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xpda [xpda.com] writes:

CRISPR, a genome-editing technology that has been progressing rapidly [arstechnica.com] in the last three years, has just been named Science’s Breakthrough of the Year [sciencemag.org]. CRISPR is a technique that can be used to edit and manipulate the DNA of any organism—crops, livestock, and even humans. It can allow scientists to control gene expression and selectively turn genes on or off.

Two striking examples—the creation of a long-sought “gene drive” that could eliminate pests or the diseases they carry, and the first deliberate editing of the DNA of human embryos—debuted to headlines and concern. Each announcement roiled the science policy world. The embryo work [nature.com] (done in China with nonviable embryos from a fertility clinic) even prompted an international summit [nature.com] to discuss human gene editing.

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