ANDRZEJ KRAUZEWhat a coincidence it is that The Scientist inaugurates 2016 with a feature entitled “The Evolution of Cooperation.” I am writing this editorial at the end of an extraordinary week during which two topics of prime interest to scientists have been the subject of international gatherings: the use of gene editing to manipulate human genomes and the adoption of measures to slow global warming. Cooperation among scientists, regulators, and governments is the only path to the resolution of these two complex issues.
The International Summit on Human Gene Editing met in Washington, DC, from December 1–3 to consider the scientific, medical, and ethical considerations surrounding the study and use of newly developed methods for altering human DNA. Much of the conversation involved the CRISPR/Cas method, a technique that has exploded over the last few years due to its relative simplicity and precision. Researchers are now using CRISPR-based protocols to manipulate human cells in the lab, and a growing number of biotech companies are champing at the bit to make CRISPR the next big thing in gene therapy. At the end of the conference, the organizing committee of 12 biologists, clinicians, and bioethicists issued a statement that endorses the use of the technique to repair somatic-cell mutations for ...
