Shiv’s talk on Monday was very insightful, and it taught me a lot about how genetic engineering could affect our society in terms of ranging from changing science or even impacting our economy. The implications of genetic engineering are vast, and the consequences can be either positive or negative. The story of the three parent baby was quite interesting, and I did more research into how it worked afterward. In the case of the family that successfully went about it, they used the mother’s nuclear DNA, a donor’s mitochondrial DNA, and a father’s sperm. However, according to the article, it wasn’t that simple – over five embryos were required to have one develop properly. It can be seen as positive in that a baby was indeed successful and is a great sign of scientific progress, but others may question the morality of the use of multiple embryos. In the end, with any scientific progress, people are going to be skeptical. Gene editing and genetic engineering may be viewed by great advances by some but not by all. Ultimately, we need to be aware of not only the scientific progress taking place but also how people react to/feel about these changes.

Source: https://www.newscientist.com/article/2107219-exclusive-worlds-first-baby-born-with-new-3-parent-technique/