Crispr Pioneer Expects to See Gene-Edited Babies Within 25 Years
- Scientist not advocating approach; research pace quickening
- Crispr patent dispute hasn’t slowed progress, she says
Photographer: Alexander Heinl/picture alliance via Getty Images
It’s been 10 years since Crispr pioneer Jennifer Doudna published the landmark paper that landed a Nobel Prize for her and colleague Emmanuelle Charpentier, and the researcher already sees advancement toward some of its loftier goals.
To some, the Crispr future has been disappointingly slow to develop. But scientists around the world are using the technology to develop potential cures for debilitating genetic conditions, create diagnostic tests, produce better crops and fight climate change. And editing the genes of babies, a controversial practice Doudna was “horrified” by when a Chinese scientist revealed he’d changed the genomes of twin girls, may arrive within our lifetimes, she said.