9/6/2016

Arewegodsnow?JenniferKahntalksCRISPRatTED2016|TEDBlog

Blog

Login

LiveFromTED2016

Arewegodsnow?JenniferKahntalksCRISPRat
TED2016
Postedby:ThuHuongHa February17,2016at7:15pmPDT

http://blog.ted.com/arewegodsnowjenniferkahntalkscrispratted2016/

1/11

9/6/2016

Arewegodsnow?JenniferKahntalksCRISPRatTED2016|TEDBlog

JenniferKahnspeaksatTED2016Dream,February1519,2016,VancouverConventionCenter,Vancouver,Canada.Photo:BretHartman/TED

Somethinghugeiscoming,anditsoundslikeanadforabagofpotatochips.CRISPR,whichmakesgeneeditingsocheap
andeasyatalentedhighschoolercoulddoit,isthelatesttechnologythatpromisestoradicallychangetheworld.Butwhat
http://blog.ted.com/arewegodsnowjenniferkahntalkscrispratted2016/

2/11

9/6/2016

Arewegodsnow?JenniferKahntalksCRISPRatTED2016|TEDBlog

exactlycanitdo,andwhatarethepotentialdangers?
JournalistJenniferKahnisheretoexplain.
Shegivestheexampleofmalaria:Scientistshavebeentryingfordecadestogeneticallyengineermalariaresistantmosquitos.
Buthowtocreateagenethatwillsurvive,otherthanbybreedingacrazynumberofthem?
CRISPR,whicharrivedin2012andallowssuperpreciseandfastgeneediting,hasthepotentialtochangeallthat.
ResearchershaveusedCRISPRtogeneticallyengineertonsofmalariaresistantmosquitos.Evenmoreawesome/terrifying,
theyvebeenabletouseittomanipulatethegenessothattheycopyandpastethemselves,makingmalariaresistancefar
moreubiquitousintheirnewgenerationofmosquitosthancouldhavepossiblybeenimaginedandupendingwhatweknow
aboutbiology.
Askedaboutthismoment,researcherEthanBierbecamesoexcitedthathewasliterallyshoutingintothephone,saysKahn.
WhatthismeansisthatCRISPRcanguaranteenotonlythatthenewgeneispassedon,butthatitwillkeepcopyingitself,
generationaftergeneration,untilitsinbothchromosomesofeverysingleindividual.Itslikeaglobalsearchandreplace,
saysKahn.Whatthismeansisthatwehaveaverypowerful,butsomewhatalarming,newtool,shesays.
Whatthismeansis,someday,youcouldvirtuallyeliminatemalariainayear.Whatthismeansis,now,youcangenetically
engineerananimalthatsdesignedtodestroyitsentirespecies,forbetterorworse.
Thegoodnewsis,therearelimitations:Thiscanonlyworkinsexuallyreproducingspecies,soCRISPRcantbeusedto
engineervirusesorbacteriachangingoreliminatingapopulationispracticalonlyifthespecieshasafastreproductive
cycle,likeinsects,ormaybesomesmallvertebrateslikemiceandfishitsactuallynotthateasytoengineeratruly
devastatingtraitandfinally,youcanalwaysbuildareversaldriveandoverwritethechangeofthefirstdrive.
Atleastintheory.

http://blog.ted.com/arewegodsnowjenniferkahntalkscrispratted2016/

3/11

9/6/2016

Arewegodsnow?JenniferKahntalksCRISPRatTED2016|TEDBlog

crispr

geneediting

JenniferKahn

LivefromTED2016

science

LivefromTED2016

technology

TED2016

MostPopular

MostShared

In Case You Missed It: Lessons we learned at TED2016

The TED2016 film festival: Conference shorts

Wake up! Invigorating talks from Session 12 of TED2016

There will be no miracles here: Casey Gerald at TED2016

Viewmore

http://blog.ted.com/arewegodsnowjenniferkahntalkscrispratted2016/

4/11

9/6/2016

Arewegodsnow?JenniferKahntalksCRISPRatTED2016|TEDBlog

Contributors
http://blog.ted.com/arewegodsnowjenniferkahntalkscrispratted2016/

5/11

9/6/2016

http://blog.ted.com/arewegodsnowjenniferkahntalkscrispratted2016/

Arewegodsnow?JenniferKahntalksCRISPRatTED2016|TEDBlog

6/11

9/6/2016

Arewegodsnow?JenniferKahntalksCRISPRatTED2016|TEDBlog

ViewallContributors

FollowTED

OtherwaystofollowTED

RelatedStories
News

Reframes, rethinks and bold calls: 16 speakers share ideas at TEDGlobal>London

ByKateTorgovnickMay,BrianGreeneandDanKedmeyonSep29,2015
In1831,MichaelFaradaystoodinalecturehallanddemoedanideathatchangedeverything:electromagneticinduction.Thisworkpavedthewayfor
widespreaduseofelectricity.OnSeptember29,2015,inthesamelecturehall,attendeesgatheredforTEDGlobal>Londontohearmoreideaswiththe
potentialtoshiftreality.SixteenTEDspeakersshared[]

http://blog.ted.com/arewegodsnowjenniferkahntalkscrispratted2016/

7/11

9/6/2016

Arewegodsnow?JenniferKahntalksCRISPRatTED2016|TEDBlog

GlobalIssues

The past and future of malaria: A Q&A with Sonia Shah

ByThuHuongHaonSep12,2013
Hundredsofthousandsofpeoplediefrommalariaeveryyear.Sowhyisitstillaround?
Intodaystalk,journalistSoniaShahtakesalookatthehistoryofmalariaandoutlines
someofthemajorchallengesfacingtheendofoneoftheworldsdeadliestdiseases.Its
notsimplythatweneedtoimprove[]

http://blog.ted.com/arewegodsnowjenniferkahntalkscrispratted2016/

8/11

9/6/2016

Arewegodsnow?JenniferKahntalksCRISPRatTED2016|TEDBlog

Comments

WaystogetTED

Programs&initiatives

TEDRadioHouronNPR

TEDx

TEDTVprograms

TEDPrize

OrderaDVD

TEDFellows

MorewaystogetTED

TEDEd
OpenTranslationProject
TEDBooks
TEDInstitute
AdsWorthSpreading

Ourcommunity

FollowTED

TEDSpeakers

Facebook

TEDFellows

Twitter

http://blog.ted.com/arewegodsnowjenniferkahntalkscrispratted2016/

9/11

9/6/2016

Arewegodsnow?JenniferKahntalksCRISPRatTED2016|TEDBlog

TEDTranslators

Google+

TEDxOrganizers

Pinterest

TED.commemberprofiles

Instagram
YouTube
TEDBlog

SignupforTEDemailupdates
Signupforourdailyorweeklyemailstoreceivenotificationswhenevernewtalksarepublished.
Daily

Weekly

SignupforTEDemailupdates
SignUp

PoweredbyWordPress.comVIP

TEDTalksUsagePolicy
PrivacyPolicy
Advertising/Partnership
TED.comTermsofUse
Contact

http://blog.ted.com/arewegodsnowjenniferkahntalkscrispratted2016/

10/11

9/6/2016

Arewegodsnow?JenniferKahntalksCRISPRatTED2016|TEDBlog

Jobs
Staff
Press
Help
TEDConferences,LLC

http://blog.ted.com/arewegodsnowjenniferkahntalkscrispratted2016/

11/11