TED DİYARBAKIR COLLEGE / 9-B
74
Artificial Futures
Öykü Irmak BAYINDIR
In the last 66 years we ’ ve discovered DNA , and we learned how it works . We ’ ve developed machines that can read it . And finally , in the last six years we ’ ve developed some tools and methods that can change it . Now we are designing these “ unborn babies ” by using those methods entering a new era . A future with much smarter , durable , beautiful and intelligent babies than us will come at any case .
Gene editing is not something new . It has been done for years and it has 4 levels . Scientists explain it in the form of doors in a 4-storey building . The door on the ground floor of this building was opened in 1980 for improvement . After the first trials failed , doctors in 1990 managed to treat a rare gene disease . However , the method still remains experimental . In particular , heart diseases related to multiple genes , high blood pressure or common diseases such as Alzheimer ’ s research is underway to treat this method .
“ If we can edit genes , why should we only use them for treatment ?” said scientists and in 2004 they opened the second door .
They used mice for an experiment . One of them was a normal rat , but the other mouse ’ s genes were designed . It ’ s been arranged to run longer . Designed mouse ran 200 meters per minute and the normal one gave up after running 200 meters in 10 minutes . Alongside , the third and the fourth doors called “ Germline Gene Editing Techniques ” are about to open . These are the changes on reproductive cells . For many scientists , we are at the beginning of this way about these techniques . And it ’ s not legally possible in 25 countries . It ’ s not appropriate to play with the DNA of the unborn babies .
In November , 2018 , a Chinese scientist announced that he designed two babies ’ genes and they were twins . Their names are Lulu and Nana . Due to designing their genes , they will never have AIDS disease but people still have questions in their minds about its ethical side .