A Craigslist ad thought to be covert advertising or “viral marketing for the upcoming Fantastic Four movie” is actually an experimental post that evolved into a form of performance art, according to the NASA scientist who created it.
The listing, called “Being Framed Need Genetic Engineering Help,” was posted from the perspective of a billionaire in trouble on San Francisco’s “creative gigs” page.
The author was purportedly seeking someone with skills in DNA forensics, robotics, and coding to help hack his genes to avoid being matched with DNA planted at the scene of a crime. The listing also had physical requirements for “custom built suit,” which led some to think it was related to an action hero movie.
As it gained traction online, the general consensus was that it may be a viral campaign. But Josiah Zayner, the bioengineering scientist and research fellow at NASA Ames Research Center who created it, said it is just one of his forays into “speculative science.”
“I was thinking, if somebody was accused of the crime, how could they fake out a DNA test?” he said.
The answer, he thought, would be in CRISPR-Cas9, a genetic engineering system used to edit specific pieces of the genome. Someone who knows their DNA was found at the scene of a crime, whether it was planted or not, could use the technology to make sure their cheek swab wouldn’t be a match.
The GLP aggregated and excerpted this blog/article to reflect the diversity of news, opinion and analysis. Read full, original post: A NASA Scientist Is Behind the ‘My DNA Was Planted” Viral Craigslist Ad
