Latest news with #geneticengineering
Daily Mail
a day ago
- Health
- Daily Mail
Scientists warn of 'catastrophic' risks as labs 'play God' with human DNA
Scientists have taken a bold and controversial step toward creating synthetic human DNA from scratch, a move some critics liken to 'playing God.' The research aims to unlock new treatments for autoimmune disorders, heart failure, viral infections, and age-related diseases. To do so, scientists are developing tools to build large, complex sections of human DNA in the lab and insert them into skin cells to observe how they function. The ultimate goal is to construct entire human chromosomes, a foundational step toward assembling a fully synthetic human genome. But the project has sparked ethical and safety concerns. Experts warn that the technology could have catastrophic risks, leading to biological weapons or genetically engineered 'designer babies.' 'The genie is out of the bottle,' said Professor Bill Earnshaw of the University of Edinburgh. 'If an organization with the right equipment decided to start synthesizing anything, I don't think we could stop them.' Dr Pat Thomas, a longtime campaigner on genetic ethics, added: 'While many scientists have good intentions, the science can be repurposed to harm, and even for warfare.' Every cell in the human body, except red blood cells, contains DNA, the molecule that carries the genetic instructions for life. DNA is composed of just four chemical bases, known as A, G, C, and T. These letters repeat in countless combinations to form the code that shapes everything from eye color to disease risk. Over the next five years, teams from the University of Oxford, Cambridge, Kent, Manchester, and Imperial College London will collaborate to build and test synthetic DNA in the lab. Their short-term goal is to better understand how DNA influences human development, health, and aging. By constructing DNA from scratch, rather than editing existing strands, scientists gain unprecedented control to explore genetic function and test new biological theories. This research could help uncover how faulty cells trigger disease or lead to the creation of disease-resistant tissues and repair techniques for organs like the heart or liver. 'This is about developing therapies that will improve people's lives as they age, leading to healthier aging with less disease,' Dr Julian Sale of Cambridge's MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, told the BBC. Dr Sale added that the technology also allows researchers to explore the so-called 'dark matter' of the genome, the vast, little-understood regions of DNA that don't code for proteins but may play critical roles in cellular function. Professor Matthew Hurles of the Wellcome Sanger Institute said the work could revolutionize treatment by revealing why certain cells cause disease and how to fix them. While medical applications may still be years away, researchers say the work could eventually lead to breakthroughs like virus-resistant tissues, lab-grown organs, or advanced cell-based therapies. 'Building DNA from scratch allows us to test out how DNA really works and test out new theories, because currently we can only do that by tweaking DNA in existing living systems.' This approach may also lead to advances beyond the human genome. Philosophy professor Iain Brassington from the University of Manchester highlighted the potential for creating synthetic mitochondria, the cell's energy powerhouses, which could help women with inherited mitochondrial disorders have children without relying on egg donors. But Brassington also warns of serious consequences if the technology is misused. Lab-engineered bacteria designed to clean up oil spills or digest plastic, for example, could wreak havoc if released into the environment.
