Technology is advancing exponentially and the exciting field of genome editing is no exception. Scientists at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the Morgridge Institute for Research are playing an essential role in ensuring the continued responsible development of this genome editing technology. They are exploring the intersection of genome editing technology and national security.
These scientists attended a three-day conference in Hanover, Germany on Oct. 11-13 with other bioethics and government experts to examine security questions relating to genome editing technology.
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When assessing the risks and concerns involved with gene-editing, it’s important to consider all the stakeholders and the gap between scientists and the general public. [Chair of the Department of Life Sciences Communication at UW-Madison Dominique] Brossard says when it comes to deciding what the risk of new technology is, “you may answer [a question] really well, but it’s the wrong question.” Scientists often examine the probability of a risk that a technology presents. The public is more concerned about every potential implication, however small the probability of the implication happening might be.
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As Brossard said in her keynote speech at the conference, public engagement exercises have to go beyond just informing and consulting the public audience. Instead, the exercises should emphasize co-creating the knowledge that society needs for the emerging genome editing technologies.
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