World Science Festival Staff
Should there be limits on using genetic techniques to help couples conceive? What about using genetic engineering to make humans healthier—or even enhancing humanity by manipulating DNA? See geneticist George Church, fertility specialists Paula Amato and Jamie Grifo, and bioethicists Sheldon Krimsky and Nita Farahany mull our fast-evolving future in “Designer Genes: Fashioning Our Biological Future,” a program of the 2014 World Science Festival.
Time: 08:00 PM-09:30 PM
Venue: Kaye Playhouse at Hunter College
Moderator: Emily Senay
Participants: George Church, Nita A. Farahany, Jamie A. Grifo, Sheldon Krimsky, Paula Amato
Perhaps the most complicated code in the universe is the one sitting inside our cells, written in DNA. More than three billion letters make up the human genome, giving geneticists plenty to explore…and explore they have. But even as gene therapy, DNA analysis, and genetically modified organisms enter the mainstream—and inspire national debate—our capacity to manipulate life continues to deepen. How far should we go? Are there hidden downsides to rewriting our DNA? Can we hijack evolution and put an end to genetic diseases, or engineer the…[Read more]
http://www.worldsciencefestival.com/2014/10/hacking-lifes-code-watch-designer-genes/