Forbes
6 days ago
- Health
- Forbes
Ben Lamm Represents The Potential Of Biotech, And Why We Should Keep Supporting Innovators
The rapid adoption of artificial intelligence in genetic engineering, health care, and medical research could lead to significant improvements in human health and our ecological environment in the decades ahead. But biotech innovators and entrepreneurs worldwide will have to overcome a global political environment that has suddenly become skeptical of science, expertise and public health in general. Last week, 20,000 scientists, executives, investors and startups descended upon Boston for the BIO 2025 Convention – the largest medical research and biotech convening in the world. The convening took place amidst significant opportunity – and turmoil, in health care worldwide. The rapidly expanding capabilities of artificial intelligence are unlocking new opportunities to develop new drugs, therapeutics, wearables and devices. But BIO also comes at a time of significant declines in government funding for basic science and R&D, as well as a drop in global leadership around public health challenges like pandemic preparedness. BIO 2025 Exhibition Hall In 2025, the United States is expected to announce cuts of 40-60% to the National Institutes of Health and National Science Foundation. Yet American states are offering biotech's R&D credits, seed funding, lab space and commitments to improve their workforce and academic institutions. Nations around the world, sensing opportunity, are also rolling out the red carpet to attract the top scientists in the world. BIO itself highlighted the importance of building public trust in biotechnology and working with regulatory bodies to streamline approvals for innovative products. Colossal Biosciences is a great example of a biotech startup at the intersection of these trends and challenges. Founded by legendary geneticist Dr. George Church of Harvard and MIT, and serial AI entrepreneur Ben Lamm, Colossal is pioneering the use of CRISPR technology in the de-extinction of previously lost species, including the Dire wolf. According to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, nearly 50% of all animal species could be endangered of becoming extinct by 2050. According to Lamm, 'We are the back-up plan. It's like, when we jump out of a plane, we all hope the parachute is going to open, but just in case, we want to have a back-up emergency 'chute. Colossal is that back-up.' The company defines de-extinction as the process of generating an organism that both resembles and is genetically similar to an extinct species by resurrecting its lost lineage of core genes; engineering natural resistances; and enhancing adaptability that will allow it to thrive in today's environment of climate change, dwindling resources, disease and human interference. The Dire Wolf, as imagined by Colossal Biosciences Such ambition and optimism were pervasive across BIO. Scores of startups today are using artificial intelligence for health care delivery, hospital operations, digital health platforms, diagnostics, patient monitoring tools, revenue cycle management, and even regulatory and compliance innovations. Biotech startups are using AI to improve drug discovery, target validation and optimize clinical trials. CRISPR, the ubiquitous gene editing tool now used in drug discovery, continues to improve as more genomes are mapped. Colossal has developed a set of new software tools and technologies, along with CRISPR gene editing technology to resurrect these specific species but to also build a 'de-extinction toolkit' that can be used for difference animal species as needed. According to Chief Science Officer, Dr. Beth Shapiro, a world-renowned evolutionary molecular biologist and a leading figure in the field of ancient DNA and paleo genomics, 'we are developing a modular system that combines gene editing, cryopreservation, synthetic biology, and cloning to preserve, restore, and recreate species.' As an example, the team at Colossal uses the genetics of the used the genetics of the closet relative of the team successfully used comparative genetics with its closest living relatives, the gray wolf, to fill in critical gaps in the genetic sequence. That cloning research that came from the project has immediate impacts on red wolf conservation and will serve as a critical tool for all canid restoration in the future. The biotech industry worldwide continues to grow in importance, and no doubt there will be continued investment in the basic science, R&D and commercialization that drives important companies like Colossal and others. It is less clear whether that leadership will come from the United States or other nations – such as the United Arab Emirates, India, China, Japan or elsewhere? We don't know what areas of innovation those nations will prioritize, and whether or not important moonshots – like bringing back the woolly mammoth, will be on their radar. American leadership – scientific, political and financial, needs to remain committed to improving health of humans and the planet at large.
The Independent
05-06-2025
- Health
- The Independent
Scientists develop STD that could wipe out mosquitoes
Scientists have developed genetic tools and a "sexually transmitted disease" using a deadly fungus to combat disease-carrying mosquitoes, primarily targeting females – which are responsible for biting – to reduce their lifespan and fertility. The fungus, Metarhizium, is sprayed on male mosquitoes and produces neurotoxins that kill females, while also making the mosquitoes more susceptible to insecticides. Scientists have also been able to genetically alter male mosquitoes to produce venom proteins in their semen that can reduce the lifespan of females. Mosquitoes, while serving as a food source and pollinators, are the world's deadliest animal, responsible for transmitting diseases like malaria, West Nile virus, and eastern equine encephalitis. Bioethicists and environmental philosophers have raised concerns about the ecological impact of potentially eradicating mosquitoes, considering their role in ecosystems and the broader biodiversity crisis.
BBC News
04-06-2025
- Health
- BBC News
BBC Learning English - Learning English from the News / Woolly mice: Are woolly mammoths next?
