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The Pros And Cons Of Genetic Engineering

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Introduction
Over the past century, the genetic engineering field has been vastly improving, from the discovery of restriction enzymes to the mapping of the entire human genome. Now, scientists are eager to implement CRISPR/Cas9, a method that changes the genetic sequence of a zygote to prevent hereditary diseases. When a virus invades a bacterium, it’s DNA joins with the bacterium’s DNA. This sequence is then transcribed to CRISPR RNA (cRNA), which then guides bacterial molecular machinery to the cRNA’s corresponding DNA sequence and cuts it out, thus destroying the viral genome. Scientists have modified Cas9, a specific enzyme in the molecular machinery, so that it activates gene expression rather than cutting the DNA (Pak, 2014). Although CRISPR has the potential to wipe out hereditary diseases, it also brings many consequences which need to be prevented before implementation. Technological advancements in the genetic engineering field should be impeded in America because of the unreadiness for implementation, potential social inequalities in the future, and ethical dilemmas.
Scientific Unreadiness
We are not ready for the implementation of the CRISPR/Cas9 method. In 2015, Puping Liang, a …show more content…

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