cut and pasted into living animal cells, to bring about a new hybrid species with traits like the extinct species. Theoretically with a completely mapped genome, the extinct species can be brought completely back to life.
While it seems like a good idea to bring back certain extinct species, we should consider the effect it will have on our current ecological systems. These species were adapted to live in an environment from their time, but we now have different ecological ranges. We should also consider the factors that led to the extinction of that species. What measures will be put in place to prevent their extinction this time around, and what effect will the revival have on current species biodiversity?
