Designer Babies: A Bioethics Perspective

Abrar Hamim Fayz
Sophomore
School of Life Sciences
Independent University, Bangladesh

January 4th, 2018

Humans often customize things that they possess, use, or consume to align them to their tastes. We do it with cars, houses, clothes, food, and many other things. But what about babies? Yes, modern biology has brought us to a point where we could very soon have babies with characteristics we desire. Sounds intriguing, doesn’t it?

We know genes control the features of an organism. It is possible to manipulate the characteristics of a baby before it develops by altering its genes when it is still an embryo. This can be done through genetic engineering, which has seen widespread application in other animals as well as plants and microbes. Current advances in this technology, led by the CRISPR-cas9 gene editing system, could allow safe and efficient manipulation of human embryos sooner rather than later.

One of the main potential advantages of editing embryos is to remove or fix genes that are responsible for hereditary genetic disorders like cystic fibrosis, sickle cell anemia and Huntington’s disease. Already this year, human embryos were edited to remove genetic defects underlying a hereditary heart condition. Even though this was experimental, and the embryos were not implanted for development, early results on the accuracy of the edits are promising. The technology would also allow people to produce what are often referred to as designer babies, with characteristics they consider desirable such as blue eyes, blonde hair, athletic build, and intelligence, creating what they perceive to be the perfect human.

But is it ethical? “Aren’t we trying to outsmart God’s creation?” Many already ask. It is illegal in many countries to even experiment on human embryos. There are no simple answers. If it is possible to preemptively fix cystic fibrosis, wouldn’t it be cruel not to? But it is conceivable that large numbers of people will prioritize good looks and intelligence to produce the aforementioned designer babies. The downstream consequences of this need to be considered. How would such trends affect the gene pool? Would we see a decline in genetic diversity? Designer babies could create a difference between normal humans and near-perfect ones, which would probably reflect economic differences between individuals who can and cannot afford the technology.

For any of this to be possible, the technology still needs to be perfected. Off target changes in gene sequences must be reliably avoided, for instance. Time will reveal whether one day we are going to be surrounded by near-perfect humans, but a little foresight may go a long way in tackling many of the ethical quandaries that will predictably arise.

Abrar is a second-year student in Microbiology. He writes:

"I love to play football, read books, and travel to gain more knowledge. I want to do something with genetics, as it is the most interesting topic I have known since I was a child."

How PCR Has Revolutionized Forensics and Science

Sanzida Islam
Sophomore
School of Life Sciences
Independent University, Bangladesh

July 28th, 2017

The importance of the discovery of DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) and its structure cannot be overstated. The influence of the resulting field of molecular biology on scientific and medical progress has been colossal. DNA is a macromolecule that carries the genetic code that determines the functions and characteristics of a living thing. All living organisms contain DNA (with the notable exception of some viruses). In the context of sexually reproducing species like ourselves, DNA is unique to every individual except identical twins. Genes are specific sequences of DNA that code for specific functions, or more specifically, for proteins that conduct specific functions. DNA is organized into long, threadlike structures called chromosomes, with each carrying hundreds of genes along its length at specific positions.

The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is a laboratory technique that is used to make millions of copies of specific DNA in just a few hours. In other words, PCR is an efficient and cost-effective way to copy or amplify DNA from what can be very small amounts of initial samples.  After it was discovered in 1980s, PCR was rapidly taken up by the scientific community, and over the years, has become an essential and integral part of clinical, diagnostic, and basic science research. PCR has allowed a spectrum of advances ranging from the identification of novel genes and pathogens to the quantification of gene expression. Let us look at a couple of its specific applications.

PCR has been a boon for forensic scientists in crime scene investigations. Often during an investigation, insufficient DNA is available for analysis from whatever can be isolated from a few strands of hair, skin cells, blood or other bodily fluids left behind at the scene, thus impeding the application of modern DNA technologies to identify criminals and ultimately solve crimes. As we already know PCR represents a fast, cost-effective, and relatively easy solution to this problem.

Humans actually all share mostly the same DNA, but the uniqueness of individuals comes from specific sites or regions called polymorphisms, which vary greatly between people. We inherit unique sets of polymorphisms from our parents (the combination of which becomes our own) and these polymorphisms can be identified using DNA fingerprinting, which is a method of isolating and identifying variable sections of DNA. DNA fingerprinting relies on the fact that each individual has a characteristic motif of DNA. Hence, much like an actual fingerprint, the DNA fingerprint is distinct. This technique is mainly used to identify the probable origin of a body fluid or hair sample associated with a crime or crime scene, or to identify disaster victims, as in the Rana plaza collapse fire in a factory in Bangladesh. As mentioned earlier, in these cases, the DNA sample is usually limited. PCR is what allows the DNA to be amplified for the analysis by DNA fingerprinting.

