
A CRISPR Calf Is Born. It's Definitely a Boy - tech-historian
https://www.wired.com/story/a-crispr-calf-is-born-its-definitely-a-boy/
======
vikramkr
Reading through the number of off target effects and poor controllability of
the process in this cow, this just makes the case of the CRISPR baby that much
sadder. This is why irresponsible biohackers self injecting with crispr and
unethical scientists experimenting on human embryos they intend to implant to
form full humans are so deeply flawed and reviled. I'm excited that we have
this data from cows to start getting a better sense of what embryo editing in
complex animals does look like so if and when we eventually engineer human
embryos properly to rid the world of debilitating genetic disease, we
understand the science at play and how to control it.

~~~
apsec112
People should be free to do whatever they want to themselves, but an embryo
can't give informed consent.

~~~
vikramkr
People can absolutely do whatever they want to themselves of course. My
concern is when they turn around and sell CRISPR kits and misinform the public
so people like me (biologists/biohackers with connections to the DIY space)
get asked by people suffering from currently incurable rare diseases how to
CRISPR themselves to make it go away. It must be safe because they saw that
guy do it on the internet and maybe he gave a tedx talk about it or something.
The most you can do in that situation is be empathetic and try to have a
conversation about why that's not a good idea. The one thing that makes the
situation not as bad as it could be is that all of these DIY CRISPR kits suck.
They're not likely to give themselves all the cancers since CAS9 probably
isn't going to make it inside a single nucleus to wreck havoc on their DNA.
The irresponsibility I'm referring to with these charlatans "educating" the
public as biology "experts" so they can sell their DIY kits. They should still
be free to do this and sell those kits (dialing down the medical talk since
that is practicing medicine without a license) - but just because I think
people should have the right to do that doesnt mean I think they should or
that it is good for society, since the negative externalities are
heartbreaking.

