CRISPR: A Scientific Breakthrough that's No Longer "On Discovery Away"

As I type this, I'm participating in the BioLogos faith-science conference, "Beyond Conflict: Science, Faith, and the Big Questions." Around tables this morning, I had a fascinating discussion with Cornell geneticist and associate professor of Biomedical Sciences, Praveen Sethupathy. 

By the way, I always find it ironic that Cornell was founded to be the first fully secular university, by Andrew Dickson White--whom I've written about many times. And yet, some of the best Christian thinkers on science and faith--Praveen, Andy Crouch, Justin Barrett, and Elaine Howard Ecklund--all studied at Cornell.

At any rate, Praveen and I were discussing his field, genetics and it reminded me that, when I first began to write this book, a colleague offered CRISPR cas9 as “one discovery away,” and in the meantime, it has already become a topic of great interest. 
Actually, that conversation was a year before I typed these words, but maybe we were both behind the curve because now the use of CRISPR is becoming realized. 

CRISPER gene editing represents a powerful means of changing ourselves through gene therapies in ways that will affect future generations. And it leads to difficult questions: Why not use this technology for the good? Why are religious people standing in the way like they’ve always done? And in general, are we “nothing but” our genes? 

      

As of the writing and to answer the first question, I was at a BioLogos conference with Praveen, one of their speakers, and he reminded me that CRISPR has been employed to great effect for curing Sickle Cell Anemia as Nature reported as early as 2016. Indeed, there was the case of the Chinese scientist employing CRISPR to clone a baby—I mention that he is Chinese because United States laws have no effect. 

And this he brings to his passionate faith in Jesus. Wow! Since science can take us both ethical directions, and I'm thankful for people like Praveen that are right in the midst of how we use these technologies.

That's it for now--gotta run to the next session!