Necessity or Vanity: Designer Babies, CRISPR, and the Future of Genetic Modifications

CRISPR technology can drastically speed up the pace of genetic experimentation and could possibly eliminate many hereditary diseases from bloodlines. CRISPR was discovered only by chance in microbes; experimenters eventually managed to apply the technique to mammalian genes. However, CRISPR is still very much underdeveloped, as in many areas it lacks in precision and efficiency. For humans, the main application of CRISPR is to eliminate hereditary disease, but it has also stimulated the urge for the bête noire of creating genetically modified children, called designer babies. The idea of designer babies is controversial, as to some, the genetic modification of humans is ethically very troubling. The majority of scientists believe that there needs to be a moratorium on the generation of genetically modified babies, but there are a select few with the exact opposite view. The majority of scientists insist that we cannot stop the advancement of contemporary technology and must go full force ahead. This paper attempts to trace the emergence of CRISPR and its potential utility for addressing human disease alongside its deficiencies and the ethical problems of designer babies. Lastly, recommendations are made to expedite CRISPR related future research and utilizing the technology for the benefit of generations to come.