A discovery in the field of genome editing technology has been awarded the 2020 Nobel Prize in chemistry, with scientists Emmanuelle Charpentier and Jennifer DOudna the first two women to share the prize.
According to the BBC, the discovery – known as Crispr-Cas9 genetic scissors – is a way of making precise changes to DNA.
Since the two scientists made their discovery, the use of the tool has exploded, contributing to many important discoveries in basic research. In medicine, meanwhile, clinical trials of new cancer therapies are now taking place, as a result.
It’s also possible that the technology could be used to treat or potentially cure inherited diseases, with research now ongoing into whether it could treat sickle cell anaemia, a condition that affects millions of people around the world.
Professor Charpentier from the Max Planck Unit for the Science of Pathogens in Berlin said of being one of the firsts two women to share the prize: “I wish that this will provide a positive message specifically for young girls who would like to follow the path of science … and to show them that women in science can also have an impact with the research they are performing.
“This is not just for women, but we see a clear lack of interest in following a scientific path, which is very worrying.”
Where genome editing itself is concerned, leading researchers from all over the world have now called for the creation of a global citizens’ assembly to govern and regulate the practice.
A paper recently appeared in the Science journal, emphasising the fact that genome editing is characterised by a complex and complete “web of national and international regulation” and that poor governance could result in “ethics dumping”, with those keen to edit genes in order to create perfect humans heading to countries with little governance in place.
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