The applications of CRISPR based genetic engineering tools range from changing colors in butterfly wings to developing gene therapies that might one day cure or prevent human diseases. Some scientists […]
New report brings focus to gene-edited farm animals
A Bigger Conversation and Compassion in World Farming today release a comprehensive report on gene-edited animals. The report, a summary of a roundtable convened by the two organisations in June […]
FDA Finds Unexpected Antibiotic Resistance Genes in ‘Gene-Edited’ Dehorned Cattle
Gene-editing is seen by many as the ultimate in precision breeding. Polled cattle, whose horns have been genetically removed, have been presented as exemplars of this–a socially beneficial use of […]
Moving the discussion around GE animals beyond soundbites
This week an unusually diverse group of stakeholders gathered together to discuss a rapidly developing issue in animal agriculture – gene edited livestock. The day-long roundtable meeting, which was co-hosted […]
Scientists call for a moratorium on heritable human gene-editing
A group of 18 scientists and bioethicists from seven countries has called for a “global moratorium” on all clinical uses of human germline editing to ‘re-engineer’ humans.
Uncertainty versus risk
Uncertainties can make it hard to plan ahead. But recognising them can help to reveal new questions and choices. What kinds of uncertainty are there, why do they matter for sustainability, and what ideas, approaches and methods can help us to respond to them?
A need to put farmers back into the discussion
Although not directly about genetic engineering in food and farming the article brings up pertinent themes about control of narrative, and therefore practice, regarding the use of antimicrobials in farming – and the need for a more inclusive conversation around the issues.
US academics feel the invisible hand of politicians and big agriculture
As universities rely more on industry for funds, researchers taking a stand on health or environment say they’re sidelined. The Guardian newspaper delves into the influence that corporate money can have on academics and scientists, and therefore the accepted framing and narratives around global problems – and proposed solutions.
What care ethics can bring to the GMO conversation
How do we deal with the increasing polarisation in the GMO debate? Care ethics, a theme coming from ecofeminism, allows, according to the authors, to assess technologies “not simply as devices designed to create a certain end experience for a user, but as transformative systems that smuggle in numerous social and political interests”
It’s the End of the Gene As We Know It
We have reached peak gene, and passed it and, according to Ken Richardson author of Genes, Brains and Human Potential: The Science and Ideology of Intelligence, we are not nearly as determined by our genes as once thought.