What animals could look like if gene-editing spirals out of control

Professor Krishanu Saha from the University of WisconsinMadison is chairing a panel on the 'Limits of Engineering' Panel will discuss how gene-editing technologies could 'alter what it means to be a human being' Professor Saha says scientists need to act now to put limits on what gene modifications should be allowed.

He says scientists are yet to prove that techniques which work for mice and rats would work for humans or primates.

But research that is already taking place is starting to raise serious questions about the limits of genome editing.

Using gene editing tools like CRISPR , scientists are able to remove or insert certain targeted genes.

By changing sets of targeted genes at the same time, researchers can create animals with new physical characteristics.

Professor Saha says that if limits are not put in place, scientists might use gene editing techniques to pursue 'performance-enhancing types of modifications' In livestock, this could be used to produce 'uninhibited growth factors' which lead to larger and faster-growing species.

In 2018 , scientists targeted two genes in pigs which controlled the production of growth hormones, creating pigs which grew up to 13.7% faster.