Engl 102

9/4/19

ILA #1

How will genetic engineering be used in the future? Is the use of genetic engineering ethic?

Genetic engineering is a very controversial subject, especially in this coming age. With

modern developments and constant creation of new technology, genetic engineering is something

that has become a major topic in the world of science. Both of my sources come from the New

York Times, which I believe to be credible due to its status of a major newspaper/commercial

publication. I searched for articles on the ethics of genetic engineering and found that articles

coming from the New York Times had up to date and useful, relevant stories on recent findings

covering genetic engineering. My articles; ​Is It Ethical to Create Human Genetically Edited

Humans ​by Natalie Proulx, and ​Genetically Modified People are Walking Among Us ​by Carl

Zimmer, touch on risks and facts on the use of genetic engineering on humans. They both also

held information on how genetic engineering is tested, what the risks may consist of, and specific

cases which have occurred in the past which may shape the future of genetic engineering.

The first article I found; ​Is It Ethical to Create Human Genetically Edited Humans ​was

written in response to the claim that a Chinese scientist had completed the first case of

genetically engineered babies, sparking a controversial discussion on the topic. The babies were

modified with a purpose of being resistant to HIV. The author of the article claims that there is

no published research or proof that the scientist really modified the babies in such a way. “But
it’s entirely possible he had”, which is what sparked the purpose of the article; genetical

engineering is scary and there is a future involving further developments of genetical

engineering. Laws in America and other countries have made it illegal to alter genes of human

embryos, but China has not. Other Chinese scientists have reacted to the milestone by calling

him “crazy”, as they fear the future may lead to safety concerns under the topic of genetic

engineering. This source is timely as it is about the first use of genetic engineering on humans,

which is relevant to the ongoing controversiality of genetic engineering.

The second article I found is about the common mishaps that may occur under the use of

genetic engineering and using the scientific development in unethical/unlawful ways. Using

genetic engineering with the purpose to eliminate fatal diseases is something that many scientists

wish to gain further knowledge on but are often shut down due to the ethical concerns. There are

some fertility clinics and scientists around the world who are working hard to work with

genetical engineering, but due to restrictions and concerns, it is difficult to gain approval. This

article is timely as it discusses modern opinions, research, and attempts on genetic engineering.

This topic is important to me because it is a very interesting subject in my opinion. I

don’t know too much about genetic engineering and its controversies, so I hope to learn about

different aspects and opinions on its use. I am a nursing major, so this topic is something that is

also widely discussed in the medical world, and something that has sparked my interest.
 Works Cited

Proulx, Natalie. “Is It Ethical to Create Genetically Edited Humans?” ​The New York Times​, The

New York Times, 6 Dec. 2018,

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/06/learning/is-it-ethical to create-

genetically-edited-humans.html.

Zimmer, Carl. “Genetically Modified People Are Walking Among Us.” ​The New York Times​,

The New York Times, 1 Dec. 2018,

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/01/sunday-review/crispr-china-babies-

gene-editing.html.