(Photo via Colossal Biosciences) ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ The story Scientists have created a genetically modified mouse that's woolly. The researchers plan to use their woolly mouse to test out other genetic changes before they try to create genetically-altered, mammoth-like elephants in the future. The company, Colossal Biosciences, hope to use the new mammoths in the fight against global warming. Critics say the project is unethical and mainly an attempt to gain publicity. News headlines Woolly mice are a first step to resurrecting mammoths, but there's a very long way to go The Conversation Colossal CEO Ben Lamm says humanity has a 'moral obligation' to pursue de-extinction tech TechCrunch Do not be bamboozled by the new fluffy mouse Key words and phrases resurrect give something life again The actor has been trying to resurrect his career since his last film received terrible reviews. moral obligation a feeling that you have to do something because it is considered to be right I volunteer at a soup kitchen for homeless people – for me, it feels like a moral obligation. bamboozled tricked I got bamboozled by the car salesman and bought a more expensive model than I needed. Next If you like learning English from the news, click here.
The Independent
04-06-2025
- Health
- The Independent
Ethical questions swarm scientists after discovery that could wipe out pesky mosquitoes
Scientists have developed methods to wipe potentially disease-carrying mosquitoes off of the face of the Earth. But, should they? The implications of such a monumental call remain unknown and bioethicists say they are not 'in favor of remaking the world to suit human desires.' 'The eradication of the mosquito through a genetic technology would have the potential to create global eradication in a way that just felt a little risky,' Christopher Preston, a University of Montana environmental philosopher, recently told The Washington Post. However, we have the technology, which largely targets the female mosquitoes responsible for biting and spreading malaria, dengue, Zika, and other nasty pathogens. Using genetic tools, researchers can edit the genetic makeup of mosquitoes and make the females infertile. In January, scientists in Australia that they were able to alter male mosquitoes to produce venom proteins in their semen that can reduce the lifespan of females. This week, researchers at the University of Maryland said they have successfully created a 'sexually transmitted disease' that would deliver a deadly fungal infection to the females. 'It's essentially an arms race between the mosquitoes and us,' University of Maryland professor Raymond St. Leger said in a statement. 'Just as they keep adapting to what we create, we have to continuously develop new and creative ways to fight them.' The fungus is called Metarhizium. Sprayed on male mosquitoes, it works by producing neuroteoxins that kill when they are injected into a female mosquito. It is harmless to humans. 'The fungus additionally made infected mosquitoes less able to sense insecticides, and much more susceptible to them, so it's really a double blow against them,' St. Leger said. This could be great news in the fight against mosquito-borne illness. Last year, the rare but serious eastern equine encephalitis virus forced New York to declare an 'imminent threat,' a New Hampshire man died, and public parks and other areas closed in Massachusetts as the virus spread. This year, cities across the country have reported cases of West Nile virus, and authorities started spraying adulticide in Houston's Harris County. Malaria also continues to be a leading cause of preventable illness and death, resulting in 608,000 deaths across 85 countries in 2022. But, just how far should humans take the war against mosquitoes? It can be easy to overlook the role they play in our ecosystems. They are an important source of food for fish, frogs, and pollinators, including birds and bats. But, they are also pollinators themselves, and their primary food source is flower nectar — not blood. Of the more than 3,000 species on Earth, just 400 can transmit diseases to people, and most of them don't actually feed on humans at all, Yvonne-Marie Linton, research director at the Walter Reed Biosystematics Unit, told Smithsonian Magazine. Mosquitoes have been around buzzing around since dinosaurs roamed the Earth some 200 million years ago. Earth is currently in the middle of a human-fueled biodiversity crisis, including massive insect loss driven by agriculture and related pollution, in addition to climate change-driven disasters and other events. Without insects that pollinate billions of dollars in crops in North America, we'd have a lot less food and other products. Mosquitoes are one of the only species people have posited should be eliminated. Still, they are the world's deadliest animal. And, especially during the hot and wet summer months, the risk for disease is increasing. Human-caused climate change is creating more favorable conditions for mosquitoes, resulting in population expansion. That's especially true along U.S. coasts. But, even in droughts, they can be 'extra bitey.' 'It's believed that they alone, by transmitting disease, have killed half of all human beings who have ever lived,' St. Leger noted. 'Being able to eliminate mosquitoes quickly and effectively will save people all over the world.'
