Tinkering with evolution

"Many scientists welcomed the decision to create a regulatory framework for the technique, but others expressed concern that gene editing may one day be used to make “designer babies"

Designer babies is any manipulation via gene editing. And, considering how random nature is, wouldn't a designer baby likely justify the cost to tweet an appearance group here and a cognitive reasoning skill there.

Either drugs make up for the little eccentricities after, or the cause of the symptoms is eliminated completely via custom splicing of some kind.

Mengele tried to do the same. This might set a bad taste in people's mouths.

Mengele tried to do the same.

Not exactly.

I don't approve of designer babies, at least until gene editing is much more refined and more understood; however, hopefully we could see genetic "tinkering" used with the Zika Virus outbreak. The Zika virus has no vaccine, and leads to Microcephaly in babies born from a parent who contracted it. Could we possibly genetically alter the eggs of women who already have the disease, in an attempt to prevent Microcephaly?

THAT would be a wonderful use of this new field; and could really help out those living with, or in fear of this terrible pandemic. I look forward to future studies of this.

Hats off to all the people involved in gene editing for trying to improve the quality of life. The obvious concerns with gene editing, such as designer babies and the rich (and militaries) trying to create a sub-species of uber-mensch, have already been expressed in previous threads. Genetic mutations occur and are a reality of reproduction and growth, basic biology. It's early days in gene editing and a known-unknown (sorry for using a D Rumsfeld) is how the edited genes may mutate. Exciting discoveries ahead, but maybe the cursed interesting times because of this.