Fundamentals of Genetics

Abstract

Genetics is a dynamic and rapidly advancing field of biology that has found applications in all dimensions of human life. Breakthrough genetic discoveries are reported regularly in all major newspapers. Genetic tools are developing at a rate that has never been witnessed before in history. While understanding genetics and applying it is mostly driven for human and environmental betterment, it can also be misused and can raise ethical and moral concerns. For example, first half of the year 2019 witnessed two important discoveries that were reported by all major newspapers across the globe. One of the discoveries was genetic modification of a fungus, Metarhizium, to produce a spider toxin that kills malaria-causing mosquitoes in large numbers. Malaria, being the biggest contributor of mortality worldwide, seeks rapid ways for disease prevention, especially in sub-Saharan countries. Studies like these help us to get a step closer to this goal clearly benefiting human society enormously. The other research news that got worldwide attention was the announcement of the birth of the world’s first gene-edited babies by Chinese scientist He Jiankui. He was condemned by the scientific community for being irresponsible and reckless. Jiankui used a latest technology for genome editing called as CRISPR-Cas9 to edit specific genes in human embryos and allowed the babies to be born. The condemnation is mainly because scientists still don’t know everything about this technology. CRISPR-Cas9 is based on a mechanism that some bacteria use to defend themselves against viruses by using an enzyme Cas9. This enzyme can be directed to make cuts in the DNA by providing a small RNA sequence for your site of interest in the DNA. This technology has revolutionized genetic manipulation in research which is exemplified by the 2020 Nobel Prize in Chemistry awarded to the discoverers of this powerful tool, Emmanuelle Charpentier and Jennifer Doudna. However, it has been shown that there are off-target effects too, meaning that the enzyme can cut into other sites in the DNA and can potentially inactivate a gene essential for proper functioning of the cell, like a tumour suppressor gene and thus lead to health problems. So, while most of the discoveries made in genetics have been extensively useful for humans and the environment, we are in an age where such scientific challenges need to be addressed by assembling an international community of experts while taking into consideration public opinions. It is indeed an interesting era for genetics.