In 2012, Dr. Jennifer Doudna at UC Berkeley made the scientific breakthrough of the century: a gene editing tool called CRISPR-Cas9 that could change DNA, the code of life. Her work ignited the CRISPR revolution, opening up new possibilities in biology, agriculture, and medicine.
Every major scientist took a cautious and deliberate approach, focusing on how to safely apply CRISPR to cure genetic diseases, fight cancer, accelerate drug development, create transplant organs, and develop more nutritious crops. CRISPR's potential to improve our lives was clear but its potential to harm, including causing unintended side effects, was still unknown. Litigation began...