Changing the Human Story with CRISPR-Cas9 | Elaine Shults | TEDxCU

CRISPR-Cas9 is a revolutionary genetic editing tool that will change the way we think about genetic editing in humans. CRISPR-Cas9’s immense influence begs a number of difficult questions: How does this technology work? What can it be used for? And how do we start weighing the ethical implications in a responsible way? The answers to these questions are hardly black and white. With CRISPR, we are now being challenged to embrace the gray.

Elaine Shults graduated magna cum laude from the University of Colorado with a degree in Biochemistry and three minors in Dance, Leadership Studies, and Chemistry. She was a member of the Presidents Leadership Class, where she served as a Senior Staff Member and a Course Fellow. She grew up in North Carolina and now serves as the Director of Development for Lit Without Limits, a non-profit that aims to provide girl mentoring groups with women empowerment-themed literature and corresponding curriculum. She also volunteers with Rocky Mountain Riding Therapy, a Boulder-based organization that offers horse riding lessons to people with disabilities. Elaine completed her senior honors thesis by purifying the Cas9 protein, which is required for the genome editing technology CRISPR-Cas9. Her future includes taking time to travel, working with Bioscience policy, and eventually attending law school.

[jeanfernandez]

This TED talk was very illuminating over the topic of genome engineering. These complex social, mental, physical and ethical situations will arise. As with everything in our world/reality, there is a dualistic property to any variable, even at the atomic level (electrons & protons) or (light & darkness). She executed this presentation!

[imanbtabar]

CRISPR needed a new TED talk by a user after the one by the inventor. Great talk.

[amazingnamed]

It is not a moral choice anyone will make, it is a matter of time. We will start by curing simpler genetic diseases and go from there.

[atheistleopard]

Good job, sweetie!!! I can't wait to get a hold of a CRISPR-Cas9 'kit', one day soon. I was born to be a scientist. CRISPR is now and forever going to revolutionize biochemistry, and let's hope for the best with this! We can and will(IMO) say good bye to cancer, auto-immune disorders, myocardial infarctions, cerebral accidents, achondraplasia, trisomy 21, fetal hydrops, and a host of other 'ailments' our species suffers from. Science is the magic without the placebo God attached IMO ! ! !

[higreentj]

The creative force of life is random copying errors, some are good, some are bad. By editing our genome we would end a lot of suffering.

[kristinaschneider]

Anyone watched it with subtitles? They don't really get the CRISPR part so they just make Christmas out of it, it's pretty hilarious :D "Christmas is gonna change the world"!

[fallinginthedp]

Now all we need to do is to make genetic modification cheaply available for everyone on the planet, to reduce the occurrence of severe inherited diseases and to extend life.

[jordygaatjeniksaan]

i hope it works give people the brains and the muscles and better healing for wounds and diseases I hope everybody gets it peace !!!

[francoismorin]

Wow nice presentation. Hard notions made easy to grasp.

[marcianopadilla]

It is exactly when it is dubbed forbidden fruit the challenge begins.Its potential will eat at the establishment until its full potential is realized and unleashed to the highest bidder.

[brainpowerhub]

I'd share my genetic information with her.

[rkthampumicrobiology]

Excellent presentation and use full work for viral disease

[higreentj]

It looks like we can use CRISPR to reverse aging. By changing a cell to a stem cell then back rejuvenates the cell.

[maniacalo]

People's feelings dont matter, anyone can do what they please when and where they do so, i agree that to use this technology for anyhthing but beneficial changes should not be allowed but as history dictates, it will happen anyway, great benefits will come from it aswell.

[rahulpaul]

Mam is it possible to change skin color genetically?

[AA-zylt]

It’s ridiculous that the governments around the world doesn’t support research like this and rather spend it in military

[JYJ]

I think she makes some mistake rolling slides in unexpected timeline. besides that it was flawless.

[Patriot]

We need to live in a world without military

[mr_brown]

If making designer babies DOES NOT screw anything up in the baby and it's progeny then what the heck's wrong with it? imo changing your babies traits to make him/her look better, more attractive in the future isn't bad.

[eileentoh]

I hope the payoff will really be great in the future !