Career Connections at SAVY 2019: Session 3, Day 4 – Science and Ethics of Gene Editing (Rising 7th)

Posted by hallep on Thursday, July 25, 2019 in Grade 7, SAVY.

Today our main topic was genetic modifications in humans. We debated as a class whether gene editing in humans was good or bad and broke this discussion down into several circumstances to see if our opinions changed. We learned the difference between somatic and germline gene editing and how these can be applied to both therapy and enhancements. We also read an interesting article about scientists that are trying to bring species back from extinction, specifically the woolly mammoth and the passenger pigeon. We learned whether we would be arguing for or against specific types of gene editing and finalized our research for the debate tomorrow.

Parents- here are some intriguing questions to ask over dinner:

– Do you think somatic gene editing in humans is bad? What about germ line editing?

– Should genetic modification be regulated? If so, who should do it? Should the same rules apply to the entire world or should they be country-specific?

– Would you modify your genome? What about the genome of your child?

I can’t wait to meet you all tomorrow at Open House!