#3 – Adam Sychla - Genome Writers Guild: Promoting Responsible Genome Engineering

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Genome Writers Guild: Promoting Responsible Genome Engineering
Adam Sychla, President at the Genome Writers Guild

Website

The Genome Writers Guild asks the question: How do we promote responsible use of genome engineering?

Abstract

Humans have cultivated the use of genome manipulations since the dawn of our civilization. Our ancestors relied on careful breeding schemes and sometimes several generations worth of record-keeping. Today, we can manipulate the DNA sequence of functionally any organism with single base-pair resolution. This sudden step-change in capabilities brings with it two similar but crucially different questions: How do we ensure that we use this technology responsibly? How do we ensure that this technology is actually used to benefit society? The Genome Writers Guild was founded to help address these questions by bringing together viewpoints from scientists, regulators, companies, stakeholders, patients, and the general public. These dialogues bring the concept of genetic engineering to the public, lead scientists to understand what the public would like to see done, and help clarify regulatory pathways early in development.

Related links:

http://genomewritersguild.org/

Speaker Bio

Adam Sychla is a 4th year PhD student at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities in Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Biophysics. He is President of the Genome Writers Guild and Chair of the Journal of Young Investigators. His research can be broadly described as applying directed genetic and epigenetic manipulation to answer questions in basic biology and to engineer applied systems. He has work in plant, insect, mammalian, and viral systems. He received his BS at Ohio State University in Physics and Molecular Biology.

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