Research Project

Genetic manipulation of organisms important to human society and survival has been an intrinsic part of our history since humans transitioned from being mainly hunter-gatherers to establishing permanent groups which remained in one geographic location. The advent of molecular biology and biochemistry in the 20th century laid the groundwork to accelerate the methods used by generations of agriculturalists by many orders of magnitude. This paper examines the CRISPR/Cas9 system’s ability of genomic manipulation and how it alters genetic material at specific locations, allowing for human intervention at a cellular level. While there is some support for this technology among certain groups, there are also concerns about its potential risks and unintended consequences, and there is a need for careful regulation and oversight to ensure its safe and responsible use. This paper looks at how CRISPR works on a biochemical level, the current ways it is used in society today, and the need for its regulation. Utilizing a philosophical lens, I evaluate the ethics of genetic manipulation from different philosophical beliefs such as utilitarian ethics, natural law theory, and Kantian ethics. Then pulling from history and the way other scientific advancements such as nuclear energy and fracking have been regulated, I propose a responsibility framework for how genetic manipulation can be regulated in society today.