Josiah Zayner has developed a DIY CRISPR kit in hopes that it will democratize gene editing. According to him, scientific community has lagged behind in adopting this powerful technology.
However, many scientists are deeply alarmed at his careless approach to genetic engineering technology. Genetic modification affects more than just an organism; changing DNA impacts a species’ entire ecosystem.
What is CRISPR?
CRISPR is an advanced genetic engineering technology that enables scientists to edit DNA precisely at specific points, giving scientists unprecedented ability to treat diseases such as cancer or blindness as well as create organs such as hearts and lungs – among many others. CRISPR stands as one of the greatest scientific advancements ever.
Josiah Zayner, a biophysicist turned self-taught biohacker, was so taken aback by the revolutionary potential of CRISPR that he decided to take matters into his own hands and create a do-it-yourself CRISPR kit so anyone could experiment with gene editing at home. Zayner believes the scientific community is too risk-averse and conservative in using this revolutionary tool quickly enough, so he wanted to accelerate it as quickly as possible.
While many experts acknowledge the benefits of democratizing CRISPR, some remain concerned about its use by untrained individuals to genetically engineer human cells without proper supervision and knowledge. They fear this could lead to environmental damage, eugenics or bioterrorism and DIY experiments may have unintended repercussions; after all, DNA changes affect all connected organisms within an ecosystem.
What are the Benefits of CRISPR Biohacking?
CRISPR-Cas9, or CRISPR gene editing technology, holds great promise to revolutionize medicine, agriculture and scientific research. Operating at a molecular level to modify, cut and edit DNA – our body’s functional genetic blueprint – CRISPR was originally inspired by bacteria’s defense against viruses; since then it has been refined for human use; being successfully utilized in clinical trials treating genetic disorders successfully.
Josiah Zayner is an influential leader of the CRISPR movement and has created a mail-order DNA editing kit so individuals can experiment at home. He believes the scientific community’s slow pace of development of CRISPR technologies is unacceptable and has taken matters into his own hands by taking this initiative himself.
However, many scientists consider DIY DNA alteration an extremely dangerous prospect and recommend consulting trained physicians instead. One reason being it can be extremely challenging to get enough DNA-editing machinery inside living cells in order to effect meaningful change.
Even if successful, experiments such as gene editing could still cause unwanted side effects, including cancer from off-target gene editing. A missed target could impact other genes or molecules during editing processes; and its long-term impacts remain unknown and could pass down through generations.
What are the Risks of CRISPR Biohacking?
CRISPR may be relatively new technology, but it has already made waves in agriculture and medicine. This genetic engineering technique enables scientists to make targeted changes to DNA — the blueprint containing instructions for making proteins. CRISPR genome editing techniques offer more precision and efficiency than previous techniques; for instance, scientists can quickly target disease-causing genes without harming healthy ones nearby.
CRISPR holds enormous potential to improve human health and save lives, yet also brings with it some significant risks. One such issue is its off-target effects – mutations occurring outside of those intended by its guide RNA that could either harm edited organisms or have no noticeable ill effects at all. Furthermore, unintended consequences – unknown impacts that could potentially harm society, culture, animals or plants that are difficult to predict – also should be considered when using this technology.
Alongside these wider issues, CRISPR biohacking raises ethical considerations as well. Some believe using CRISPR to modify humans and non-humans violates natural law based on “Mother Nature” beliefs; additionally, many feel CRISPR and genomic technologies alienate humans from nature and harm animals and ecosystems.
Though there may be risks involved with CRISPR technology, some scientists remain optimistic about its prospects. Dr. Josiah Zayner of the biophysicist and founder of the global biohacking movement believes that its benefits outweigh its risks; and believes allowing average citizens to experiment with gene editing will accelerate this transformation from science into practical applications.
Others are fearful that CRISPR will be used to produce designer babies with desirable physical traits and abilities, or engineered crops or livestock to be healthier or better tasting; as well as creating pathogen-resistant crops or adapting livestock more readily to climate change.
