Genome editing: the dynamics of continuity, convergence, and change in the engineering of life

IF 1.3 4区医学 Q4 BIOTECHNOLOGY & APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY

New Genetics and Society Pub Date : 2020-04-02 DOI:10.1080/14636778.2020.1730166

P. Martin, M. Morrison, Ilke Turkmendag, B. Nerlich, Aisling McMahon, Stevienna de Saille, A. Bartlett

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引用次数: 15

Abstract

Genome editing enables very accurate alterations to DNA. It promises profound and potentially disruptive changes in healthcare, agriculture, industry, and the environment. This paper presents a multidisciplinary analysis of the contemporary development of genome editing and the tension between continuity and change. It draws on the idea that actors involved in innovation are guided by “sociotechnical regimes” composed of practices, institutions, norms, and cultural beliefs. The analysis focuses on how genome editing is emerging in different domains and whether this marks continuity or disruption of the established biotechnology regime. In conclusion, it will be argued that genome editing is best understood as a technology platform that is being powerfully shaped by this existing regime but is starting to disrupt the governance of biotechnology. In the longer term is it set to converge with other powerful technology platforms, which together will fundamentally transform the capacity to engineer life.

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基因组编辑:生命工程中连续性、收敛性和变化的动态

基因组编辑可以非常精确地改变DNA。它有望在医疗保健、农业、工业和环境方面带来深远的、潜在的颠覆性变化。本文提出了基因组编辑的当代发展和连续性与变化之间的紧张多学科分析。它借鉴了这样一种观点，即参与创新的行为者受到由实践、制度、规范和文化信仰组成的“社会技术制度”的指导。该分析的重点是基因组编辑如何在不同领域出现，以及这是否标志着现有生物技术制度的连续性或破坏性。总之，有人认为，基因组编辑最好被理解为一种技术平台，它正在受到现有制度的有力塑造，但正开始扰乱生物技术的治理。从长远来看，它将与其他强大的技术平台融合，这些平台将从根本上改变人类设计生活的能力。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

New Genetics and Society 生物-生物工程与应用微生物

CiteScore

4.30

自引率

16.70%

发文量

审稿时长

>12 weeks

期刊介绍： New Genetics and Society: Critical Studies of Contemporary Biosciences is a world-leading journal which: -Provides a focus for interdisciplinary and multi-disciplinary, leading-edge social science research on the new genetics and related biosciences; -Publishes theoretical and empirical contributions reflecting its multi-faceted development; -Provides an international platform for critical reflection and debate; -Is an invaluable research resource for the many related professions, including health, medicine and the law, wishing to keep abreast of fast changing developments in contemporary biosciences. New Genetics and Society publishes papers on the social aspects of the new genetics (widely defined), including gene editing, genomics, proteomics, epigenetics and systems biology; and the rapidly developing biosciences such as biomedical and reproductive therapies and technologies, xenotransplantation, stem cell research and neuroscience. Our focus is on developing a better understanding of the social, legal, ethical and policy aspects, including their local and global management and organisation.