Gene Splicing: Simplified

Gene splicing is when a particular piece is taken out of a DNA sequence and inserted into another gene. Restriction enzymes cut the DNA at a certain part and leave sticky ends.  Sticky ends are, "a single-stranded end of DNA or RNA having a nucleotide base sequence complementary to that of another strand, enabling the two strands to be connected by base pairing", according to dictionary.com.  What that basically means is that sticky ends are a versatile puzzle piece which can connect two otherwise different puzzle pieces.  Gene splicing is used so that a single gene can code or fit with many different proteins.


"Gene Splicing - Alternative Splicing, Spliceosomes, Splicing Out Introns, Other Splicing Events, Recombinant Dna Technology, Applications Of Gene Splicing." - JRank Articles. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Jan. 2016.

Our Stance on Gene Therapy

"Gene therapy is an experimental technique that uses genes to treat or prevent disease," according to the Genetics Home Reference.  This means that, potentially, different genetic diseases could be cured by using this technology.  This works by inserting a new gene into the patient's damaged DNA. We believe that this practice should be allowed and encouraged. We think the government should fund gene therapy research because it has the potential to save lives in a less invasive manner than surgery or medication. This is different from designer babies because it is used only for the purpose of saving people, and not for superficial reasons. This process could help people with diseases like inherited disorders, certain types of viral infections and even some types of cancer.

"What Is Gene Therapy?" Genetics Home Reference. US National Library of Medicine, 4 Jan. 2016. Web. 6 Jan. 2016.

Our Stance on Designer Babies

We believe that the process of making a designer baby should be outlawed. Although designer babies can sometimes be a good thing, we believe they cause more harm than good.

Designer Babies: Angelic or Demonic?

     Now that you've gotten the scoop on what a designer baby actually is, we have to determine whether or not they're a good idea.  In other words, should parents be able to change the traits of their unborn children?  In the world of science and medicine,  designer babies are a huge leap in genetic technology.  This technology can positively impact the lives of many parents and children by decreasing the risk of genetic diseases including Alzheimers, Down's Syndrome, Huntington's Disease, and Cystic Fibrosis.  Designer DNA technology can also decrease the risk of inheritable cancers such as breast, ovarian, and prostate cancer.  This technology would additionally be able to improve the health and standard of living for hundreds of individuals by potentially increasing the human life span up to 30 years.  While these are all incredible medical and genetic advancements, the testing for Designer Babies, led by the genetic ancestry and health company 23andme, hasn't received a patent yet.
     This is due to the ethical arguments that are prevalent in the topic of choosing babies' traits.  Medical societies including the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) think that even choosing a baby's gender would impact sexism against women, let alone choosing a baby's physical and inner attributes.  Many scientific ethicists think that parents would use Designer DNA technology for superficial reasons, like having a blonde-haired blue eyed baby.  This could easily create (or reinforce) a gap in society that discriminates certain races and appearances.  Another ethical problem raised is that human individuality would be lost and everyone would be similar or the same (more on clones later).  People also believe it's wrong to impact your baby's personality and traits, for example making her athletic rather than smart, before they have a chance to choose for themselves.
     To sum it up, Designer Babies are an amazing medical and scientific advancement but, like most discoveries, they come along with many imperative ethical and societal questions and concerns.
   


Ghose, By Tia. "Children to Order: The Ethics of 'Designer Babies'" LiveScience. TechMedia Network, 13 Mar. 2014. Web. 05 Jan. 2016.

How Gel Electrophoresis Works

Gel Electrophoresis is a way to see DNA fragments separated by size. This process allows scientists to compare DNA to crime scenes, and to look for problems in DNA. The steps of Gel Electrophoresis are as follows:
1.Make sure there is enough sample DNA through the process of PCR
2.DNA is added to the container that holds the gel
3.Gel and DNA is submerged in liquid.
4. An electric current is passed through the liquid which allows the different sizes of DNA to move to different points in the container.
5.The gel and DNA is looked at under a UV light for analyzing.

"Gel Electrophoresis." National Genetics and Genomics Education Centre. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Jan. 2016.