Are We Playing God with Redesigned Genes?
Modern technologies have made us understand the biological world far better, offering hope for human health, giving us a firm grasp of the mechanisms underlying diseases, enabling their early diagnosis, risk assessment, and opening up new treatment strategies. They even allow us to do the unthinkable—redesigning genes to fight infection, develop wonder drugs, improve the environment and provide cheaper energy. Is synthetic biology the cure to all our ills or are we playing God with it? Do we reject this novel technology or harness it for the benefit of humanity? Earlier speaking in the HKUST’s Science-for-Lunch Talk, Prof King Chow has shared with the audience his insights on the topic.
The sharing can now be viewed here.
About The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) (www.ust.hk) is a world-class research university that focuses on science, technology and business as well as humanities and social science. HKUST offers an international campus, and a holistic and interdisciplinary pedagogy to nurture well-rounded graduates with global vision, a strong entrepreneurial spirit and innovative thinking. HKUST attained the highest proportion of internationally excellent research work in the Research Assessment Exercise 2014 of Hong Kong’s University Grants Committee, and is ranked as the world’s best young university in Times Higher Education’s Young University Rankings 2019. Its graduates were ranked 16th worldwide and top in Greater China in Global University Employability Survey 2018.