In basic science research, PCR can be used to look for the presence of certain genes, and to amplify known sections of DNA for genetic modification. Genetic modification is the direct manipulation of an organism's genome using biotechnology. PCR allows us to generate large amounts of DNA for the purpose of manipulation. An example of genetic modification is insulin-producing bacteria. PCR produces large quantities of the gene that produces insulin, which are inserted into carriers or vectors called plasmids (circular pieces of DNA naturally found in bacteria). The plasmids are inserted into bacterial cells which then produce insulin.

PCR can be said to have triggered many valuable developments in several research and medical disciplines. The specific contribution of PCR in forensic studies and genetic engineering has brought about remarkable discoveries and applications, and it will remain second nature to molecular biologists, and indeed most biologists in general, for a long time.

Sanzida is a second-year Microbiology student in the School of Life Sciences. She writes:

Quoting the renowned Francois Rabelais, “I go to seek a Great Perhaps”. I have found my passion in microbiology and I seek to reach to its depth because there is always something new to discover, more to learn and beneficial to give back to the people. Other than that I also enjoy the art of baking; there’s always some new flavours to cook up!

Introducing GMOs

Ridwan Hossain
Freshman
School of Life Sciences
Independent University, Bangladesh

March 23rd, 2017

We are living in a time where technological advancement is at its peak. Everyday some new kind of technology is found and implemented into our society. Genetically modified organism or GMOs constitute one such technology that is in the process of being accepted into our lives. To understand what GMOs are, we need an idea of what a gene is. My skin color, your ability to digest dairy products, whether a plant can grow in salt water or not: these are all specific characteristics that can be inherited. Such characteristics are determined by genes which are present in the cells of all living organisms. Scientists can now identify genes in the cells of organisms and modify them. This lets us determine what characteristics we want certain organisms such as crops to have and these products of genetic manipulation are called genetically modified organisms. 

A useful application of genetic modification has been the creation of pest-resistant plants. Farmers use pesticides (chemicals that kill insects) to protect their crops from harm. Pesticides are known to be poisonous which harm the environment and any living thing that consumes food that it had been used on, including humans. Scientists can use genetic modification to create plants that produce certain biopesticides. Biopesticides are naturally occurring materials inside certain organisms which act as pesticides. For example, a bacteria named Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) produces a protein which acts as a pesticide to certain insects. Scientists have incorporated the gene that produces this protein into plants such as corn and cotton, thereby enabling the plants to produce the protein on their own. Farmers can now grow these genetically modified plants without worrying about using artificial pesticides. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has tested the safety of these GMOs, and determined that when these crops are consumed, the added protein acts as a normal dietary protein and is digested, posing no health problems to the consumers. Genetic modification can also be used to produce plants that are resistant to environmental stressors such as drought and high salinity, and these varieties – many of them still under development – are likely to be increasingly useful as many regions begin to experience less rainfall and rising salinity as a result of climate change.

In 2003 the total amount of GMO crops farmed worldwide was 168 million acres. In 2015 that number rose to 444 million acres. United States alone had 176 million acres of genetically modified crops growing in 2015. Even though we get so much out of GMO crops, it garners a lot of backlash from the general population. The idea of GMOs and the road leading to its state right now might be old, but the exposure of its products to the general population is relatively new and unknown. Most people who are against GMOs believe that they are harmful to ingest, and that they harm the environment. Such ideas mainly stem from a lack of knowledge about science and a certain amount of distrust toward scientists. An in-depth analysis of 1,783 scientific articles about the safety of GM crops published between 2002 and 2012 has been carried out and the results show no harmful effects of any kind occurring due to GM crops. There is a rigorous process that checks every GMO before making them available to the general population. U.S Department of Agriculture (USDA) tests the GMOs to see if they are safe to farm, the U.S Food and Drug Administration (FDA) tests food obtained from GMOs to see if they are safe to consume, and the EPA tests to see if the pest-resistant GMO crops harm the environment or not. 

Selecting for beneficial traits is nothing new as we have been manipulating animals' and crops' genes for centuries. We domesticated dogs, cows, sheep and other animals. We choose crops that have the highest yield and grow them in large amounts, thus selecting for certain characteristics. A good example of this is the crop maize whose ancestor is actually a grass plant known as teosinte. At the end of the day, GMOs are beneficial. The only thing we can do is to teach people more about the science behind GMOs, and that it does us no harm.

Ridwan is a freshman at IUB whose dream is to be a renowned mad scientist. He will be a Nobel laureate.