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China’s CRISPR Revolution
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China’s CRISPR Revolution

Editing of plant, animal and human genomes has never been easier, as this country’s scientists are rapidly demonstrating.

Nirja Desai and Jon Cohen
Science, 2019
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Editorial Rating

8

Qualities

  • Controversial
  • Scientific
  • Eye Opening

Recommendation

China has more scientists using CRISPR than any other country. They’re not just making designer babies like He Jiankui did, much to the chagrin of his colleagues. Instead, they’re trying to engineer crops to help feed China’s growing population, make more accurate animal models to study diseases and provide organs for transplant, and develop more precise and effective medications. And like most governments around the world, the Chinese government is still struggling to figure out how to regulate the technology. This article offers an overview of how Chinese scientists are wielding this gene-editing tool.

Take-Aways

  • China’s largest use of CRISPR is for engineering crops to feed its growing population.
  • Chinese scientists have used CRISPR to modify more animal species than any other country in the world.
  • He Jiankui is portrayed as a rogue scientist, but plenty of people in China and in the West likely knew what he intended.

About the Authors

Jon Cohen is a staff writer at Science magazine who covers biomedicine, HIV/AIDS, immunology, vaccines, genetics and global health. His reporting has appeared in publications including The New Yorker, The New York Times Magazine, Smithsonian, Outside, and Slate.

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