Name: What you need to know about CRISPR
Uploaded: 2016-10-03T15:12:14Z
Duration: 9 min 43 s
Description: Should we bring back the wooly mammoth? Or edit a human embryo? Or wipe out an entire species that we consider harmful? The genome-editing technology CRISPR has made extraordinary questions like these legitimate -- but how does it work? Scientist and community lab advocate Ellen Jorgensen is on a mission to explain the myths and realities of CRISPR, hype-free, to the non-scientists among us.

Should we bring back the wooly mammoth? Or edit a human embryo? Or wipe out an entire species that we consider harmful? The genome-editing technology CRISPR has made extraordinary questions like these legitimate -- but how does it work? Scientist and community lab advocate Ellen Jorgensen is on a mission to explain the myths and realities of CRISPR, hype-free, to the non-scientists among us.

What you need to know about CRISPR

CRISPR has sparked intense debate, allowing scientists to contemplate editing human embryos and even reviving extinct species. The technology works by using a modular system to target precise spots in DNA, making gene editing much faster and less expensive than before. Yet, despite the hype around being 'easy' and 'cheap,' real-world applications still require professional labs, complex know-how, and careful oversight. Society plays a crucial role in guiding how such transformative tools are developed and used.