Panel Approves Gene-Editing for Human Trials Moving beyond the theoretical or hypothetical and progress being made on getting this technology to actually help people.
Gene-editing shows promise against herpes Good news for people afflicted with herpes and those at risk of contracting an infection!
Nearly everyone carries one version or another of the herpes virus. A recent study suggests that the new gene-editing technology known as CRISPR/Cas9 may be able to eliminate this ever-present virus -- or at least suppress it. "At this point, there is no cure for the herpes virus infection. Once infected, you're infected for life," said Robert Jan Lebbink, co-author of the study and a molecular biologist at University Medical Center in Utrecht, Netherlands.
How CRISPR could change the world—And why that frightens many of us This is exciting technology and it might wind up having a huge impact. Comparing the impact of gene editing to the creation of modern computers is a bit of an understatement. The revolutionary potential of gene editing far exceeds anything we've seen during the entire history of mankind.
CRISPR is not just a passing science trend. The tool allows us to modify and rearrange DNA, which determines how the bodies of all living things function. Furthermore, depending on where the changes are made, they can be permanent—meaning the tweaking done in an animal or human can be passed down through generations. A tool of this magnitude, like the modern computer, has infinite possibilities.
Tools for Would-Be Biohackers: Here Come 3 Mini-Labs Will there be an explosion of interest in this sort of thing or is it purely a nerdly interest?
These entrepreneurs say the current moment in synthetic biology is akin to the 1970s in computer science, when microcomputers first appeared in kits that could be assembled in hobbyists’ basement workshops. Make it cheap and easy to tinker, they say, and revolution will follow.